NC State head coach Elliott Avent met with the media to discuss the series win against Notre Dame.
NOTE: Click the videos above to watch each press conference!
What’s it like for you to see the way the bullpen can come in and preserve your lead tonight?
Yeah, that’s what we’ve been trying to put together as a bullpen. It’s been so hard for us, but let's start with Heath Andrews. Ge didn't have his best stuff tonight. Well, you can go out against a great team like Notre Dame without your best stuff, and you know we're battling a guy that's probably going to be a first-rounder—he’s one of the top pitchers in the country in Radel. And Heath knows he’s got to keep us close because we're not going to get much off him. He keeps us there. You’ve got to tip your hat to Heath Andrews for how great he was.
Then I thought Ryder Garino came in and did a great job after throwing about 50 pitches against Liberty on Tuesday. And then Coop [Cooper Consiglio], who threw 100 pitches against Georgia Tech on Sunday. It’s just that we've been short a few people, so guys have had to do more.
But they work hard. They work hard with their bodies and their nutrition; they get their rest. Our strength coach and our training staff do an incredible job. Those people are strong, and they're ready for the moment.
I just saw Coop was outstanding tonight, as he was when he closed that—was it the Boston College game, maybe? He's done so many things for us: closer, starter... I mean, Coop’s been unbelievable.
Is there a different sense of urgency within the lineup tonight, knowing you were facing that guy?
I think you like challenges in sports. I think that's what drives you a little bit, right? You like a challenge. You’ve got to go up. I know we've got the Final Four this weekend—it starts tomorrow night—and everybody knows who those guys are. It gets the motor going for a lot of people, and that's what you want in sports.
You want to play the best and compete against the best because you want to be there. These guys have dreams. They want to play where Trea Turner, Carlos Rodón, Patrick Bailey, and Andrew Knizner are. That’s where these guys want to be, so you’ve got to compete against the best.
What did you think about the setup and the way you've used the bullpen? Are you in a good spot tomorrow if you have to go to the pen?
We'll see. Hey, maybe we won't go to it. I don't know—maybe we'll get a CGI.
You did hold Dudan for this one.
Dudan’s tomorrow. It’s funny, when you go to the short rest thing, you feel like Marohn had to tweak the hamstring, but he's so tough. It's unbelievable. He proved tonight he's in that same quality and caliber. These guys are so tough mentally, and that's what you’ve got to be in sports. It's not easy.
We are one day short because of the Thursday-Friday-Saturday schedule. I fought for a lot of stuff in ACC meetings since I've been here, and one of the things I fought for is to play Thursday-Friday-Saturday for Easter. Easter Sunday is, for me, right next to Christmas. It’s a great holiday. If anybody has a chance to be with their family on Sunday, what a great opportunity. But it does mess with your pitching a little bit.
Speaking of going through adversity, it hadn't been the best of times for Mikey Ryan lately. He struggled at the plate a little bit, but he had a great game today.
I just talked to Mikey. I said, "Mikey, I'm so proud of you." This game can humble you, and then the next day is a whole different day. You’ve got to have that mental toughness to put everything aside and come out and do what you do. I couldn’t be prouder of Mikey Ryan.
Just going off that, Ryder Garino's last time out in an ACC game didn't go well at Florida State. His last two outings have been a lot better. What are you seeing from him as he bounces back?
I think he's figuring out how to compete. He went through a tough time—he had mono, lost a lot of weight over Christmas, and missed some time. He got off to a slow start, and we had to bring him along a little slower. I think he's just getting into his groove and figuring out his pitching.
But to come back tonight after throwing 50 pitches on Tuesday? You just have to say, "Ryder, what a great job." He competed for his team. It's different when these guys start competing for their team instead of just competing. I thought that's what Ryder did tonight.
Do you feel like you are relearning what it means to win games?
Yeah, it's tough. I mentioned it last night... I read what you guys write to make sure I didn't say anything silly or to make sure you printed what I said, because maybe our guys read it. I don't want to send a mixed message. I try to tell our players what I think in the locker room, not in the media.
But losing is tough on everybody. It wears on the coaching staff, the trainers, and the players. They came out here with renewed energy. They made the win happen last night with how they came out.
We're getting 20 new players every year and 20 returning players who might not have been here long. We used to keep guys for three or four years, and we don't have that anymore. I hope that gets changed in college sports.
The renovations—you're getting to see the benefits now. What are your thoughts on the new additions?
It's unbelievable. It took a long time to plan, raise the money, design it, and build it. I don't think I've come to practice in the last two years without walking around a ladder or hearing a jackhammer. But it's done right. Mickey, Tony, and Sean from New South Construction did it right. Everything in this locker room, the hitting cage, and the pitching lab is done with taste and thought. It’s first class.
I don't know when I'm going to walk away from this place, but it was always going to be hard to leave. Now it’s unbelievable to see how the guys utilize it. The seats down the right-field line are incredible. The place went crazy tonight when they announced Rod Brind'Amour was here with Sean Hill. Justin Gainey was here last night, too. It’s just a great place to enjoy a baseball game.
Your name's on the clubhouse. Did you know that ahead of time?
No, no, Lord, no. My wife set me up with that.
What does that mean to you?
It means a lot. I poured my heart and soul into this school my entire life—as an assistant for Ray Tanner, and back in '87 and '88 when I was Jimmy V’s gopher with Derek Whittenburg. We picked up his laundry and took his wife, Pam, to the airport. I have so many memories of this place—Kay Yow, Frank Weedon, George Tarantini. So yeah, it means a lot that it's on there. I didn't ask for it, but it means a lot.
What did today’s game do for your confidence?
Yeah, it's been kind of rough for me lately, but I'm always confident out there. I've just been sticking with my routine, and it showed today.
You guys got on in front of you and gave you opportunities to drive in runs. What's that like?
Yeah, it's always good to hit with runners in scoring position. I love doing that for the guys. When you get one in the gap, there's no better feeling.
You got that separation on that last hit. What was the mindset there? Even in the struggles, you guys have scored in late innings a lot this year.
Yeah, we were up two at that point, and that hit put us up another run. That’s big for our pitcher. It gives him a lot of confidence to go out there with that cushion. I feel like that was a big part of the win tonight.
Boston College turns out to be better than everybody thinks. You've played some really good teams lately. What is your assessment of the ACC so far?
Man, it looks pretty good this year. It's good every year, but this year they're definitely tough. We love playing against good competition; it just gets us better and ready for the end of the year.
What was today like for you, being able to go out and do what you did?
Whenever you get to do your job and the coaches have trust in you, it's always a good feeling. Just keeping the game close for my team is a great feeling.
How would you describe the seventh inning? They had some early success, but you were able to buckle down.
Yeah, I just let the main thing be the main thing, and that’s throwing strikes. I just tried to stay in the zone.
What's been the biggest difference in the last few innings for you?
It was a little tweak we made in a pen before the last outing with Josh Fisher and Clint [Chrysler]. I'd say that was it.
What did you change?
Keeping the front side up a little more and slowing things down a bit.
What's it like when you close an inning out on a big strikeout and walk off?
There's nothing better, honestly. That's probably the best feeling, especially being at home with a crowd like this on a Friday night.
What is your assessment of the league so far, and how do y'all stack up?
I think we can beat anybody. It’s a war every day. We come out here and compete every day, whether it's in practice or a game.
You transferred here to have a bigger role. What's it been like carving that out in the bullpen?
It's great. As I said, the coaches trust me, and that’s a big thing. Just getting those strikes.
What was it like to see Cooper Consiglio come in and finish the thing out?
That's my roommate, so honestly, I wouldn't rather hand the ball to anybody else. I have full confidence in him.
How does it feel to bounce back and get a series win after the last two weeks?
It feels great, man. I mean, we've been grinding and getting better at practice. It feels good to be back in the win column.
Yesterday felt like a "we can win again" moment. Today, was there any difference, or was it just business as usual?
I feel like we always know we can win. It's been unfortunate lately, but we know each other, and we're confident in each other, so we’re just playing our game.
Take us through your home run.
We knew he had a good heater, so I was looking for that all night. He got me 0-2, and I just reacted. He left one hanging, and I just took a hack at it.
Describe that feeling when the bat hits the ball, and you just know.
It's a good feeling just to help the team out. Feels good to be productive.
What was it like to see the bullpen do what they were able to do between Ryder and Cooper to keep you guys ahead?
I'm happy to see them do well. It gets me fired up in the outfield. We're behind them, so we just want them to keep going.
What’s better: a home run or a great catch in the outfield?
I gotta say the catch, man. Helping the team out like that really fires me up.
