MCLAMB: Wolfpack Worthy of the Moment

The game of failure is stripped down to its simplest form. Win and advance or lose and go home. 

NC State has shown great fortitude in baseball over the years. That is desperately needed to do well. When someone has been involved with the game as long as Elliott Avent or any long-time coach, the losses have a weird tendency to become dagger-like. A career of around or over 30 years could only be for the love of the game since baseball usually does not love back nearly as much. 

Here the Wolfpack is, playing for another berth to the College World Series despite schools with more history, and money, being in its way. 

Avent was right at his postgame press conference following the second game of the Super Regional when he mentioned that deciding games are the type that draws interest from casuals. Maybe that is an advantage of being a casual, in that they have not invested nearly the time or energy (or money) that a diehard has but get to drop in in the final moments to see where the chips fall.

The Wolfpack fan base is lacking in casuals, and the group has made its presence felt in Athens. With a hunger to return to Omaha after a three-year absence, they will likely be vociferous on Monday. 

It is often remarked that NC State has a phenomenal ability to attract talent that compares favorably with the ‘big-boy schools.’

Players like Garrett Pennington, Brandon Butterworth, and Alec Makarewicz chose to move into Wolfpack Nation from afar. They are the type of players who would fit nicely into the programs that compete for that beloved trip to Omaha annually. 

NCSU is not far away from being that program too. 

A win over Georgia would send the Pack to its third College World Series in the last 12 seasons. One of those years was without postseason play due to a global pandemic, and two were without the Wolfpack as they had not been invited to the tournament. That means a victory over the Bulldogs would put NCSU in the College World Series for a third time in its last nine postseason appearances, which is top-notch. Pennington, Butterworth, and Makarewicz cannot be blamed for wanting to be a part of it. 

As wonderfully talented as that trio is, the core of NC State is and will always be the ‘heart’ players – guys who lay it on the line and grind without anything more than love for the team and school. Sam Highfill has it. Logan Whitaker has it. Noah Soles has it. That is another trio that Wolfpack fans will rightfully adore.

And therein lies the driving force behind NC State’s success in baseball. It is a unit that plays the game the right way, has unselfish tendencies, and seems to punch above its weight – but only because the experts do not truly grasp what the Wolfpack is capable of.

With that in mind, convincing a player like Makarewicz to join the Pack is not difficult. Great talent is usually drawn towards great character. 

The 2024 NC State baseball team has been a success. At this point with Wolfpack fans, it is not about asking for more but hoping for more. This team owes nothing. If they win, it will be deserved for both them and supporters. NCSU is a top-tier program simply chasing champion status.

Perhaps the casuals who watch the Wolfpack fight for a College World Series berth will grasp that positive attribute on Monday evening, regardless of the result. 

With an appearance in the CWS on the line, NC State has a 50 percent chance of winning on Monday. Every coach on the planet would take that offer before the season. Every fan would also. The Wolfpack has its opportunity, through competition that has made them battle-tested, to take another step. There are no guarantees, but no fear either. 

The first pitch is scheduled for around 7 p.m. in Georgia. This is what it is about. NC State is worthy of the moment.