Wolfpack Baseball’s season ends in Omaha.

BlockSHomePlateWolfpack Baseball’s 2013 season came to an inauspicious end last night when the Pack fell for the second straight game in Omaha, this time to a familiar foe.  Carolina breaks a close game open with four runs in 8th inning and ends up shutting the Pack out 7-0.  Incidentally, it was the first time this season that the Pack was blanked on the scoreboard.

State finishes the season with a 50-16 record, finishing with 50 wins for the first time in program history.

The Heels move on and will now have to top UCLA twice (Friday and Saturday) to move on to the national championship series.

In the other bracket, it’s Oregon State faced with the task of winning two straight vs Mississippi State.

For anyone who cares, Oregon State/Miss. State is at 3pm today, and Carolina/UCLA is the 8pm nightcap, both on ESPN.  Both of Saturday’s games are an “if necessary” of course.

I suppose it’s likely, though unfortunate, that most folks will remember this season as one of disappointments (if they remember it at all after a few weeks).  And while I understand that this academic year was fraught with disappointment when it comes to NC State Athletics (expectations not met in football or basketball) and thus it’s very easy to feel that way, this Wolfpack Baseball team not only didn’t underachieve, but made great strides for the program which very well could pay dividends on the recruiting trail.

Most of all, this team doesn’t deserve to be thought of as a disappointment.

The argument of course will be “No Banners”.  Well, that and the fact that it was Carolina that halted the Pack’s path to two of those banners.

The Pack fell a half game short of the ACC’s Atlantic Division pennant to FSU.  They then fell in 18 innings to Carolina in the nail biter in Durham to end hopes for the ACC Championship.

And then last night, with their backs to the wall, it was Carolina again to end the Pack’s season and their hopes of a CWS title.

So yeah, I get the disappointment, trust me.  I hate losing and I especially hate losing to them.  Losing to them in a meaningful game (such as the last two losses to them have been) really bugs the living chit out of me quite frankly, and no I’m not yet over that disappointment and it’ll take a while.

But none of that should take away from what the Pack9 did accomplish this season.

First ever 50 win season.

19 regular season conference wins ties program best.

First CWS berth since ’68.

Top ten finish.

This team achieved pretty much exactly what was expected of them, and that’s despite an early season slide when Trea Turner went down with injury.  That’s despite a starting pitching rotation that was piecemeal for much of the year.  That’s despite sporting a record of 16-9 (3-6 ACC) on March 24th after getting swept by UVa in Charlottesville without Turner.

In the meat grinder that is the ACC, then in the ACC Tournament (which might as well be called Omaha east), and then including the NCAA Tournament and CWS, this Wolfpack squad lost a whopping total of 7 games over the last three months of the season, finishing the season going 34-7.

Especially considering the competition levels faced over that stretch, I’d say that’s not half bad.

Looking forward, State will still have the nucleus of a pretty good club together for 2014.  Rodon and Turner are back of course.  As are Jake Fincher, Brett Austin, Jake Armstrong and Logan Ratledge to name but a few.

As is always the case in college athletics however, the Pack will have to fill some holes.  Gone will be Tarran Senay, Brett Williams, Bryan Adametz, Grant Clyde and Matt Bergquist.

Perhaps the biggest losses will come to the pitching staff.  Starter Ethan Ogburn is a senior of course, but it’s the Pack’s bullpen that will take the biggest hit.  Gone will be Chris Overman, Josh Easley, Ryan Wilkins, Grant Sasser and Danny Healey.

Some younger arms will need to step up to be sure.

Some Links

Curtain Closes on Pack’s First CWS Run Since 1968 (GoPack.com)

Box Score

Post Game Presser Transcript

North Carolina ousts rival N.C. State in Omaha (MLB.com)

Johnson, McCue combine to help North Carolina cruise past NC State (NCAA.com)

No regrets for eliminated Wolfpack (NCAA.com)

The decision to start Rodon did not surprise UNC.

“It’s hard when you’re in elimination game to not put [Rodon] out there,” North Carolina head coach Mike Fox said. “I get the rest and all that, 108 pitches [on Sunday], strong as a bull. I know it was a tough decision for [Avent] and his staff. You don’t want any regrets leaving here and I think they probably would have had some if they hadn’t pitched him.”

Rodon seemingly had the Tar Heels’ number, so on three days’ rest he again was called on to face North Carolina with the season on the line in Game 10. For UNC, the mentality was “it is what it is.” Thursday was a different day and the Tar Heels had a different outcome in mind.

Nonetheless, Rodon cruised through the first three innings, striking out six and continuing to thwart North Carolina by stranding runners in scoring position in the first and third frames.

Then came the fateful fourth inning, which was jumpstarted by UNC’s Colin Moran, who stroked an 0-1 pitch for a single to center field. Holberton’s sacrifice bunt was fielded by Rodon, who wheeled to try to nab Moran at second base — maybe even start a double play — but the throw skipped past the bag and both runners were safe. Rodon then walked Cody Stubbs.

“Those things happen,” Rodon said. “Just a bunt — pretty easy double play. That happens to any baseball player.”

UNC eliminates NC State at College World Series (SI.com)

CWS: UNC Tar Heels send N.C. State Wolfpack packing, 7-0 (CharlotteObserver.com)

PHOTOS: UNC 7, N.C. State 0 | 06.20.13  (CharlotteObserver.com)

So that pretty much closes the book on the 2013 edition of Wolfpack Baseball.  A very good season IMHO despite the disappointments it also brought.

But that’s baseball.  And as always….

Oh, and….

Go Bruins!!!!

(I really dislike UCLA thus it is very difficult to say that.  That alone should tell you something Caulton)

About Wufpacker

A 2nd generation alumnus and raised since birth to be irrationally dedicated to all things NC State. Class of '88 and '92.

Baseball Big Four Rivals

47 Responses to Wolfpack Baseball’s season ends in Omaha.

  1. PackerInRussia 06/21/2013 at 1:06 PM #

    “For UNC, the mentality was “it is what it is.””

    That’s a first. Usually it’s: “it is what we say it is.”

    Enjoyed following the team this season. It’d be a lot more interesting if I didn’t have to follow Gametracker until the postseason; makes it hard to get to know the team and all. They certainly had some great accomplishments although it was a bad way to go out.
    Thanks Wufpacker for all the write-ups and write-downs and write-ins this season. You got any magic up that sleeve for our birds? We’ve still got some hope for baseball success yet.

  2. bill.onthebeach 06/21/2013 at 1:43 PM #

    Best season in a long time ….

    Rodon definitely has what it takes… between the ears….
    We will be watching him and some of our other guys for a long time…. but we will remember them in this season.

    Thanks…. Wuf
    for keeping this going…
    and for “assuaging” Mr. Dog.

    Now if Mr. Stick…. can find his way back east of the Mississippi…. maybe we will have something to talk about on SFN between now and August 15th….

    Otherwise…. I’m thinking we all ought to get together and steam some shrimp and crabs or cook a pig , something that includes cold beer…..

  3. 44rules 06/21/2013 at 1:52 PM #

    Happy with the run and the overall season. Go Pack next year. I’ll be paying more attention to college baseball because of this.

  4. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 2:18 PM #

    @Gowolves…unsure as of yet exactly where my roots will take hold. Initially I’ll be in Orange Co for a at least a short time…but the good half (country, wide open spaces, and opposite end from Chapel Hill 🙂 ). Eventually we’ll see where the wind blows me.

    @PIR…“it is what we say it is.”…I lollered at that. Very well played. As far as the Os, everybody is doing about as well as they can with the exception of Weiters. That boy needs to remember that he’s supposed to be a .280ish hitter, not a .230ish hitter. If he ever figures it out, and if the rest keep doing their thing (especially Chris Davis…holy crap) the Birds will be fine.

  5. nav 06/21/2013 at 2:22 PM #

    I readily admit to being a bandwagon Pack baseball fan as I’m not much of a baseball fan. I followed them closely and watched all the games I could from the start of the ACC tourney onward. I am incredible proud of the Pack9. Like everyone here I am disappointed in the way it ended. Mostly in the UCLA game in which I feel we were the better team.
    Even though it’s UNC, it’s hard for me to get too upset about that loss. UNC was the better team.

    I look forward to following the Pack9 more closely next season and

    GO BRUINS !!!!!!!

  6. blpack 06/21/2013 at 2:59 PM #

    Great season team! thanks to the posters who kept us in the know. Go Pack!

  7. PackerInRussia 06/21/2013 at 3:54 PM #

    No doubt about Chris Davis. Man, what a big turn around he’s had. Heard a cool report/interview with him a few weeks ago about his “come to Jesus moment” (literally) that helped him turn things around. Glad he’s with the O’s. And great to see Manny gettin’ it done so early. Good stuff ahead for them this season I hope. Still very early, but enjoyed hearing about how the Jays were going to challenge with all of their moves they made in the off-season and how the O’s hadn’t made many. Hadn’t quite worked out that way yet. Don’t want to jinx anything, though, so I’ll just sit back and keep enjoying that ride. OK, enough about the big O’s. Sorry, no O’s fans (or many people who even know much about baseball) around, so gotta get it out when I can. Back to the Pack. Great job again, all around. Drinks on the house.

  8. john of sparta 06/21/2013 at 5:54 PM #

    paraphrasing coach John Fox:
    we picked a bad game to have a bad game.

  9. TeufelWolf 06/21/2013 at 6:00 PM #

    Great season. I’m awfully proud of our team. MLB sucks so this actually made baseball interesting and exciting for me again.

  10. MrPlywood 06/21/2013 at 6:51 PM #

    MLB is great if you’re a Cards fan 🙂

    Thx for the work Wuf!

    @ C’Dog, maybe I’ll let you on the wrestling bandwagon when the season rolls around 🙂

  11. TheCOWDOG 06/21/2013 at 7:25 PM #

    I’d be honored Mr. Ply.

    Just need a hand up.

  12. TheCOWDOG 06/21/2013 at 7:55 PM #

    One last thing….Courtesy of Wuf, but I don’t know if his words were formulated to mean what we all see.

    ” Wolfpack season ends in…Omaha. “

  13. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 8:19 PM #

    Actually ‘Dog, they were. Was waiting to see who would point out that being able to post such a headline meant the season was a good one.

    Shoulda known it’d be you.

  14. NelsonHall97 06/21/2013 at 8:46 PM #

    Thanks to Wuf for running the game threads and to everyone else for the comments and analysis. I check out SFN all the time, but rarely post. Its pretty damn good therapy, so that keeps me coming back to check in!

    GO PACK!

  15. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 8:57 PM #

    Bruins up 1-0 on Heels after 2, btw.

  16. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 9:00 PM #

    Oh, forgot to mention that Mississippi State punched their ticket to the national championship series earlier with a 4-1 victory over Oregon State.

    So, the Starkville Cowbellers will face either Carolina or UCLA.

  17. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 9:52 PM #

    Still 1-0 UCLA after 5.

  18. highstick 06/21/2013 at 11:12 PM #

    I left Calgary to get back across the border so I could watch the game last night…Disappointing, but there’s a lot of pressure for a first time team or a team who hasn’t been there in a while. I’d tempered my expectations and am proud of the guys…just hurts losing to Baby Blue cheaters…

    Glad I got the heck out of Calgary though cause I left it just before the rain started and the floods came…Started raining that morning and rained all the way back to Kalispell and all day yesterday to just east of Seattle…Back in the USA before leaving for Victoria, BC tomorrow morning for an overnighter.

    Then back home to the heat and humidity….

  19. Wufpacker 06/21/2013 at 11:20 PM #

    Heels down to their last three outs, down 4-0 going to the 9th.

  20. MrPlywood 06/22/2013 at 12:07 AM #

    Hey ‘Stick, hope you have a good time here in Victoria, home of the newly wed, the nearly dead, and MrPlywood 🙂

    The weather should be fantastic. I’m so used to the climate and sea breezes I wouldn’t last long back in Raleigh. Too bad you only have one day, but at least it will be a long one (the day after solstice).

    Any plans, or just winging it?

  21. choppack1 06/22/2013 at 8:33 AM #

    highstick – have fun in Victoria. I enjoyed my time there. It actually reminds me of Western NC, but cooler and less humid.

    As for season – what can you say. Pretty satisfying. We went down with our best pitcher – and lost to a team that was the consensus number 1.

    Can’t help but being a little excited for next year. I’m thrilled this year in baseball didn’t end up like basketball this year or football for Rivers’ senior year. Props to staff, players and Pack leadership.

  22. BJD95 06/22/2013 at 11:08 AM #

    Victoria is heaven. Good place for a fellow Cards fan like MrPly!

    Now that the dirty f-ing Holes have lost, I can emerge from the vortex of agony and post again. My pride in and love of this Pack 9 didn’t waver while I was in the vortex, I promise.

Leave a Reply