Tim Peeler: After more than 5 decades, NC State's first College World Series team will receive rings

Sometime during the presentation of championship rings for NC State’s 1973, 1974 and 1975 baseball teams, one of the players asked the 1968 ACC title winners and College World Series participants to see their rings.

That all-North Carolina-native team was important in the history of Wolfpack athletics because it was NC State’s first ACC baseball champion and, for 45 years, its only team to qualify for college baseball’s championship event.

“We don’t have one,” was the surprising answer.

To be fair, championship rings really weren’t a thing until at least the 1980s, and both the Wolfpack Club and athletics have spent time backfilling hardware for teams that did not receive one, especially from 1970s, which has always been known as the Golden Age of Wolfpack Athletics.

Through the effort of Raleigh-residing team members like Alex Cheek, twins Freddie and Francis Combs, current head coach Elliott Avent, retired Wolfpack Club executive director Bobby Purcell and some private donors, the surviving members and family representatives of late members will receive rings to commemorate their landmark achievement on Friday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park.

The informal ceremony will take place on the field that was practically new when the ’68 team took the field and will be almost fully renovated when the 2026 team begins play there in February.

“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 coach Sam Esposito — will be on hand following a current-team scrimmage to receive their long-awaited rings from Avent.

Cheek, all-star pitcher Mike Caldwell and maybe a few others will share some memories and pay tribute to the members who have passed or are unable to attend. It will be the conclusion of a process that has taken nearly a decade.

“Someone said ‘We’re just so old, people forgot about us,’” noted Cheek, who pitched one of the ACC-clinching regular season games, while dealing with a broken bone in his landing foot. “Every time we really got something rolling [on the rings], COVID came along or we changed athletics directors or something.

“Coach Avent has been terrific in supporting us. We just kept working on it and finally got the right people’s attention.”

The team has been well-celebrated through the years, with recognition at football games, baseball games and at the ’13 World Series. 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.

Friday’s ceremony, however, will be the pinnacle for surviving players whose age might prevent them from getting together en masse many more times.

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 more than five decades ago and their continuous support for the program since.

“I was telling our team after practice [Wednesday] 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.”

Many members of the ’68 team traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, in 2013 to support Avent’s first appearance there, proud to shed their title of “NC State’s only College World Series team” to “NC State’s first College World Series team.”

“It has always been the example of what college athletics should be,” Avent said. “I told our team that what I want from them is to still be getting together that many years later to continue their friendships and to celebrate their accomplishments.”

Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at [email protected].