NC State freshman catcher Vincent DeCarlo is excited to begin his academic and baseball journey with the Wolfpack. Recently, DeCarlo spoke with Inside Pack Sports beat writer Rob McLamb about several topics, including his hometown, his goals, his love for NCSU, and discovering Bojangles.
NC State will take on North Carolina at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16th at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. After the contest, both teams will hold an autograph session on the field at the outfield warning track.
When did you discover baseball?
I have played since I was little. When I was little, I played all the sports just to stay athletic. My older brother was always doing it, so I just wanted to follow in his footsteps. My dad played baseball all his life. He played a little bit in college, but nothing crazy. He was a big baseball guy, and he basically taught me everything I know on the field. Once I was old enough to swing a bat and throw a ball, I was out there.
It was just having fun. If I told my dad, even right now, that I wanted to go play golf or I wanted to go play tennis or whatever it may be, he would be a hundred percent on board with that. It was just that baseball was what I really loved doing more than anything else, and he happened to know a lot about it. It was a great, great coincidence.
At what point did you get that separation where you thought that you might be better than a lot of the kids that you are competing against, and this could be a path to take?
I would say for me, it was about when I was 14 or 15 and really started taking the weight room seriously. I was never a small kid or necessarily a big kid, just like a normal-sized kid, but once I started really taking my preparation off the field seriously, it started to get a lot more realistic for me.
All my numbers and my strength went up drastically, so obviously, that is going to help you perform on the field. That is when I started to separate myself. I would say around my freshman year. I always took it seriously. I would not say I was not taking it seriously, but that was when I was thinking that maybe this is what I want to do with my career.
How helpful is it for an aspiring baseball player to grow up in the Tampa region?
There is no doubt about that. Just seeing the talent, there are a bunch of dudes I could just start listing off. The talent is just crazy.
Just growing up and seeing these guys playing around the house motivated me. I wanted to be like them and obviously succeed. There is no doubt that with the talent level, you are competing against guys that are just as good as you, if not better than you, every single day. It has motivated me to be where I am today.
How well did your team do in high school?
In Tampa, I won two state championships. The other two years, we lost in the state championship and the state semifinals. We made the states all four years.
We were a high-ranked team. We were as high as fifth or fourth in the country while I played there, so we were very good, and I am grateful for that experience. It really taught me how to win and lead at a high level. I would not have had it any other way. We were fortunate enough to win two state championships.
With a successful high school and travel career, you must have played in front of big crowds and many scouts.
I feel like I am the kind of player who thrives in high-pressure situations. I do not know why. Ever since I was little, I have always loved playing in front of people, playing in front of live crowds, or whatever it may be. I just like being in the big moment. For a lot of people, it could make them feel nervous or anxious, but for me, it does the opposite, and I am calm in those situations.
When did NC State enter the picture?
NC State was always like in the top three for me, even before I was recruited by them. When Coach Hart reached out to me, it was the end of my freshman year, after summer ball, so I had already been talking to a couple of schools, but I had always wanted to go to NC State.
I remember watching the 2021 team. Obviously, their season tragically ended because of the whole COVID situation that went down. I was sitting there and watching that with my family. We did not have any ties to NC State at that point, but I love the way they played the game. I love the way they were coached. That is a place I could see myself playing at, and that was really before this stuff had gotten realistic to me, where I thought, maybe that I could go play at a high level in college.
It was always originally one of the first thoughts in my mind. Then obviously, once Coach Hart started reaching out and recruiting me at the end of my freshman summer, which is when it started getting realistic. That is when I finally sat down and took a little bit to decide that I wanted to go here.
You have touched on it a little, but what is it about NC State now that holds the appeal? There are great programs in the state of Florida, including schools like FSU, Florida, Miami, Stetson, and several others. Yet, you picked NC State.
That is a great question, because a lot of people might wonder exactly what you are thinking, but for me, it was how gritty the guys are. You could just see by watching the games they have played all these years, the way they are coached, and the way they are taught how to do every little thing. They play the game the right way, and I really pride myself on that. I would not want to go to a program where I feel like I would not be playing to my highest standard, in that sense. I want to be coached and led by great people. I think a hundred percent, in my mind, the NC State coaching staff is the best group of guys in the country. Not only as coaches, but as people.
That is the biggest thing to me. We are not only going there to be baseball players, but we are also going there to grow as people and as men. I feel like if every single dude that is leading you is not a solid guy, then you know it is not going to be the best spot for you to thrive.
Then there is the on-field perspective. I'm a catcher, NC State's known for being elite with catchers, and pumping out a bunch of dudes that are in the big leagues now or going to be in the big leagues soon. That was also a great factor for me, knowing that if I went there, I could potentially be one of those next guys.
During the recruiting process, when did you come to Raleigh? When did you meet Elliot Avent?
Coach Avent, I came to Raleigh during my freshman year summer. I did a camp there, and Coach Avent actually had COVID, I believe, while I was there, so I did not meet him. I do not think I met him until after I committed, which was interesting, but the recruiting side of things was majority Coach Hart and Coach Bo Robinson. I obviously talked to Chrysler a little bit here and there with the pitching, catching stuff, but primarily to Coach Hart.
He (Avent) is just a great dude. He is a great dude, and he's got a lot of baseball knowledge, I would say. He has been around the game a long time, which is something I obviously wanted to be coached under. I think if you ask any dude who has ever played for him, they'll say he is a really stand-up guy.
My dad's old boss actually pitched at NC State a while ago, Stacy Betts. He pitched there a while back, and he was my dad's old boss. He was telling me about Coach Avent. He actually went on my visit with me there before I had committed. He was just telling me all the stories he's heard about Coach Avent and how he's always been there for his ex-players, even when their kids were in the hospital.
It's just the kind of guy you wanna play for. You want to, you know, wear the Wolfpack jersey for.
With the lineage NC State has at the catcher position, do you feel catching for the Wolfpack is a major responsibility that is perhaps greater than it would be elsewhere?
It's definitely a responsibility, and it's a good one. Obviously, I'm honored to have the opportunity. I'm excited. It's always fun when you get to follow in the footsteps of some of the best who have done it at your position.
I think Bailey is, hands down, the best defensive catcher in the big leagues, so that's obviously a good guy to look up to. It's always cool to just think about who played in your position before you, and the opportunity that is ahead.
Are you excited for the chance to meet and talk with former NC State players? Is that like an extended family?
I haven't had any talks about any of that yet, but, obviously, if that were the case or one of those guys wanted to reach out, give some tips, and some advice on how they went through the whole experience, I would definitely be honored and an open book.
I would love any sort of information like that. It is always exciting to be able to learn from guys who are better than you and have already done what you're doing, because you can always get better. Talking to guys like that who are experienced at what they do is the best possible scenario.
Where did you stand with the MLB draft? What led you to the decision that college was better for you?
I had some opportunity in this year's draft if I necessarily wanted to take it, but my thing was I really wanted to come to NC State, so I kind of numbered myself out, you could say, so without actually withdrawing from the draft, I just made my number to a point to where realistically I probably wasn't going to get it.
That was always what I wanted to do. I am a sophomore-eligible, so I'm 19. I'll be 21 in my sophomore year, so NC State is where I always wanted to play.
It was gonna take more than a lot to get me to go, and I was pretty much had my sight set on coming to school regardless.
Where can this program go in your time at NC State?
I'm confident that we are gonna be winning and winning at the highest level in the ACC Tournament and in Omaha.
We have been there a couple of times in the last couple of years, and I certainly plan on being back there this year and the next year after that.
I think if you talk to any of the guys on the team, incoming transfers or the freshmen, they all tell you the same thing.
I'm not just hopeful, I'm sure that that's gonna be the case. I mean, like I was saying earlier, I've had the opportunity to win at the highest level I've had in high school.
I know what it takes. I know how to lead and how to be led. I'm just excited for the opportunity, and I'm confident that we've got a great group of guys, a great group of coaches, and we're gonna win a lot of ball games.
What are individual goals for you as you navigate the next year or so?
A big thing for me is goal setting. I've actually always done it. My dad taught me that since I was younger, so before every season or year, I'll sit down and write a bunch of things that I want to do for the season or for the end of that year. I actually haven't done that yet for this year, so I have some broader goals.
I've never been big on necessarily caring what my own goals are. If you're being a good teammate and playing the game right, you'll fulfill your own goals just by doing that.
I just want to win a lot of games this year, grow with my teammates, and be in Omaha. Not only being in Omaha, but also winning our national championship, which would be special. That's goal number one. Obviously, everyone's gonna say that to you, but that's all I'm necessarily concerned about. I don't really care about my own personal goals.
Does the current group, especially the newer players, speak in terms of winning titles?
A little bit. Obviously, it's early, you don't want to get too ahead of yourself.
You still gotta fricking go get your classes done. We haven't. We've hardly even gotten on campus yet. We've only been there a few weeks.
We're not sitting down and having these crazy big talks, getting too far ahead of ourselves, but I think any competitive player that really wants to win, that's always gonna be in the back of your mind. That's the goal. That's what you're there for. You're there to win, just to be realistic, so at least this early in the year, we're not too concerned about talking about it, but it's definitely in the back of every player's mind for sure.
What will the feelings, emotions, and pride be like when you put the NC State uniform on and take the field at Doak?
I'd play with a lot of passion and pride in my school and who I'm representing, so I think you'll be able to see that in the way that I play for sure. I also do a lot of mental training, being able to stay calm and not let the pressure get to me. It's pretty much just excitement out of me right now. I can't wait to represent a new team, the Wolfpack, and play my heart out for all those fans. I'm just excited. That's pretty much it for right now.
What do you think of Raleigh and NC State's campus?
I think it is beautiful. I am from Florida, so getting up to North Carolina is a bit different, but that is what I wanted. I wanted something different. I wanted to switch it up, and I have loved it so far.
I have loved Raleigh. Just going out to eat with the boys at a bunch of different restaurants, because a couple of the guys are obviously from there. They showed me around the spots they have been to. They took me to Bojangles for the first time. <laugh>. I had never been, so they took me there. It was pretty solid.
There is a Bojangles on Western Boulevard. You have to be careful, though. It is easy to get over there every day. It adds up.
<laugh>. I am not a big fast-food, fried chicken guy, so they took me there one time, but it was definitely good. I do not want to get too far ahead of myself. We do not have those down in Tampa. I just kept it simple. Some chicken tenders. I got one of those biscuits. A nice little easy meal, and then I called it a day.
What is your impression of NC State’s fan base?
It is a great fan base. A lot of energetic fans that just love the Wolf pack, whether it is baseball, football, basketball, you name it. That is obviously exciting anytime you get to go into a situation like that where the people at the stadium watching you not only want to win, but they actually care about you as a person, care about you as a player, and want to support you. I'm obviously so excited for that.
After I committed, obviously, I did not know what it was going to be like, not being from North Carolina. I did not know exactly how the fan base was, but I had a bunch of people reaching out to me, congratulating me, telling me that they can't wait to see me play, which was really cool, especially because it was three years down the road from when I would be there.
That just shows the true loyalty and passion of the fans. It is one thing if a kid commits late in the senior year and they are like, ‘okay, we're excited to see you,’ but it has been three and a half years of nonstop support from the fan base. That is definitely great. There is no faking that.
What are you studying at NC State?
My major right now is business management. I don't know if that will switch or whatever. I have obviously only been there a few weeks, but my dad does sales, and I am into that. That is what I am taking as of right now.
Did you have favorite players or teams growing up?
I am a Yankees fan, believe it or not.
My dad grew up in Connecticut, so he was a Yankees fan growing up, and that is how I became a Yankees fan. I would say my favorite player ever is Derek Jeter.
Jeter's a great, great player. I just loved watching him when I was really little. I remember watching his retirement with my dad. I would say my favorite catcher, obviously other than Patrick Bailey, because that is a gimme since he went to NC State, is JT Realmuto. I like watching him catch, and I like watching him play because he is more of an athletic type of catcher. I have sort of had some player comps to him, as that's kind of the guy people think I might play like. It is fun watching him and the way he goes about his work.
If you could speak directly to the NC State fan base, what would you like to say?
First, I would just like to say thank you for all the endless love and support that I have been shown over the duration of being committed, and obviously, now being at school.
And I would just like to say that I guarantee that out of me, they are getting a winner. A hard worker and someone who is going to put the Wolfpack ahead of me and my own priorities when I am on the field every time, I am obviously giving my 120 percent, no matter what the cost. They are getting a winner out of me and out of my teammates as well. It is going to be a fun couple of years.
