ANOTHER chance for Avent, NC State Athletics to end 23 year championship drought

Today COULD be a very special day for NC State Athletics and for one of our very own, Elliot Avent, as the Wolfpack baseball program seeks its sixth overall ACC baseball championship and its first since 1992.

While Coach Avent has delivered consistent results in his 19 years as skipper of the #Pack9, he has yet to deliver much by way of ‘peak’ success over almost two decades. Despite advancing to 14 NCAA Tournaments over the last two decades (including this year), Avent’s Wolfpack has never finished first in an ACC regular season, advanced to only one College World Series, and has never never won an ACC Championship (after losing in four previous advancements to the Championship round). NC State last reached the ACC Baseball Championship title game in 2010 at Greensboro, N.C., where we dropped an 8-3 decision to FSU.

Another approach to comparing Coach Avent’s ‘peak’ success to that of our conference rivals would be to look at number of College World Series appearances by the programs in the ACC since Avent took the reigns at NC State in 1996:

* Miami has attended 8 CWS
* Clemson has attended 5 CWS
* Georgia Tech has attended 2 CWS
* UNC-CH has attended 6 CWS
* Florida State has attended 6 CWS
* Virginia has attended 3 CWS
* NC State has attended 1 CWS
and
* Ray Tanner’s South Carolina has attended 6 CWS

While the overall NC State Athletics Department is in INFINITELY better overall condition than it was the last time Avent advanced to the Championship round in 2010, State’s ‘big four’ sports have continued to languish in a championship drought that can’t help but frustrate fans and boosters that pour so much of their time, energy and money into supporting the Wolfpack. NC State’s last ACC Championships in major sports are as follows:

Football – 1979
Men’s Basketball – 1987
Women’s Basketball – 1991
Baseball – 1992

So…today…Coach Avent has a chance to deliver success to the school he loves more than anything, has a chance to end a TWENTY THREE YEAR DROUGHT of championships in the four major sports in a game played in his own backyard. Good luck, Elliot!!!

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Home Forums ANOTHER chance for Avent, NC State Athletics to end 23 year championship drought

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 32 total)
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  • #86496
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    Today COULD be a very special day for NC State Athletics and for one of our very own, Elliot Avent, as the Wolfpack baseball program seeks its sixth o
    [See the full post at: ANOTHER chance for Avent, NC State Athletics to end 23 year championship drought]

    #86524
    wolfpackdawg
    Participant

    WTNY

    #86526
    blpack
    Participant

    So far they’ve been hitting them where we ain’t and we have been hitting it right at them.

    #86533
    Master
    Participant

    Instead of an inspiring piece of journalism, just another reminder of NC State futility. This article could have been so much more…

    #86536
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    For the record, I hope that one day…

    Stepping on good Mojo becomes a freaking reality to you guys.

    Screw the piece and anyone that responded.

    I’m burning my words as I type.

    Stop fuc#ing stepping on good threads!

    Dump the ego. You’re killing us.

    Or…actually take note of stuff before ya fire up yer keyboard.

    I swear.

    #86539
    PackofMac
    Participant

    Baseball is the American sport, athletes no matter what size or race, umpire/officials generally doing a great job officiating a sport, not trying to be the focus of attention and a coach who loves his and our university. Pack9 made a great run and if you’d told any of us we’d go 3-0 in pool play against 2 ranked teams a month ago you’d be just as negative as a few are right now. Their hitters were better than our pitching today, their bullpen was better than our hitters. I enjoyed from beautiful Beaufort, NC watching this weekend of NC State baseball without any complaints. From pure domination to magical extra inning game win, we were treated to good NC State baseball. Congrats Coach Avent, GO PACK.

    #86541
    john of sparta
    Participant

    24.

    #86548
    ryebread
    Participant

    PackofMac: that’s kind of how I see it. We were dead in the water ~6 weeks ago and now have a ton of momentum heading into the big tournament. That’s a huge turn around!

    Go Pack! Make some noise!

    #86550
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    How th *#@*# can you guys not have the ability to separate the distinctly different topics of “this year in baseball” with the overall topic of NC State Athletics?

    This has been a nice team to watch play well when things hadn’t gone so great early. Cool! Yaaay!!

    But, being 44 years old and not having won an ACC Championship in one of the top sports for 23 years feels like a pretty damn big topic to me.

    #86552
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    OK…so we need to petition AD Yow and tell her to fire Avent. I’ll start a Mass email campaign.

    Yes, it is very frustrating. No two ways about it.

    However, it seems that we are becoming relevant in baseball again. Don’t remember why Ray Tanner left, but I think it was one of Todd Turner’s “last” moves.

    It is what it is.

    The team has momentum. They are playing much better than in years past. I think that tone of the article is way off base….but folks are replying…

    I have watched several games….have not had the opportunity to go to them…but decided NOT to be the KoD and go to yesterday’s final.

    #86554
    AsheWolf
    Participant

    I’m so sorry I missed reading the masterpiece before it was removed. And I don’t know who “you guys” are, but I know these things. I have a couple of degrees from NC State, my beloved alma mater. They taught me to count. We all get it. It’s been a long drought. But the kids that donned the red and white this year and played their guts out have zero to do with that history. It seems like it’s “you guys” that have trouble separating this season from historical performance. I was able to really enjoy watching THIS team THIS season. They performed way better than pretty much anybody gave them a chance to do. And it ain’t over yet.

    And would winning it all even make a difference to the miserable amongst us? We went to our first CWS since 1968, only the second time in program history and the haters complained that it’s only once in 19 years of Avent… blah, blah, blah.

    History is history. Now is now. I get it. Do you?

    #86556
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Timing is everything.
    Always been that way, always will be.

    #86560
    PackerInRussia
    Participant

    ^ Good point. Maybe better as a mid-summer reflection. Not the day after going 3-0 against ND, Miami, and VA and playing in the championship game even if the result was a loss. Especially considering the improved position they put themselves in for postseason play and the fact that said play hasn’t begun yet. No doubt a relevant topic, but after the fat lady has sung. And may she hold off as long as possible.

    #86566
    YogiNC
    Participant

    So just to put this in perspective, we beat three really good programs just to get INTO the game. We lost to a team that had underperformed over the last 3 weeks BUT had really gotten their mojo back in the Tournament and were 3 – 0 also. AND they have a REALLY good team. Had it been 2 out of 3 I think we could have gotten at least one, and maybe two against them. It isn’t like FSU doesn’t have “THE” brand in baseball and football because they do! Things just didn’t break our way. And trust me, they REALLY broke our way Friday night. We could have not even made it to the big game if not for an incredible piece of luck and a great effort throughout the last 3 weeks of the season and the tournament.

    What drives me nuts, and I’ve said it over and over, is the naysayers that continue, no matter what, to blast the program (collectively all sports) over EVERY loss. WAKE Fu@king up, We have made great strides in the last 5 years (since DY came on board). And we have been competing with a bunch of MOMBO cheaters for talent and I can see us turning that corner. My question is, just WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO PLEASE YOU GUYS??? A national championship in every sport would still come up short for those who find the shortcomings in EVERY EFFORT. I’ve got an idea for you, why don’t YOU go win those championships for us?

    Smarter than the average bear

    #86570
    Tau837
    Participant

    How th *#@*# can you guys not have the ability to separate the distinctly different topics of “this year in baseball” with the overall topic of NC State Athletics?

    Why the *#@*# do you feel compelled to post about the “overall topic of NC State Athletics” right now? As PIR put it:

    Maybe better as a mid-summer reflection. Not the day after going 3-0 against ND, Miami, and VA and playing in the championship game even if the result was a loss. Especially considering the improved position they put themselves in for postseason play and the fact that said play hasn’t begun yet. No doubt a relevant topic, but after the fat lady has sung.

    #86578
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    Ok…Writing about the drought in major sports makes more sense to post just before the gymnastics season gets under way. Got it! Thanks for that advice!

    If we would have WON on Sunday then the topic of the major sports drought being over would have been a major story…and we would have been leading it. I even heard the announcers on 99.9 talking about it. Had we NOT highlighted the topic then we would have actually looked pretty stupid. I can’t change the friggin facts. We can only discuss them.

    I think you guys are more frustrated that we lost (Avent now 0 for 5 in Championship games) than anything….so, you’ve got to be mad at somebody.

    #86587
    AsheWolf
    Participant

    Um, no.

    #86589
    freshmanin83
    Participant

    I am surprised at the reaction to the article. I thought the tone was hopeful, the content accurate and thought provoking. The timing seems natural. I don’t see the problem. Whoever the author is I appreciate the effort and content.

    #86590
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    The author is unaware of dugout rules.

    Baseball people take this stuff seriously. Might just have well stepped on the chalk lines, or shaved the winning streak stubble.

    “Hey everybody! Clancy has a no-hitter goin’ into the 8th.”

    Nah…People aren’t mad, after the fact.

    All is well. We pick it up from Forth Worth 🙂

    Just try to be a bit more cognizant of Mr.Mojo, please.

    #86591
    Pack78
    Participant

    Just try to be a bit more cognizant of Mr.Mojo, please.

    And whoever is in charge of Jobu’s rum keep it coming…

    #86592
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    The author is unaware of dugout rules.

    Baseball people take this stuff seriously. Might just have well stepped on the chalk lines, or shaved the winning streak stubble.

    “Hey everybody! Clancy has a no-hitter goin’ into the 8th.”

    Nah…People aren’t mad, after the fact.

    All is well. We pick it up from Forth Worth :-)

    Just try to be a bit more cognizant of Mr.Mojo, please.

    Ya damn smarth ass 😉

    #86593
    Wolfanatic
    Participant

    Sammy never cared for stubble that much, but worse and especially, hair that touched your ears. Streak be god damned. Lord, he hated those 1973 Oakland Athletics. Accused us of having them as our GD MFing heroes, and perhaps they were. A profusely profane man, he could be.

    #86594
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    Spo didn’t mind stubble.
    Hell, Stod, Grinder and Dempsey could shave 3 times a day and never make a dent!LOL.

    He also never referred to our coiffs as hair.

    What would he say, Wolfanatic?

    Wuf…As for that city in Texas…I see no way around its new moniker. Forth Worth, it must be.

    Yes, Sam was an extremely profane man, and I am very proud to have been a catalyst for the creations of new ones he never dreamed he had in him 😉

    #86595
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Yep, as it should be I suppose.
    Shoulda gone with the abbreviated version I guess.

    #86601
    Wolfanatic
    Participant

    Cowdog, to us walk-ons, it was get your effin haircut. To the scholarship players, he told them: “trim up that moss, Danny boy.” BTW. I was Stoddard’s Bullpen Bitch (book to follow) for just over a year. Not bragging a’tall, mind you…

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