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NC State Baseball

Takeaways: Torres, Butler, pitching send Wolfpack to Omaha

June 13, 2021
11,867

NC State is going to Omaha. Thanks to back-to-back one-run, gutsy wins against No. 1 overall seed Arkasnas in the Fayetteville Super Regional, the Wolfpack is headed back to the College World Series for the first time since 2013. 

Jose Torres and Jonny Butler homered and NC State got great pitching performances from Matt Willadsen, Chris Villaman and Evan Justice in a 3-2 victory to clinch the Fayetteville Regional. 

Here’s the key takeaways from the victory: 

Jose Torres is the hero

There can be little doubt about NC State’s MVP in this Super Regional. Torres homered in all three games, culminating in the biggest hit of his career to lead off the top of the ninth inning. 

With the game tied at two, Torres stepped into the batter’s box against Arkansas’ Kevin Kopps, who had dealt all game. With the count at 1-2, Torres got the pitch he wanted and drove it to left field and out of the park, giving his team a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish. 

Pack proves’ Kopps mortality early

Arkansas super reliever Kevin Kopps came into the game, and his first start of the season, with a .66 ERA. He had not allowed more than one run in a game all season. 

NC State had a chance to make something happen in the top of the first, with a one-out single into right by Tyler McDonough and infield hit from Terrell Tatum putting two on with two outs, but could not get a run home. However, that showed the Wolfpack that Kopps was mortal, which proved important later. 

In the top of the third, Austin Murr walked with one out and stole second on a strikeout by McDonough, Butler did something only three other batters had done against Kopps all season. After just missing a home run to dead center in the first inning, he drove one to deep left field and out of the park to give the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead. Butler’s homer also marked the first time all season Kopps allowed more than one run in a game. 

Kopps pitched another strong game, allowing just three runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking three in eight innings, but NC State did just enough against one of the best pitchers in the country to advance to Omaha. 

Willadsen Villaman, set the table 

Willadsen got the start on the mound, and did everything he could have asked for against this high-powered Arkansas lineup. In four innings, Willadsen allowed just one run on two hits while striking out four and walking four, limiting Arkansas with his offspeed arsenal. 

Willadsen found himself in a couple tough spots, but battled and got himself out of jams to hand the ball to Villaman with the lead. Villaman pitched well in three innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out three and walking none. Unfortunately, in a tight game, Villaman’s one mistake proved critical, as he surrendered a game-tying solo shot in the seventh. 

After Justice’s first 1-2-3 inning, however, Torres lifted Villaman up with his homer. Villaman has been lights out in this postseason. He’s allowed just three runs on six hits, struck out 16 and walked one batter in 11.1 innings, and has been exactly the weapon this team has needed in long relief. 

Evan Justice slams the door

Justice threw 48 pitches in Saturday’s series-tying win. You wouldn’t have known it by watching him on Sunday. The Wolfpack’s closer entered a tied game in the bottom of the eighth and was dominant right away, retiring the side with two strikeouts to set the stage for Torres’ homer by attacking the zone with his fastball. 

In the bottom of the ninth, after the Pack had taken the lead, Justice was again unblemished, sending the Pack on its way with a trio of groundouts. Justice was perfect in his two innings, not allowing a base runner while striking out two, and ultimately doing what he’s done all year, making sure there was no doubt about it in the later innings. 

Resilient Wolfpack headed to Omaha

Elliott Avent has said on multiple occasions this season that this has been one of his favorite groups in his 25 seasons as the Wolfpack’s head coach, and that it reminds him of his first team. 

A big reason for that is the Wolfpack’s resilience and toughness. NC State has rolled through the punches all year. The Pack roared back from a 4-9 start to the regular season to finish 24-6. This team bounced back from a frustrating, 1-0 loss to Duke in the ACC Championship to win the Ruston Regional in commanding fashion. 

After a 21-2 drubbing at the hands of Arkansas on Friday night, the Pack bounced back to take back-to-back one-run, hard-fought games against the No. 1 team in the country. 

Thanks in large part to its resilience, the Wolfpack is headed to the College World Series for the first time since 2013. It will face a tall task in trying to bring home a championship in Omaha, but this team has shown all year that doubting it is foolish. 




 

Takeaways: Torres, Butler, pitching send Wolfpack to Omaha

11,860 Views | 30 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Wolfer79
wilmwolf
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Everyone, absolutely everyone, top to bottom played their asses off to get to this point. There isn't one ounce of quit in them. The coaches managed the staff perfectly. The dudes that ate up those innings on Friday put us in this position. Jose stepped up in the biggest moment of his career, but all the guys had big hits this weekend. The staff overcame our best starter having a short outing, and got the outs against the best team in the country when it counted. Our guys were never scared of Kopps and it showed. Just an incredible effort, and I don't think these guys are done. I'm pumped.
Just a guy on the sunshine squad.
The Gatekeeper.
Homer Dumbarse.
StateFan2001 will probably respond to this because he doesn't understand how ignore works.
Wolfpacklife
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Absolutely love this team. Great perseverance after Friday's off game. Let's go win this thing!
MAWolfpack
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any idea when our game time will be announced for Saturday?
Packamylase
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I thought I saw 2pm on Sat, but not sure if Central or Eastern time.
Wolfer79
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MAWolfpack said:

any idea when our game time will be announced for Saturday?


. could be tomorrow

might wait until full field settled after Monday games
sf59
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Pack Sooey
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
—Jack Handey
kmb717
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Why not us?
octdregs
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Amazing. Shocked. Stoked. Great job, guys! GO PACK!!!
dhwhitley
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those hogs gonna make some good tastin BBQ!
FourOaksWolf
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I know the coach at Notre Dame has done a great job this year, but I thought Avent deserved ACC Coach of the Year. To take basically 14 players, 5 whom are pitchers, and five only, this far into the college playoffs is just phenomenal. Five pitchers. What program will make Omaha with a bullpen this shallow?

Go Pack!
CALS Alumni
DealWolf
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Simply AMAZING. Such an awesome performance today and yesterday! Go Pack!

Some folks give Avent a hard time but in baseball; there are a million things you can second guess a coach for in baseball. Baseball is a total long game, law of averages sport and Avent has proven to be one of the 20 best coaches in college baseball and has done an absolutely phenomenal job this season and I tip my hat to the guy for one of the best single season coaching jobs I've seen at nc state. Let's f'ing go WOLFPACKkeep it up in the College World Series!
Wolfer79
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wolfpack1437
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That win was basically a 1983 vs Houston type moment. To beat the best team in the nation, on the road, against the collegiate player of the year..... was epic
Real Estate Brant
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How do we get tickets?!
Help me wreak Wolfpack Havoc on Twitter @therealest919
CLTWolf
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JerseyWolfpack said:

How do we get tickets?!
You buy'em....

*Wolfpack Baseball - 2021 *NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!
*Congrats to the 10 win 2021 Wolfpack football team!
Wolfer79
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Wolfpack
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Really feel the tide turning for us as an athletic department lately. Well done Wolfpack!
Daviewolf83
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Staff
What an absolutely amazing game. I had to go out of town today to check on my dad, but I was able to watch most of the game on my phone at his house (he does not have ESPN). We left his house at the top of the seventh inning and I propped the phone up in the car, so I could half watch and listen on the long drive back to Raleigh. My wife kept telling me to watch the road and when we got to the last outs, we were driving through Greensboro through "dead man alley" (some people probably know where this is). It was all I could do to keep the car going straight down the road.

Once we got the win yesterday, I really liked State's chances. I did not think Arkansas' bullpen would be good enough to stop State's hitters and State is also the better fielding team. I also thought they made a mistake starting the best reliever in college baseball, since they would have no were to turn if he got tired. While he did better than I expected, I was not surprised State was able to generate hits. It is what they do and once on base, they put pressure on the opposing team's defense.

What an outstanding win and I am so proud of Elliot and the entire team. It was an outstanding team win and we should all be proud of what they accomplished.
PackFansXL
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^ AMEN!
kwolf93
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Our boys earned this trip to Omaha. Very impressive to play with such composure and moxie in such a hostile environment.
Civilized
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Well said Davie! Hope your Dad was good!

The way our pitching set up after Game 1 I LOVED our chances to limit Arkansas' high risk/high reward plate approach, especially after we won Game 2 without using Chris, and with Evan still having something in the tank.

The big question was could we get to Kopps enough. Fortunately Torres aced that test. That's as clutch of a shot as we've ever had in our program's history. No-doubter tight and late, when we had to have it.

Big, big mistake to sleep on this team; trying to make some broader story out of 21-2 was low-hanging fool's gold. When you've got 5 pitchers that can be filthy and a batting order with no holes, that sets up for a lot of winning baseball no matter the comp.

Love this team. OMAHA BABY!!!
poexcuse
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We beat the college games's best pitcher and best team in the their own house two out of three. No one else in SEC all season beat them two out of three. This one goes down as one of our all time athletic highlights. There are many to congratulate but my guy is Evan Justice. He was not going to be denied.
Always be hopeful and respect the athletes.
ciscopack
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Giddy....for those guys.
Wolfer79
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packman78
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Amazing team win. I remember another poster made the comment that it would be hard for Arkansas to score a lot of runs after putting up 21 in the first game and they were right. I think we need to shout Tresh out as well for the final out, that wasn't an easy play throwing the guy out at first off the check swing hit. These guys should have some confidence heading into the CWS.
packgrad
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Wolfer79 said:


That's a great pic.
Wolfer79
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Wolfer79
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Wolfer79
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Wolfer79
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Jeff Gravely

This week on the Pod, we discuss @NCStateBaseball earning another trip to Omaha!!! This route was quite unique.

Inside @PackAthletics Podcast is powered by @PNCBank & @PackRadio.


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