The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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down the Owls in two games, but Rodon claims the sweep of Rice was the most excruciating weekend of baseball he's been part of in his two years at State. It took two near-miracle comebacks to subdue and eliminate the Owls, including a 5-4 thriller in 17 innings in the finale. Rice made the Road to Omaha seem like a Marine obstacle course. "That Super Regional was the tough part," Rodon said. "Rice was by far the toughest team we've faced. It seems like they kicked our butts. But the fight we had within us, that team just knew how to win those games." The College World Series was a bittersweet experience for the Pack. Rodon dominated North Carolina in the opener with a complete-game eight-hitter to get things off to a great start, but two nights later NC State dropped a painful 2-1 loss to eventual national champion UCLA, essentially giving the game away with several "All I'm worried about is winning the College World Series. Everything else will take care of itself. The goal this year is a national championship." Dry Clean Your Carpets! commercial residential Since 1987 www.bmsdry.com • Environmentally safe "green" system • No soapy residue common to steam cleaning systems • Fully bonded and insured • Safe for children and pets Ask about our Sure Step non-slip floor treatment! Phone: 919-834-1990 • Fax: 919-834-1998 bms12@nc.rr.com – Commercial jed.barbour@bmsdry.com – Residential ■ Rodon uncharacteristic fundamental lapses. North Carolina sent NC State home two nights later. Pitching on three days' rest, Rodon performed valiantly against the Tar Heels — one earned run on four hits in five innings — but lost. "It wasn't an easy ride to get to Omaha, let's put it that way, and it shouldn't be," Rodon said. "It never is. It takes a little bit of everything, including some luck. And then Omaha was just a really good time. Now we'll see how it goes this year." The backbone, indeed the heart and soul, of the 2014 Wolfpack is a junior class teeming with high-level talent, a class that figures to go down as the greatest in school history. Through two seasons, that class has grown from experience, advancing a step further each year. The 2012 Wolfpack won a regional but lost in the Super Regional to Florida. The 2013 squad defeated Rice in the Super Regional and advanced to the CWS. By extension, Rodon believes, the Wolfpack needs to take one last step in 2014. "All I'm worried about is winning the College World Series," he said. "Everything else will take care of itself. The goal this year is a national championship." ■ • No waiting on carpets to dry • Proven system – millions of square feet cleaned in the Triangle since 1987 • Wolfpack family owned and operated A formula for SUCCESS Building on a solid foundation of planning, knowledge, service, and commitment WATKINS FINANCIAL GROUP Meeting Your Insurance and Employee Benefits Needs Employee Benefit Plans* Financial Planning Retirement Plans Corporate Life Insurance* Individual Life Insurance* Supplemental Benefits* Individual Disability Income Insurance* Long Term Care Insurance* Watkins Financial Group W 1601 Jones Franklin Road, Suite 102 Raleigh, North Carolina 27606 919-851-3117 • www.watkinsfinancialgroup.com *Investment Advisor Representative of and Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor. Watkins Financial Group and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are not affiliated entities. January 2014 ■ 53 50-53.Carlos Rodon.indd 53 12/5/13 3:37 PM