NC State head coach Elliott Avent met with the media to discuss the 7-3 win over Winthrop.
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Elliott Avent
3-0 Elliott, your thoughts on the start to this season?
3-0, you can't be disappointed if you're 3-0. And we played, I don't think anybody in the country is ready to play. Even if you grow up in Hawaii, I mean, I probably call Rich right now and he says we're not ready to play. I mean, we just don't have long enough in the beginning. And obviously here we were hamstrung with.
Heath going out there today, he's had better stuff, but he stuck with it, right? And got to like 60 pitches, and that was his pitch count anyway, because we're not where we need to be. And I thought the big things were Luke Hemric brought him in second and third for his first college outing, that's not how you draw it up. And then he walks the first guy and then gets us out of the inning. I thought that was big for him.
Play another rookie made in the left field was probably the play of the game. The play he made in the left field and throwing it to the cut and doubling that guy off. And so there were a lot of positives. I thought we made a lot of good plays. Peissel goes in defensively, makes a good play down third baseline.
Mikey Ryan, great focus on the ball that we had to have made when Sherman dove in front of him and just did a lot of positive things. Obviously, Luke Nixon had a big game. He's been swinging really well. Andrew Lanphere had a big game, not only defensively catching, but obviously it was bad.
So a lot of positives, Anderson Nance came in, was unbelievable. And Coop pitched for the first time in his career here. As much as he's pitched, he hadn't pitched at the end of the game. He was really, really good. So a lot of positives and the main thing is like you said, Robert, 3-0.
Luke got his first outing as a Wolfpacker and he was very demonstrative. Where you see that sort of emotional look on the mound. How do you take that?
Hi, I think when you go out in a baseball game, no matter what the situation, the bigger the game, I think more emotion can come from you. Carlos Rodón was one of the more emotional players that I've had here. And people handle things differently and I haven't seen that kind of emotion out of Luke.
So that told me, obviously, he was in a tough spot. I put him in a tough situation and he was proud he was able to get out of it. And this game will do that to you. So I was glad to see it, to be honest with you. But he's typically not an emotional guy.
What's it say about Luke to go in there? Obviously, he walks the first guy that strikes next to him out to get out of it.
He's had a good fall, had a good preseason. He obviously has a lot of confidence in himself. He's a very even keeled guy. That's why I was telling Rob, I was a little surprised at the emotion. But it showed what a tough spot he was in. And like I say, this game can draw that kind of emotion out of anybody.
You keep playing first today, right going out to left. Is that, what's your mentality on making the line?
We're just trying to figure it out, we haven't been on the field very much. And that was a great thing about going to Puerto Rico. We thought we'd get on the field three games. We got on the field twice. We haven't been in a squad very much. Usually we have a squad about 11 times before the season opens. I think we went out there four times.
And so we need to play and hopefully get better as we play and figure out the pieces and that's what we're trying to do right now. We got a lot of pieces that can play and we're trying to figure it out along with all your winning games.
You got a Princeton team coming up. The Ivy League plays great baseball. You just speak to that and how big of a series this is and how big of an opportunity this is for them up there.
The Ivy League does play great baseball. And a lot of their players have been pilfered through the transfer portal. And it just shows you how that transfer portal is working. You go to the Ivy League, you get a great education. And then you can go anywhere if you want to keep playing baseball.
But the main thing is their coach, outstanding. He was an outstanding player here at the University of North Carolina. Was on the great North Carolina teams in his era. Class act and just one of the real good guys in this game. And so I'm just looking forward to seeing him and playing a good Princeton team.
Elliott, I have to ask you, you were the team in the game yesterday at the basketball game. Your thoughts on NC State's big win over North Carolina?
I told Brad Brown, he said we were the team in the game. I said, we've been the team in the game for Carolina a lot of years. They usually pick us in that game, and we've had a lot of success. And first thing Brad said to me, because I always told him about Curt Gowdy. He said, don't Kurt it. I said, not tonight, not Curt tonight. We got this one.
I talked to Coach Wade before the game, and I told him I'd see him today or now, it'll be tomorrow, I didn't have a chance to get over there. I said, go take care of business here, and I'll see you in a couple days. But they were a great crowd, it was a fun atmosphere, and they played a great game.
Hemric
What was it like just being able to get out there in a real game and kind of get the taste of that?
Yeah, I mean, it was awesome. I mean, obviously as a little kid growing up in Apex, I've always dreamed of coming out here and pitching. And in a tough spot, we're second and third, one out. Walking that first down four pitches, definitely a little rattled, but just settling in, striking out the next few guys was big.
And it was a big spot for us in the game. I mean, it was a two run ball game there, so a hit or anything like a walk could really do damage. So I'm just glad I can go out there next to you and pitch to my abilities.
Is there anything you'd do to reset yourself? Do you have that walk first to kind of bounce back and get there?
Yeah, I mean, I just was telling myself that I got it and I believe in myself. I think that's the biggest thing is a lot of guys, young guys, just get rattled in big situations. And just relying on faith and taking deep breaths is important to me and just telling myself I can believe and just get the job done.
What's it like for you to have the pitching staff kind of trust you to go out there in a tough situation and get out of it?
Yeah, I think it's really huge. I mean, it's kind of rare you see young guys go out there in big jams like that. And I work my butt off to try and get where I'm at today. And I'm just blessed to be able to go out there and pitch the best of my abilities and have the coaching staff just trust me to go out there in a big situation like that next to me.
Are you always demonstrative out there like that?
Yeah, I mean, I don't know, my senior high school, I started getting more fired up. And I think it was just being in a big spot. Obviously, first outing had a lot of adrenaline going through my body and punching out the next two guys was just super big. And it was just big, I mean, the fans were in it, our teammates were in it. So I was just happy to do my job and get the job done.
A lot of people look at the box scores, two in, it's two in, it's two in. It looked like a piecemeal type of thing, but it really isn't. You guys have to be on call. Describe that feeling, I have to always be ready, always be alert.
Yeah, I mean, I knew I was going out there after the top of the second. And once I got down to the bullpen, I was just waiting for my name to be called. Just staying loose, staying warm. Once they called my name, I knew I had to go out there and get the job done.
Is it sort of a heightened awareness, like being alert almost?
Yeah, I mean, when they called my name, I definitely flipped the switch a little bit, got way more locked in than when I was down there. And you just always gotta be ready. Even if you're in the dugout, they might tell you to go down there and sprint and get hot. So just staying ready is all you can do.
What was it like for you when they said you hit a batter? They challenged you to get it back, you strike him out. You obviously, I think, waved at him at the end.
Yeah, I mean, probably shouldn't have waved at him, but being in the moment, I mean, I was kind of mad just because it took a long time to review it. And I didn't think I hit him, obviously. And just I told myself, if they call it as a no hit by pitch, I'll strike him out no matter what. And the dude on the next pitch was pretty sick, but definitely probably shouldn't wave the guy next time that happens.
How much does something like that mess up your rhythm?
Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing is just to make sure you're staying loose. And taking warm up pitches is very important. But yeah, I mean, that's the first time I've been out there in a review like that. So I kind of just try to take it with ease and just get my warm ups in and just try to be able to perform right after. And when they called it a no hit by pitch, I just knew I had to go out there and execute and strike him out.
JOHNSON
What was it like getting out there for the first time and getting to play?
It was an amazing feeling. Out of body, really. Growing up, I always wanted to come here and play. And getting to start an opening day out here was a great feeling. I just love this team.
What was the double play like for you?
Oh, it was... I blacked out. I mean, I didn't know what was going to happen. I just caught it and threw it wherever I thought I needed to. And it worked out. I trusted my guys.
Do you model your game after anybody or is it sort of your own thing?
I just try to play my own game.
What is your game? Describe it.
Scrappy. Win.
When NC State recruited you, do you think that's a mantra that they have? Scrappy win? Do you think it's sort of a...
Yeah, yeah.
Describe that if you don't mind.
I mean, I've seen guys come through here like that. Like Trea Turner, I see him at Scrappy. I just always saw this program as a winning program. I wanted to come here because of that.
Is that an identity you think that this team will have?
Yeah, I do.
And now you guys go, you're 3-0. You go to Princeton. You got, as I've told the other fellow, that sort of simulates what you would face three or four season tournament. They're a good team. How excited are you for this weekend?
Really excited. I mean, excited to play baseball every time I get a chance to.
What was it like for you to see Luke get out there for the first time too and be able to get out of that big jam and put up some more innings?
I was probably more excited than him. He's my roommate, so it was just a great feeling. Something great to see. Just love to see for anybody on this team.
What's he like as a roommate?
He's a good roommate. He's pretty chill. He just lays back, does nothing really.
So what we saw out there was the exact opposite.
Exactly.
He never done a wave in there?
No, no.
Okay, okay. There's a lot of youth on this team.
Yeah.
But, obviously when it gets to April, May, they have to be veterans. So as this thing goes, how do you want to learn, evolve, grow as this season progresses?
I just want to learn the game to the best of my ability and how this program runs. I just want to hop on that train and run with them.
NANCE
How did you feel to get a win in the opener? And you pitched some big innings there. You kind of closed it out. It was still nip and tuck.
Yeah. I mean, everything was working for me today. Didn't throw any change-ups, but had the slider and curveball working. Fastball was still up there, so just believed in all my pitches and got it done.
Do you like being called when it's nitty-gritty like that, or, you know, you like start an inning? What would you rather do?
I mean, it don't matter. I'm prepared for both. I like to start new innings, but also I like to come in and shut things down.
What was your favorite part of Puerto Rico?
Probably just hanging out with the boys, hanging out around the hotel, getting to know everybody a little bit more down there. So it was very fun down there, for sure.
What was it like seeing Luke get out there in his first few innings?
It's awesome. I mean, he's worked his butt off in the weight room, on the field, and getting his first opportunity of the day was big.
Guys 3-0 can't do better than that, but what is the room for improvement? There's always something.
I mean, what I'm seeing right now, we're hitting it well, throwing it well, so right now I don't see nothing, but coaches may see something a little bit more.
It's more getting out there on a regular basis type of thing. You guys got Princeton coming up, Ivy League baseball solid. This will simulate maybe what a 4-3 seed would be in a tournament. How excited are you for this weekend?
It's exciting. I mean, every weekend is a big weekend. I mean, can't take no weekends off, so got to get the job done there and move on.
Lanphere
What does it feel like for you, having a game like this, a double homer, really kind of getting back going early in the year?
Yeah, it feels really good. Obviously, we don't have that many RBIs, guys got to get on base and everything like that. So, yeah, just trying to get on guys from base, drive them in any way you can.
How much has it helped you, obviously, play in Puerto Rico, play now, kind of get into this everyday role, kind of a new situation for you at this level?
I mean, yeah, you're able to kind of get into routine, everything like that, try to stick to your routine, and just go day by day. Yeah.
What did you see from the pitchers today?
The pitchers were great. Heath got out a couple jams, Hemric came in, did a big job for a freshman, and then Nance came in, shut the door for however long he did it, and then Coop came in, it was electric, so.
So, like, for you to see a guy like Luke come in, he's first out, you know, a couple guys on, walks the guy at base a little bit, can strike the next two out. What's it like to see a freshman kind of bounce back like that?
Oh, yeah, that's kind of how it's been, fall and spring. The emotion part, you've never seen that, but, glad to see that he was hyped up for himself and, believing in himself there.
What do you do as a catcher when it's a guy that's pretty level-headed and you see him, kind of really, getting emotional on the mound? How much does that, does that fire you up at all as a catcher? Do you have to go out there and kind of calm him down between innings? What's that kind of relationship like?
Just let him be him, let him live in the moment. Obviously, just, I told him before, if he started throwing him up, just have fun. He worked so hard to get here and go out there and have fun and do what you can do.
