NC State head coach Elliott Avent, C Vincent DeCarlo, INF Christian Serrano, INF Mikey Ryan, and RHP Ryder Garino met with the media to discuss the 9-2 win at home over Queens.
NOTE: Click the video player above for Elliott Avent and the links below to watch the player interviews!
Elliott Avent
Both of these games midweek, your team scored a lot of runs late. You just speak to that, their hitting approach.
I thought I'd rather talk about the pitching, especially what Ryder Garino did. Quezada, however you say his last name, I don't want to get his name wrong, because he was unbelievable. I thought as good a pitching performance as we've seen this year, maybe the best pitching performance we've seen this year.
I think he was on the mound when they beat South Carolina in the midweek last week. And they got a good ball club, they make the plays, they take their wax on fastballs, and compete. And I thought that was an outstanding ball club today. Just really proud of our pitching and our defense to play Luke Nixon.
I've been here a long time, probably one of the top five plays I've ever seen. Made this ballpark, and Luke Nixon made two of them. Yeah, I just thought our defense and our pitching gave us a chance when that guy was just totally shutting us down.
But I'd like to see us make more adjustments. Days when guys are doing what they're doing until you gotta find ways to make things happen. Peifer had the bunt hit I thought was outstanding, but we probably didn't do enough of that.
But anyway, we hung in there, pitching, defenses allowed us to hang in until Mikey Ryan's hit was a big hit there off Quezada.
What's it like for you to see DeCarlo in his first start, and kind of-
I thought he played well. He threw a guy out of 30, made a big-time throw at second when they got a great jump, and got a ball deep to set a field where we could tag on it and get in a better position to score. And yeah, I thought he played outstanding, good for him.
You can expand on that. Christian didn't even have to be here. He could have gone to NC State and high school. And then you gave the start to DeCarlo. Luke Hemric was the starting pitcher. Your thoughts on the freshman?
Had a lot of youth out there, but we know our youth is good. I mean, Fred Johnson has been out there a lot this year, and as you said, Luke Hemric had two starts now. Christian goes to second when Luke got hurt, made a couple of good plays, and got the big sack fly there to extend the lead. And so yeah, our freshmen will play well.
It's hard when you're in high school, and you're the man, and then you get to college, and everybody's the man. How are they handling that?
They're gonna have to know sometimes, I'm gonna have to come here, and learning is gonna have to be from the bench. I'm gonna have to learn, watch, and do things.
That's what they don't understand. You're exactly right, Robin. That's what they gotta figure out. But we recruit guys who should be good enough to play as freshmen. It's just tougher to do, and you gotta believe in yourself, and you gotta work.
And as you said, you gotta pay attention when you're not playing. So when you're out there, you're more relaxed, and you can let your talent take over. But yeah, our freshmen have done a good job, and we're still missing Ragusa. We need to get him out there, but he's been a little banged up with his shoulder. We need to get Ragusa out there.
And to your point, sir, they said they were willing to accept, that's part of the reason they came here. Because of the family atmosphere, they wanted to be around people who would teach them. Do you feel like they are learning, they're adapting, and on a moment's notice, they're ready when you call them?
Well, if they're not, it's their fault, because our leadership's outstanding. It's been handed down since Lord Terrence Sanay, Andrew Simpson, and on and on. Those guys learn. When Trea Turner was here, he said he learned from Simpson and Sanay, and then they handed it down. And that's just the way it goes, Reid Johnson, Sam Highfill. Those are the people you learn from by paying attention, and it gets handed down pretty well here.
You guys stole five bases. How much pressure does that put on our opposing defenses?
It puts a lot on them. This is probably the most athletic team we've had in a while. And so Coach Hart's able to do more things out there, which he did today. A couple of big steals, and we've been doing a good job. I think Luke might be leading us in stolen bases. I'm not sure, but banged up that angle pretty good.
How's he doing?
Banged up the angle pretty good, we'll see.
So I have to ask you now, Ryder, you mentioned Ryder. Your thoughts on his performance, sir?
For me, there's always a pitcher that kind of, for them, it was Quezada. He just kept us at bay, and Ryder kept them at bay while we were doing nothing. And so Ryder, for me, was the star of the game.
Did you feel like there were some parallels between this game and the Princeton game, and then you guys made some adjustments late to-
I do, that's a great question. I really do. They had two guys at Princeton that just really were really, really good, and we made zero adjustments. I thought we probably did learn from that a little bit, and that's why that happened today. Coach Quezada was equally as good as those two we saw in Princeton, and you could say he was better.
All right, I have to ask you, I think by age, you were probably in high school when Lou Holtz was coaching. I don't know if you remember.
Lou Holtz was here, I think, because I love Lou Holtz. I think he was here in 1971 or 72, something like that.
Maybe you were probably in high school about that time.
Yeah, I was in high school.
And he passed away today, sir.
I was told that about the eighth inning, and somebody reached over the rail and told me he passed away. And boy, what a charismatic, one of the best speeches, speech givers I ever heard. I have two or three of his books at home. I comb through them constantly.
He's so smart, and he's such a showman. I'll never forget seeing him tear that. If you've ever seen him tear that newspaper up into like 15 pieces and then fold it back together. It's one of the most. I want him to teach me that trick. I was fortunate enough, like I said, I missed him here at NC State. I came to NC State as a student in 74’; he just left. And then I went to William & Mary, and while working at William & Mary, he just left.
So I've just missed him, but we're in the airport. I think in, gosh, where were we? Maybe Chicago, flying when I was in New Mexico State. One of my players, Kevin Putts, is a catcher from out in Chicago. Kevin Putts worshipped Notre Dame. He was the true Notre Dame guy.
His roommate told me it was so annoying in the fall, every Saturday morning, he was woken up at 8 o'clock constantly to the Notre Dame fight song. The guy just played it over and over and over on football. Reminds me of my neighbor. My neighbor calls me and sings me the fight song for every basketball, football, and baseball game on the day of the game.
And so Kevin Putts was like that, and we're in Chicago or somewhere on a layover, and he said, Coach, Lou Holtz is in the next terminal. I said, well, Kevin, what do you want me to do? He said, go get him and see if he'll talk to our team. And I said, I don't know him, but just go talk to him. You can talk to anybody.
So I did, I went and found Lou Holtz and asked him if he would speak to our team, and he got the team together and gave one of his great talks, which he so eloquently does.
And he signed Kevin Putts' hat, and that hat stayed in our dugout the rest of the year, so yeah, Lou Holtz is one of the great coaches of all time, one of the great people of all time. The lessons he taught his players, and one of the great representatives of college football, and he will be dearly, dearly, dearly missed.
C Vincent DeCarlo
What was it like to get your first start on a play today?
It was fun, man. I've been waiting. I've been ready to go. I know I've learned a lot from Lanphere. He's been a good leader since I got on campus, so I was ready to go. I was excited.
What were your emotions and feelings after finding out you were going to get the nod today?
Kind of like before, I mean, I was just ready. I've been waiting. I got in the game the other day, and I was ready when my name was called. So it's kind of, it's just baseball at the end of the day, so I was ready to go for my teammates.
In one sense, this isn't really the first burn in college, but it was the start. And you get there, and how do you feel like you did?
I feel like I did all right. I could have done better behind the plate on a couple of things. The pass ball, the drop catcher pop. But I feel like I'm only going to get better with time and just keep working at my craft.
There's a duality to this. You have to be ready on a moment's notice. But at the same time, if you're not called, you have to try to use that to your advantage. How are you approaching this situation?
Yeah, I'm just coming to the field every day, going to work, doing my thing. I think we have the best catching staff in the country with Preston Bonn, Blanfier, and even Bargo sometimes. So we are all just coming here, doing our work. And at the end of the day, whatever happens, happens.
And then there was a lot of youth in this game with Hemric, and then Christian as well. Your thoughts on not just the now, but the future of NC State with you?
Yeah, I mean, we haven't thought about it too much. We're just focused on what's going on right now. But I mean, those are my guys. We have a lot of talent on this team from top to bottom, whether they're seniors or freshmen. So I think everyone's excited for sure.
And so you say you think about the now. You're confident, God forbid, something happens, these guys can step in.
No doubt in my mind, everyone's ready to go top to bottom.
This week, you guys were raking late. You were in this game, but yesterday they were raking late. I think five runs in the last two innings or whatever it was. What does that say about the team, you know, the approach going into it?
We're tough. We got a lot of grit. I mean, I think one of our identities is being a good two-strike hitting team. Whatever the count is, we're ready to go. So I think that plays into that for sure.
And if you don't mind, sir, just talk to me about Ryder, his performance today.
It was outstanding. I mean, he came in out of the bullpen. He was ready to go top to bottom. I know I've worked with him a lot in pens, and he's just been, he's been lights out. And his fastball is unhittable pretty much, so I was happy for him.
What's it like playing with a guy like Drew and a guy like Dalton, and that experience catching stuff?
Right. Yeah. I mean, the older guys, they've been nothing but great to me. I mean, it's easy for some of those guys to just like kind of like push the freshmen away. Sometimes at some schools, but they have been the opposite of that. They've taken me in. They've shown me when I'm doing something wrong.
I mean, I've worked with fear on my catching since I got here. And obviously, hard as the catching coach, but Drew's taught me just as much. And we really put a lot of work in every day.
Do you think that atmosphere is what leads talented players to come to a place where maybe they won't play in the beginning, and they have to sit and watch and learn? Do you think that atmosphere, that family bonding, lends itself to that?
100%. I think we have the best coaching staff in the country, the best upperclassmen. I mean, that's the reason I'm here. That's the reason I'm going to stay here. I mean, they're good people.
How much have you seen yourself grow since showing up in the fall?
I mean, a lot. I think I didn't hit that well in the fall. I've been working with Bo Rob. I've been working with everyone. I think they'd say the same thing, but it's just like I was saying before, just coming to the field every day, having a good attitude, rooting on the guys that are playing, the guys that aren't playing.
How much did the Richmond game help prove that you can hit in the game and can do it at this level?
I think everyone knew that I was ready to go when I got my opportunity. And, it was nice to get out there. We had a bit of a lead there, so it wasn't too stressful. But as I said before, it's just baseball. We're out there having fun.
INF Christian Serrano
So Christian, I guess I'll ask you, sort of, this is you bumped up to come here this year. You didn't have to. You made that decision. You have to keep yourself ready. On a moment's notice, today was your day. Your thoughts?
Coach always said, come to the field like you're a starter and be ready for when your name's called. And when Luke went down, I was ready and ready to play.
What's this transition been like for you from high school?
It's been pretty smooth. It's kind of like the same practice-wise because where I played high school, we did a lot of, like, practice. It was an academy. But school-wise, I mean, school. School, for sure.
As the season progresses, you have no way. You have to kind of be ready on a moment's notice. How do you use that as sort of to your advantage so that you can be a better player and be ready when they call you and be a better player in the back end of your career?
Like, just watching the games helped a lot. And preparing, watching Mikey play short, Luke play second, honestly, Gator playing third, and Sherm. Just being ready and whenever your name's called, just go in and play.
You had a core group. Luke was out there pitching. Vince was behind the plate. Are you guys geeked about that?
Oh, yeah. We were happy, for sure.
Seeing Vince behind the plate was fun. What's it like for you to play at NC State now? Obviously, you watch your brother do it. What's it like for you to be at NC State?
It means a lot, for sure. Watching him play. Always wanted to get out on the field when he was there. But, I mean, it's pretty cool, for sure.
Did your brother still come back down during the offseason?
He was actually, he was home during Christmas break, but he was gone all January down at the complex. So, I mean, we hit a lot during the offseason. But, I mean, he's got a job to do, so.
Is he, so he's already left for?
Yeah, he's been gone for, like, two months now.
INF Mikey Ryan
What was it like for you guys today? Coming off a big win, an emotional win yesterday. Come back out here and maybe another one, and kind of keep going.
Yeah, just kind of trying to stay locked in and stick with our game plan. That's what we did today.
Would you say that the power is something you kind of expected of late? Or is that something new to your game since coming here?
No, I've always kind of had it. But I've fought our back pads now that I've worked with Coach Hart on them. So I'm getting the ball in the air more. So that's helping.
Both packs have scored runs late these last two games, in the seventh and eighth innings. Just speak to that. How vital is that? And how much it shows you guys are adapting and you're at bats?
Yeah, I mean, the pitcher today was pretty good. I mean, kind of had us off balance at the beginning. But just sticking with our approach and just kind of sticking with it the whole game really helps us. And that's what we did today.
What's it like playing an offense you guys can adjust? Steal bases, everyone in the lineup. What's it kind of like, just playing in an offense like that?
Yeah, we're a very athletic team. So having that around the board, one through nine, is pretty special. And I mean, any part of the lineup could do damage. So it's always good.
Fellas like Hemric and a couple of these guys, they're not just now. They're also the future. They got to play today. Your thoughts on their performance?
Yeah, they did well. I mean, it's good getting the young guys in there. I mean, they didn't experience just this year, but the years to come. So that's always good and good for the program.
You think this is a team that's equipped. Should God forbid something happen, these guys can step up and?
Yeah, no doubt. We have a lot of depth on this team for sure.
RHP Ryder Garino
First time kind of getting that kind of length, what was working today?
It was good, just sticking to the approach that Clint and I talked about. So just getting the first two, staying ahead in the count, just works.
Is there anything you worked on during the offseason that kind of helped add some length?
Just be more consistent with my pitches, just stay in the zone a lot more, and not fall behind.
I ask you kind of the same question I asked Mikey, young guys, obviously they're the future, but in the now, your thoughts on their performance?
Oh yeah, it's great. I mean, we got a lot of young guys, we got a lot of guys with experience, and I think it just ties in really well. And younger guys can learn from the older guys, and it's great. I'm excited for the future.
What was it like doing the Vincent today?
Oh, it was great. I mean, once I heard he was getting started, just excited for the boy. He's a good dude. Just excited to see the younger guys doing well.
You got another weekend, pardon me, a three-game set coming up this weekend. The build-up to ACC play is getting tight. What do you guys want to improve upon? What's the goal over the next week or so?
Just sticking with what we're doing. I mean, I think we're doing pretty well offensively, defensively. So, just stick to the game plan, I guess.
