The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK 14 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY TIM PEELER A s his surviving teammates filed out of Amedeo's Restaurant into an au- tumn sunset, former NC State pitcher Alex Cheek stopped to look at those di- amond heroes from long ago, the ones who helped NC State baseball do the near-impossible: win the Pack's first ACC championship and advance to the 1968 College World Series. Each of them left with a token of their remarkable achievement from 57 years ago, a commemorative ring like the ones many NC State championship teams have received through the years. "This really has been the greatest day of my life," Cheek said. That was partially due to Cheek's own efforts to ensure that head coach Sam Es- posito's second team, which advanced all the way to the CWS in Omaha, Neb., re- ceived the appreciation it deserved. The informal ceremony, held on Oct. 4 at Doak Field at Dail Park, was shared with Wolfpack head baseball coach El- liott Avent and his current team following a fall scrimmage, the perfect opportunity for the baseball pioneers to interact with fascinated members of today's roster. It's been a long wait for the delivery of the rings, which really weren't a college tradition until long after Esposito's River Rats had gone their various directions. Not too long ago, when members of the 1973, '74 and '75 ACC championship teams received their rings decades after their titles, Cheek rekindled his push to get something similar for the '68 Pack. Through the efforts of Raleigh-resid- ing teammates like twins Freddie and Francis Combs, retired Wolfpack Club executive director Bobby Purcell, Avent, and some private donors, the surviving members and family representatives of late members were presented with the jewelry on the field that some of them helped dedicate when it opened in 1967. "It means a lot to these guys," Cheek said. "I think they're looking forward not only to getting the rings that they earned years ago, when rings weren't a big thing, but just to get together again and to be with this year's team." Most of the players — minus the late third baseman Chris Cammack, outfielder Steve Martin, outfielder/pitcher Tommy Smith and Esposito — were on hand, in- cluding longtime Major League Baseball pitcher Mike Caldwell, to share some of their stories with each other and current players. "Coach Avent has been terrific in sup- porting us," Cheek said. "We just kept working on it and finally got the right people's attention." Cammack, Caldwell and Esposito are all in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and Caldwell and Esposito are in the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame. Avent, who has taken the Wolfpack to CWS appearances in 2013, '21 and '24, has been unwavering in his appreciation for the '68 team's accomplishments six decades ago and their continuous sup- port for the program since. "I was telling our team that the '68 team has always been the gold standard and the standard-bearer for what we want here at NC State — who we should be and who we want to be," the coach said. "The other thing is that the '68 team has remained close from the days they played together until now. "What they represent is their love of each other, the love of baseball and the love of this university." ■ Ring Ceremony Honors Trailblazing 1968 Baseball Team Members of the Pack's 1968 team gathered at Doak Field on Oct. 4 for a ceremony recognizing their accomplishments. Top row, left to right: John Rowland, Dave Boyer, Dennis Punch, Alex Cheek, Joe Frye, Darrell Moody, Mike Caldwell. Bottom row, left to right: John Lancaster, Robert Andrews, Francis Combs, Freddie Combs, Mac Allen, Clem Huffman. PHOTO COURTESY ALEX CHEEK Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. At long last, the '68 team got their CWS rings. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS