NC State coach Elliott Avent saw glimpses of 'Omaha team' despite loss to Miami
Although disheartened to be eliminated from the ACC Tournament Thursday by a 4-2 loss to Miami, NC State baseball coaching legend Elliott Avent left his time in Durham, N.C., excited. Perhaps for the first time this year, Avent thought he saw a ball club capable of playing in Omaha, Neb., in the College World Series.
That came after a thrilling 8-7, 11-inning win over Duke on Tuesday and then the defeat to Miami, a team bidding to be a regional super host at the NCAA Tournament.
In Avent’s eyes, both the Canes, led by its likely high Major League Baseball draft pick closer Andrew Walters, and NC State played a high-level baseball game.
“You are talking about two great teams, two teams that could wind up in Omaha in about a month,” Avent noted.
Both teams plated a pair of first-inning runs. Miami had a leadoff walk followed up by a two-run homer from sophomore Edgardo Villegas. NC State though promptly responded in the bottom half with a two-out, two-run bases loaded single bases single from freshman first baseman Eli Serrano III.
Wolfpack starting pitcher redshirt junior Sam Highfill settled down until designated hitter Renzo Gonzalez doubled home shortstop Dominic Pitelli in the top of the fourth in what would prove to be the winning run.
Both teams worked out of multiple jams. NC State junior righty Justin Lawson struck out Miami star third baseman Yohandy Morales with the bases loaded to end the fourth. Lawson also escaped a second and third with no outs situation in the fifth.
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Pack loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore left fielder Chase Nixon struck out swinging, and then Serrano grounded out into a fielder’s choice.
NC State nearly escaped another bases loaded with no outs jam in the eighth, but a wild pitch scored a run for Miami. Otherwise, sophomore righty Carson Kelly struck out the side after entering the game to neutralize the threat.
Ultimately, however, Miami has a huge weapon in Walters, who has not given up multiple runs in any of his 25 appearances this year. Walters came in with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh and promptly gave up a single to Nixon, but he then retired the next seven batters in a row, striking out three of them.
Nevertheless, Avent took an extended period of time to talk with the NC State baseball team after the game to express his gratitude for how they performed in Durham.
“I told them tonight, I didn’t think we always played like it this year, but the past two games on the biggest stage when it mattered the most, I thought they showed they could be an Omaha team,” Avent said.
NC State (35-19 overall) will find out Monday if it will participate in the NCAA Tournament.
