NC State head coach Elliott Avent, alongside INF Luke Nixon, OF Rett Johnson, and RHP Heath Andrews, met with the media to discuss the series sweep against Duke. 

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

HC Elliott Avent

On Getting Back-to-Back Series Wins...

That’s good. It is hard to win in this league. As I said, I have been in this league for 30 years now. There have always been great teams that well represent our conference in the postseason and the College World Series. But top to bottom, I have never seen the league as good as it is now. Anytime you can get a series win, it is good. I am just proud of the way the guys played today.

I was proud of Heath. In the second inning, we were like the "Bad News Bears" on defense, just throwing it all over the place, without trying to catch it. After that disaster, Heath retired about 14 guys in a row. That was extremely impressive on his part. Offensively, we have been really good lately. Even when we aren't hitting the ball out, we are doing all the things it takes to win a baseball game.

We understand what the game gives us and do the right things at the right time: steal a base, work a count. When a pitcher is struggling, work the count and make him prove he can throw strikes. We are doing all those things now. When you do that, you eventually run into a few balls in the gap, or maybe one leaves the yard like Andrew Wiggins' home run. We are playing much better baseball.

You mentioned Heath bouncing back after the defense didn't help him and retiring 14 or 15 in a row. What does that say about him?

It says everything about Heath. It says everything about who he has always been. That is who he has been since he has been here. His fastball command today was as good as I remember seeing it, and I thought his command of the slider from the third inning on was outstanding.

How important was Jacob Dudan to this program, and how tough was that loss?

Words cannot express who he is as a person. I saw a tweet today from Jeff Gravley or someone posting about the space module. One of NC State’s own is representing us as the first woman to fly around the moon; it is a historic moment. We say "wow," but it is more than that. I was born when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. As a matter of fact, I lived in Las Cruces, where the astronauts lived, and one was a good friend of mine. That is a "wow" moment.

The thing I will take from that moment for Jacob is that he looked like they were bringing him back from the moon or Mars. He had those glasses upside down and was cutting up, because that is what he means to the team. He is going to pitch in the big leagues one day, but what he is going to miss right now is being out there competing. He will still have the "karate" in the dugout and the locker room—that is what baseball gives you—but we will miss him a lot on the field. He will be with us every step of the way.

What was it like to see him as the biggest cheerleader in the dugout today?

He certainly was. They are all good friends. He, Ryan Marohn, and Cooper Consiglio all came in together. Baseball builds a bond, perhaps more in the past than today, with everyone leaving and changing teams, but you can still build a strong bond.

I guarantee you all have friends from high school who were your best buddies; you may not see them for ten years because lives change, but if you call them tonight or bump into them at a reunion, you catch up like you never stopped. These kids—Cooper, Jacob, Ryan, Heath—have been together for three years. You build a bond that is unshakable and strong.

You didn't have to use much of your bullpen today. What does that look like for tomorrow?

It is good. The bullpen is everything. Shaving those last two innings off helps. That is why those runs in the sixth inning were big. Shaving two innings off a weekend series nowadays is big for everyone. We have Cooper Consiglio going tomorrow, we are excited about that, and then it is all hands on deck.

This is your third "Victory Over Cancer" game. It is starting to become a tradition. How do you feel about that?

It is a tradition. I was here as a "grunt" with Derek Wittenberg when I was working for Ray Tanner. Derek and I were Coach Jim Valvano’s runners—or gophers, whatever term you want to use. We were going to Amedeo's to get him late-night pizza, taking his family to the airport, babysitting his kids, or picking up his suits.

My love for Jimmy V and my respect for him as a person and a coach started there. When he started the V Foundation, I was in New Mexico. I know he knew it would grow, but the research dollars and the cures found for some types of cancer are incredible. Jimmy V is right at the forefront of that.

Then you have Kay Yow, who was my biggest supporter. On the surface, we were as different as night and day, but deep down, we were the same person, and she was smart enough to figure that out. She befriended me, and we were very close. I was here when she started her "Play4Kay" game. I know she is looking down proudly, seeing how she used the end of her life to help so many people.

When Trea Turner called me a few Christmases ago, we talked about tying in childhood cancer and seeing those kids on the field. Seeing that kid ring the bell today was unbelievable. Trea wanted to start a pediatric cancer initiative.

I look back and wish I had done even more, perhaps involving private donors to raise more money. I am going to talk to my wife tonight and see if we can make a big donation ourselves. My goal is to have a game like this at every school in the ACC and the country, similar to how women’s basketball does. This day means a lot.

INF Luke Nixon

Luke, what was it like to have the offense continuing to perform today?

It is good. I think we have always been capable of that, but we were just coming through a little slump recently. To see everyone, one through nine, do well is amazing. Even guys on the bench—Andrew Wiggins came in after sitting for six innings and hit one out of the park. Stuff like that matters a lot.

How important was it to have that type of performance on the first Saturday without Jacob Dudan making the start?

It taught us a lot about our team, no matter who we had going in there. A guy like Heath Andrews has been a junior here for three years; we know he can do it. He had seven great innings. We love Jacob, but it’s "next man up."

You mentioned Heath locked it down after the second inning. What were you seeing from the infield?

I wouldn't say the start was "sketchy" on his part. I think our infield has to do a better job of communicating on the left side. Those guys are first-year players in the ACC, and I get it—especially for Mikey Ryan, it is almost like his freshman year. We just need to talk more in the infield. I have to do a better job of that as well and take accountability. I have been out there for three years, so I have to start talking more to help out our pitching staff.

Eventually, he locked it down and didn't give up a hit for a long stretch.

It is really easy when he is striking people out or getting pop-ups. It makes it simple for our defense to make plays when the pitcher is forcing easy outs.

How much pride do you take in your baserunning? You had that double that scored a run, but then you took third to make it easy for the next guy.

It is something I work on every day. I feel like it is often overlooked, but it is something I have always been instinctively good at. I think baserunning is a lot about instincts. People talk about picking up your third base coach or first base coach, but they teach us here to always know where the ball is. They have done a great job of communicating that to us.

What are your thoughts on the "Victory Over Cancer" game and just being a part of that?

It is bigger than baseball sometimes. Going out there and getting a win for those kids means everything to this team. I am glad they could be here and have a great day.

OF Rett Johnson

In the leadoff role, how important is it for you to start hot and get the offense rolling like you did today?

I think it is the most important thing. It is about finding any way on base to keep the train moving.

Coach Avent talked yesterday about the importance of small ball leading to big moments. Do you take it upon yourself to be the "small ball guy" in this lineup?

I think we have a couple of guys who do it, but I like to be a part of it because it helps us win. I love that role.

What has it been like to see the offense click these last two weekends and find this groove again?

It has been really good. I think we are seeing the best version of our offense that we have seen all season. We just need to keep it rolling.

What does it say about your depth that someone like Andrew Wiggins can come off the bench and hit it out?

Everyone on this team can play. It is big because, at any point, someone can just go in and produce.

What changed these past couple of weekends to help turn those losses into wins?

We have been working on the things we struggled with. A lot of guys were struggling with cutters, so we worked on that and hitting off-speed pitches.

When a team goes through a rut like that, can it help you stay grounded now?

Definitely. These past couple of weekends, we were seeing a lot of off-speed stuff. We had meetings about it and worked on it constantly.

Do you feel like the back end of the lineup flips the order well for you? Even if they don't score, they set up the heart of the order for the next inning.

They do a really good job. Over the past couple of games, we have been hitting well from one through nine and off the bench. We are playing well.

How important was it to get back-to-back series wins in ACC play?

It was really important. Every game is important to us.

Regarding the "Victory Over Cancer" game, what were your thoughts on the evening?

It was so fun seeing those kids before the game smiling. It meant a lot to me just to see everyone happy.

RHP Heath Andrews

After the rough second inning, what was your mindset?

I just sat down on the bench and thought about how I couldn't change the past, so I went from there and started grinding it out.

Did you change anything to find more success after that?

I started throwing more out of the zone, which got me a lot more success than in previous outings.

How important was this series win after last weekend to have back-to-back ACC series wins now?

It was huge, but tomorrow is even bigger.

What is it like starting on Saturday for Jacob Dudan, but having him in the dugout as one of the lead cheerleaders?

I love seeing Jacob happy. It makes me happy, and it makes the whole team happy. I was in the Saturday role last year, so today was just another day.

When a teammate goes down like that, do you feel an added responsibility?

It is just "next man up." Luke Nixon said it best. We hate that Jacob is down, but it is what it is, and whoever steps up, steps up.

Do you think this team has enough depth to back it up when something like that happens?

100 percent.