NC State head coach Elliott Avent, alongside INF Mikey Ryan, C Drew Lanphere, and RHP Anderson Nance, met with the media to discuss the 10-4 win against Duke. 

NOTE: Click the videos above to watch each press conference!

HC Elliott Avent

On how the team played tonight...

I thought (and I just told the team) we played really, really good. That is the best we have done all year working the count. Duke has one of the top pitchers in the league, no doubt. He has great stuff and three big-time pitches, but he did not command his fastball early on. He commanded one pitch: he was going to the changeup all the time, and he was commanding it better than we hoped he would.

We got his pitch count up; I think he was past 50 some pitches after two innings. I don’t know exactly what it was, maybe 60, but he was way up there. Then he lost command of the changeup and only commanded his slider. I thought we did a great job of recognizing what was going on, working the count, and doing some good things.

Mikey Ryan had a big home run there after we missed an opportunity. Mikey hit a big home run in the first inning. Then we got a lot of two-out hits and two-out runs. Drew Lanphere had a long two-out walk, and he had a big safety squeeze, which is a big play for us. I think it was left-on-left. Just a lot of good things.

Two styles of scoring today: you mentioned the long ball, but you were also playing small ball. You were generating and manufacturing runs with two outs. How does that bode well for the future?

Our guys are starting to understand. Sometimes they don't because they don't watch enough, and they are trained to think the long ball is everything. It is the same as college basketball players thinking dunking and the three-point shot are all the game is about. Home runs are great, but small ball will lead to big runs and getting a smash double in the gap or a home run.

If we can execute the small game, and I think they are starting to figure it out, it increases our opportunities. For example, on the bunt that loaded the bases, I don't think Coach Chris Hart gave Ty Head the sign; I think Ty did that on his own. They are starting to understand that if they practice it more in this facility, they increase their opportunities to do it in the game.

Winning the first game of the series, how important is that?

It is huge. It doesn't guarantee you are going to take the series, but it helps, I can tell you that. Especially with the way Ryan Marohn went out there and was great. Anderson Nance was great behind him. They have followed each other a lot this year, and they are a pretty good one-two punch.

You mentioned this doesn't guarantee anything, but you guys are on a good run now with five straight wins. What is going right in these five games?

We are playing well. It is five straight, but the one that got away was Liberty; it should be six straight. That game was in hand, too. The great thing is that even though that game didn't end as it should have, they didn't let it bother them.

Going to Florida State and Georgia Tech back-to-back is something you don't want to see on the schedule, and we didn't get any favors with that. To bounce back after that heartbreaking Liberty loss and run five in a row is outstanding.

To revisit the small ball, is this one of the fastest teams you have had?

This is one of the fastest teams we have had collectively.

I know you had Trea Turner in the past.

If I say that, Trea's wife might contest it. But collectively, one through nine, this is probably the fastest team we have had: the most speed and the most athletic.

Coach, earlier this year, you said that if you could really get Mikey Ryan going, it could unlock the key to the offense. Speak about his past couple of games.

He is a great player. I don't like to predict things; to predict somebody can play in the big leagues is just saying stuff you don't have to be accountable for, because getting to the big leagues is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. But Mikey Ryan has that opportunity; he is that talented. He has worked hard ever since he has been here.

I told him the other day, speaking of Trea Turner, that he gets down the line as fast as Trea or close to it. He said, "Really?" and I said, "Yeah, I had you both." Mikey gets down to first as well as anybody I have ever had. He has a lot of athleticism, a good swing, and power. He just has to keep focused on how to play the game. The great thing about Mikey is that there is still a lot of room for him to get better.

Do the boys get more used to the atmosphere for rivalry games?

I don't know if they do or not; you would have to ask them. In the old days, I would say yes. But now, with everybody changing teams all the time, I am not sure that is the case. That is a question you need to ask the guys.

I have to ask, you have Jacob Dudan’s initials and number on your hat. Can you speak to that? Obviously, you have him in your thoughts.

I have a lot of thoughts about that. He is one of the best competitors: strong, a guy who gets his sleep and eats what he needs to. He came back a day early from vacation in early January because it was his day to throw, even though all his family is in Chicago. He does everything he is supposed to do.

Speaking of the big leagues, I am pretty sure that young man is going to pitch there, and maybe soon. I am big on stuff like that; I have had a lot of initials on my hats during my time here. It is a special thing for this team. We have a lot of beloved guys on this team because they are such good people, but he is one of the most loved.

INF Mikey Ryan 

Mikey, what does a game like tonight mean for your confidence?

Like I said in the last interview, I am always pretty confident out there, but going out and doing my job for the team is what I need to do. That is all I try to do every day.

Can you speak to the confidence your teammates had in you? Obviously, baseball has ebbs and flows, and you will have slumps. What was that support like when you weren't hitting as well as you liked?

They were always trying to pick me up, telling me to keep going and reminding me that I am talented. They told me I have the skills and just needed the confidence to go out there and do my job.

Two home runs, have you ever done this before? Maybe in Little League?

I think this might be the first time. I don't think I have ever done it before.

How cool was it to do that?

It was pretty cool. The moment I hit the second one, I flipped the bat a little bit. Coach got mad at me for that, so I will try to keep it cool next time.

State fans on the internet are calling you "Mikey Mantle" now. Can you speak to doing something cool like that for the Wolfpack fans?

It means a lot. Comparing me to Mickey Mantle is saying a lot; I don't know if I am that good. I am just trying to do my job, go out there, and help the team win every day.

You guys are on a five-game winning streak after a seven-game losing streak. What has gotten you to this point?

I think we just came together. Previously, some people might have been trying to do too much or trying to win the game individually. We stopped doing the individual stuff and just came together to do whatever we could for the team. I think that has helped.

Winning the first game of a series is huge. How important is it for the mindset?

It gives us a lot of confidence to go out there and try to take the series tomorrow. We just want to go out there and do our best.

Do you get a little more "juice" when you play rivalry teams like Duke?

We try to treat every game the same as any other, but I think some of the guys who are actually from here take it a little more seriously.

NC State has a cancer awareness game tomorrow. With the history of coaches like Jim Valvano and Kay Yow, that is a big deal to the school. Is there any personal meaning in that for you?

Some of my aunts and uncles have had cancer, so it means a lot to us. Even for the kids who are going to be here tomorrow, it will mean a lot to them. Trying to make them happy and making it the best day we can for them is the most important thing tomorrow.

C Drew Lanphere

Drew, you guys are both hitting and raking at the plate, but there has also been a lot of small ball: strategic bunting and stolen bases. How nice it is to see that you guys can generate runs in that manner?

It is great. Any way we can create havoc (whether that is bunting or running the bases well) is a plus. We always want to put pressure on the other team's defense. It opens up a lot of different ways we can score, and you guys have seen that we've been able to do that lately.

The offense was in a slump, and now you guys are rolling. Over these last five games, what do you think has been the difference?

I think it's confidence. A lot of guys had been lacking confidence at the plate, not really knowing what they were going to get. Now, they are going up there with confidence, understanding who they are and that they are here for a reason.

Winning the first game of the series, how important is that?

Winning the first game is big. Obviously, in a tough conference like the ACC, you try to go up 1-0. You put pressure on the other team and go from there. We are always trying to take it day by day.

You spoke about offensive confidence, but what about confidence in the pitchers? Ryan Marohn and Anderson Nance came in today; address how they did.

They did awesome. I have confidence in every single pitcher we put out there; they are amazing at what they do. Especially as a catcher, I try to give them confidence at every point in the game. Whether it is a pitch where they missed the location or anything like that, it is about the next pitch. We go pitch by pitch.

When Pitching Coach Clint Chrysler came out, he mentioned location. When you see a pitcher get told that and then show the resolve to correct the mistake, speak to how that makes you feel as a catcher and the confidence that gives you.

It gives me a lot of confidence. Anderson Nance is a great pitcher; he is able to flip the switch. He might have missed by a little bit, but he can flip it right back. All of our pitchers do that well. As a catcher, it makes it a lot easier for me.

Do you feel like this team is closing in on its ceiling, or are you still ascending? Is there still more room to grow?

As Coach Avent said, even a guy like Mikey Ryan has room to grow. I feel like we have a lot of guys with a lot of talent, so there is still a lot of growth ahead. That is a good thing. We always get better as the season goes on, especially in the way we score and handle everything.

RHP Anderson Nance

Anderson, Clint [Chrysler] came out there right at the end and spoke to you, and then you dropped the hammer to get the strikeout. What was the message there?

To make the pitches. The two walks I had in that eighth inning were just mislocated pitches. I was just trying to hit all my spots and, if I miss, at least miss in the right spots. That is basically what he was telling me: have confidence, go out there, and make pitches.

When you see Jacob Dudan go down with an injury, even though the season isn't over, this staff is probably pretty close. What are your thoughts on how devastating that is?

It is heartbreaking. Any injury is very hard for an individual. He is taking it really well, but it is definitely devastating.

What do you like about the way you guys are playing right now during this five-game stretch?

Just like Mikey Ryan said, we are coming together. I think we are hitting the ball a lot better, pitching better, and doing the little things better. We are doing almost everything better.

During that seven-game skid, how did you guys stay together?

We had some talks. We just needed to figure it out, play together again, and keep going.