NC State head coach Elliott Avent, OF Andrew Wiggins, RHP Sam Harris, and C Vincent DeCarlo met with Inside Pack Sports to discuss the 12-7 win against Stanford. 

NOTE: Click the videos above to watch each press conference!

HC Elliott Avent

This is a big win. It seemed like a must-win situation, or that the team was creeping toward that. How do you feel about it?

Every win this time of year seems like that one way or the other, whether you are trying to be a super regional host, host a regional, be a higher seed in the ACC tournament, or get into the postseason. Yesterday’s loss was heartbreaking. When you get a heartbreaking loss and then get down 5–0 to a really good Stanford team that plays very well at home, it can take the wind out of you. The guys just came back and fought. You cannot say enough about the job Sam Harris did.

I think you did this last year at Cal as well, where you were down big in the second game. What is the mindset in the dugout when you are down like that? Were the players still engaged?

They were engaged. Once we put two runs on the board, they seemed even more engaged that inning, and things sailed from there. Obviously, when you can score a couple, and your pitcher goes out and shuts them down, which Sam was doing, it gives us a chance to come in and get more runs. We got that big inning, and the players know what is at stake. They are giving it everything they have.

Vincent DeCarlo got a big hit before Andrew Wiggins' home run. It seems like these freshmen are earning a lot more trust. Are they at the point where they are freshmen but not a freshman type of thing?

DeCarlo has been ready to play all year. He is a good player. Sam Harris pitched a great game when he went in for Aiden Kitchings, and then Vince caught a great game too. He has been ready all year, but Drew Lanphere is just so good behind the plate.

Sam Harris helped the team win this game and gave you a much better chance tomorrow by eating up those innings and helping the bullpen. When he first came in, he was behind, but then the narrative changed, and he really locked in. Can you speak to that?

We thought Sam would give us a chance. He throws strikes, and you have to have strikes. That is what happened earlier. We could not throw strikes and were behind every hitter. In this ballpark, you see how the ball flies out during the daytime. You have to throw strikes. I feel like I am back at New Mexico State, where the ball just flies.

Going into tomorrow, you have a chance for a series win on the road. How big is that game, and how excited are you?

It is huge. Tomorrow’s game is huge, but today’s win made it huge.

I appreciate your time. Congratulations.

Thanks, Rob. Thank you for being here.

OF Andrew Wiggins

At times, you are just on that bench, and you have to stay ready. How do you do that?

I just expect myself to play every day and have trust in my teammates to do the job and win that day if I am not in the lineup.

You got a home run out there; you blasted the ball. What did you see from the bench?

I was sitting fastball after seeing a first-pitch cutter. I just continued to sit fastball, and I knew what to do with it.

A lot of people at NC State like your big-hitting ability. You’re becoming a fan favorite. Are you sensing that with the Wolfpack?

A little bit, but the way to keep it going is to show up at the field every day and just keep on playing.

It is one thing to get homers, but this was a big hit. I really think you had to have this game. To be able to produce in the moment of truth during a clutch game, what does that mean to you?

Before the game, we talked about guys one through nine just playing for the person in front of them and the one behind them. We faced a tough lefty, and I know Barber was in there with me, so we had another lefty in the lineup. We told ourselves that if someone does one thing, the next person has to do the other. I got a hit there, and it really rallied the team along.

What was the mindset in the dugout when you were down 5–0?

Keep on riding. Ride it out.

You guys have a wonderful chance now to win this series. The tide has turned. How exciting is it? Do you feel like this is an NCAA team?

Absolutely. No doubt. I think we will show a lot of heart tomorrow. Hopefully, we get the win and keep on rolling against UNC.

I appreciate your time. Congratulations.

Thank you.

C Vincent DeCarlo

What was your mindset going up to the plate for that big hit?

I knew they were going to the bullpen for a righty sinker guy. I was actually sitting on the sinker, but he happened to hang a slider. I just tried to put the bat on the ball, and it ended up working out well for us.

It seems lately you have been getting more opportunities. Are you getting to that point where you are a freshman, but not a freshman anymore?

I wouldn't necessarily say that. I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable with everything, whether it is catching or hitting. I am just taking it day by day and enjoying every moment.

I have talked to some of the other younger guys, like Luke Nixon, about this. What does it mean to come in during your first year and contribute to the team?

It means a lot. I know the entire freshman class and our whole team just want to win regardless of the grade. It means the world. We love winning, and we love playing for the Wolfpack.

When you were down 5–0, what was the mindset in the dugout?

Our backs were against the wall. That was the reality of it. We had to score runs to win, and that is exactly what we did.

Talk about Sam Harris. What did you see while catching him?

Lights out. He always does it. Sam is always over the plate and throws all his pitches for strikes. It is hard to hit when a guy is mixing his pitches like that. Sam is the best out there.

How big of a win is this?

It is a big win, but we are going to get another one tomorrow.

I appreciate your time. Congratulations.

Thank you, Rob.

RHP Sam Harris

Was this the best game of your career?

I would say up to this point, yeah, for sure.

What was it like going out there and getting the responsibility? When you first got in there, it was damage control; then the narrative changed. Describe how you had to handle that. Does your mindset change, or is it still the same?

I would say it is relatively the same. You still have to get the first pitch in and get the first guy out. I knew I was going to be extended today, so I came in with the mindset to relax, throw strikes, and get guys out. That was my job.

When you got in there, and NC State flipped the lead, did you feel like you had some leverage? Did you feel like you could attack and maybe pitch to contact?

Absolutely. I definitely pitched to contact today with only four strikeouts. I was confident being in the zone, especially once we took that lead at 7–5.

You got the lead, and then the team poured it on at the end. Did you feel like, okay, now we have a big lead, I want to close this and take it to the back end of the game?

Absolutely. You always want to be the guy to go extended, finish guys off, and be the hero every day. Sometimes that is not the job you have to play; sometimes you have to have the bullpen guys come in and do their job. They did a great job doing that today.

Broughton is not that far from NC State. To do it for your hometown team, does that make it a little bigger?

Absolutely, it means the world to me. This has been my team since I was five years old, after moving here from Chicago. Go Broughton Cavaliers.

Not only by eating up innings did you help the team win today by eating up innings, but you also set them up in a better spot for tomorrow. How meaningful is that? Can you guys go get this series?

It is huge. Playoff baseball is always what you play for. I’m happy to be able to play for something bigger than myself.

Thank you for your time and congratulations.