NC State head coach Elliot Avent, INF Sherman Johnson, and LHP Cooper Consiglio met with the media to discuss their series win over Sacred Heart this weekend. 

Elliott Avent

In a row where your team has won by double digits, what is the mindset for these long weeks and performing at a high level?

Actually, you test your concentration a little bit. I mean, we can all relax when things are going our way. And actually, all you should be focused on is getting better and trying to play in different situations. And obviously, we're in a better situation than some of these teams coming down from the north, even though we haven't been on the field as much as we'd like to; they probably haven't been on the field at all. 

So we're in an advantageous situation, but it's keeping their focus, doing like that error in the night, that in some way perturbs me, it's just an unnecessary error in the night. That's a focused thing, and those things just can't happen.

They say the hardest thing to do in sports is, so that's great. But I just like the way he's playing the game, playing it with enthusiasm. A will to get better, a will to play the game the right way. His effort level is what I'm most pleased with.

On Sherman and Wyatt’s versatility...

Those guys are playing at such a high level. They both have an argument to be in the lineup. And there are only nine positions, and it's hard to get everybody in the lineup. We're just trying to find what everybody can do and play in different spots. Sherman's such a great athlete. And he goes, you watch people when they're not playing in their position.

Sometimes they're out in the outfield. I remember Jonathan Diaz, a great shortstop here. And when he wasn't taking how many balls, he'd go to the outfield and see how many balls he could catch. And I watched Sherman; he just loves being on the field. He loves playing baseball, and that's a big thing. And so I talked to him about whether he could go to the outfield. That gives us a chance to get him and Wyatt both on the field at the same time.

How is Dalton doing, obviously?

Well, he pulled that hamstring in that ridiculous game. Well, it'll be 30 degrees at the end of a 27-to-nothing game. And I got out of the game starting the fourth inning, and you ran out of players. When he got hurt, I had to put a pitcher in to run for him. And left him in the game because he was the only catcher left. And you gotta leave one catcher there in case the last catcher got hurt.

And he pulled his quad, slid in the second, and it's day to day. Trainers have done a great job, and we'll get him back on Tuesday. But he missed a lot of bats, missed some playing time. And obviously, when you go through an injury, you don't have comfort with everything you do. 

So we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping to get him back in the lineup Tuesday, to be honest with you.

How important is the depth of your line-up?

The depth is wonderful in all aspects. The only thing you have is a lot of people who won't be on the field. And you can't get everybody on the field. So you gotta measure attitudes and how much people wanna win, as opposed to just making sure they get their time.

INF Sherman Johnson

And how would you describe this big team at this point? 

I just trust myself, trust in what I need to do, trust in Bo Rob, Coach Hart, trust in the team, trust in my teammates. I'm just out there competing for them, really. I mean, I'm just out there swinging at good pitches and putting myself in good towns, so that's really it. 

How much confidence does a week like this, with five straight games and multiple RBI, kind of give you when you play? 

Yeah, just giving myself, telling myself, no, I can do it. Like, just allowing myself to be out there, and like I said, competing for the guys, really, I just want to be up there, and somebody's on base, I'm going to drive them in, so. 

How fun to get a couple of days to come off this sort of cycle? 

Yeah, I didn't really start thinking of it until I hit my homer first at bat.I was like, all right. Hit the triple, I was like, all right, there's a chance. I got the two hard ones out of the way, and I was like, there's a chance. Then I hit the single, and I was like, all right, I have to hit a double now, and then that's why I grabbed that third, so. 

And, obviously, coming from Community College, you've been at the Division I level before, but what's it like to be able to contribute as much as you have at this level now? 

Yeah, no, it's awesome. As you said before, I was at the Division I level before. I have full confidence that I can do it again. So that's why I wanted to come here and improve it. I could have left after Community College, but I was like, I want to play here. I want to go to the NCAA. I want to be a part of this program.

And when the first match was in, it was, what's the kind of combination with you and Wyatt and Mike, sharing third base, but also you finding different ways to play. 

Yeah. Yeah, no, like Piper said, like, I and I are really close. We live together. I live two steps away from the group. So we talked all night. We talk in the living room. Like, he's a great player. He's a great defender, great hitter, great guy. I just love being out there. 

We compete at third, but I mean, as you said, I got to find ways to get in the lineup, and that's right center, catcher, first. Whatever I need to do, DH. Like, whatever I need to do as long as I can contribute to the team, that's it. 

On playing right field today...

Yeah, well, Friday, Avent called me over. He's like, you didn't play, you didn't play enough before. I was like, I mean, I can do it if you need me to do it. Like, I would go out there. He's like, you feel comfortable? I'm like, yeah, comfortable enough. Like, just go out there. And I was like, all right.

So I just went out there, took some good rounds out there, and he's like, all right, let me start that right today. I was like, all right. So he just gave me confidence, and then he moved me to the center. So it's just giving me confidence out there. That's insane out there. Yeah.

On the teams’ depth...

Yeah, no, I mean, everybody on the team is great. Everybody wants to be here. Everybody can hit. Everybody can field. This team is really capable of winning a national championship. You got kids like DeCarlo, Bentley, Bonn, like, those people on the bench that can come in and just hit. 

Like, they just rake. Coach Avent always says, DeCarlo is hitters. So DeCarlo is a very good hitter, and he can do it. And I think everybody, every time somebody comes in and pitches in, like, we have full confidence that they're going to get hit.

How much do you think that helps push everybody else in the field, knowing that the guy right behind you can come in and do the same thing? 

No, yeah, it pushes us to a certain extent. As I said before, we have to go out there every day and practice and show why we need to be in the tournament and why they need to put us in there. And I think if you keep doing that and keep doing that, then it's just going to allow us to be better.

Cooper, last time out, pitched really well, but took the loss in a one-run game. Today, what's it like to kind of see him the best, give him some support?

Yeah, that's all I'm saying. He got that loss. One to zero. Not a bad day. But today, we got him a rubble. Cooper's a great guy. Cooper's a great pitcher. He's going to go out there and pound his own for us. So, I'm just glad we got him in the box today and just do what we've been doing all season, really.

With the three RBIs and the other great plays from this series, how do you plan on carrying this momentum into the upcoming week? 

Yeah, I don't know. Just put myself in good account. So, like I said, honestly, RBIs are team-based. Like, I need my team to get on for me so I can drive in people. So, just keeping the same confidence, same approach, and just trusting myself.

LHP Cooper Consiglio

What was it like in the last few starts, and what damage occurred throughout the end? So, really valuable game.

Yeah, it's been really good. I kind of get back to just pounding the zone and trusting my defense.

How much does it help today, because you were in the lead in the last game, you didn't have that opportunity?

Yeah, it definitely felt a lot better with those runs. But I just go out there and try to give my team a chance to win every time. And so I feel like I did that today.

After another game in the books and not allowing any runs in the game, what was your approach to opening up the final game of the series?

Just pounding the zone. We saw their pitchers; they tended to get behind, which led to a lot of runs for us. So just keeping the ball in the zone, making them work, and making, letting our defense work. We have a great defense, great defenders. So, yeah, that's kind of the game plan.