NC State baseball ready for Omaha after ‘surreal’ feeling of winning super regional

N.C. State relief pitcher Derrick Smith had just thrown his 46th pitch of the night as Georgia’s Tre Phelps lifted a fly ball to center field in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Smith spun around quickly on the mound, only to see outfielder Eli Serrano III lifting up both arms with a “I got it, it’s over” kind of celebratory signal. A few seconds later, Serrano III had the ball in his glove and the Wolfpack had a trip upcoming to the 2024 College World Series.

For the Pack, an 8-5 win over Georgia on Monday, clinching the Athens Super Regional, led to the usual dogpile and mass hugs that come with it. The Wolfpack, seeded 10th nationally in the NCAA baseball tournament, went on the road and got the job done in the three games at rollicking Foley Field.

“A surreal moment,” first baseman Garrett Pennington said Tuesday. “It was time for all of us to get in there and celebrate. We all kind of blacked out and don’t even remember dogpiling. Just an unreal experience.”

The only thing left was to pack up Tuesday morning for the bus ride back to Raleigh — where another celebration awaited.

Many Wolfpack fans came out to Doak Field to welcome the team back from Athens. Among them: Wolfpack women’s basketball coach Wes Moore and his staff.

Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent, spotting Moore waiting by the bus, said, “What are you doing here? You should be recruiting.”

Moore’s reply: “Y’all are the best recruiting we got going. Winning on ESPN, that’s the best recruiting you can do.”

The scene was reminiscent but also far different than another gathering at Doak Field in 2021.

That came after the Pack was forced to forfeit a game and rudely dispatched by NCAA officials from the College World Series because of COVID-19 issues. There was a lot of ill will.

Many Wolfpack fans were still irate when the team returned to Doak from Omaha, Nebraska. The coaches and players gathered on the infield, using a megaphone to speak to a large crowd that day in 2021.

“This means as much to me as anything that has happened in my baseball career,” Avent said of the reception.

The 2021 debacle also has to make this year’s accomplishment even sweeter for the Wolfpack. There’s a chance to go to Omaha and right what the Pack considered the wrongs of the NCAA and its decision.

“I’m not big on revenge or a chip on my shoulder,” Avent said. “I’m not that kind of coach, not to say I don’t harbor real bad feelings for a couple of guys there. What happened in 2021 was a travesty.

“Revenge doesn’t get you anywhere, except bitter in your own feelings. But I’m sure for the ‘21 team, this is special for them.”

Pitcher Logan Whitaker, who left the bus hugging the Super Regional trophy, was a member of the 2021 team. He did not pitch in Omaha, but this season recovered from a serious illness to be the starter in the clinching games of the NCAA Raleigh Regional and then Monday in Athens.

Now, he’s going back to Omaha.

“It’s sweet, man,” Whitaker said. “It’s something you manifest. It’s something I’ve dreamed of doing. Now that it’s coming to fruition I’m definitely taking it all in and will savor it.”

The Pack (38-21) battered Georgia in the first game 18-1, scoring 11 runs in the second inning. It was all Georgia in the second game as the Bulldogs rolled 11-2 to even the best-of-three series.

But Pennington had a two-run homer Monday after the Bulldogs took an early 2-0 lead. Eli Serrano III homered. Alex Sosa homered. Alec Makarewicz homered.

“That’s pretty much how it goes,” Pennington said. “Once one guy goes, everybody goes. Everything started falling into place. We had the game in the bag and it was like, ‘Let’s go to Omaha.’”

The Pack’s first CWS game in Omaha is at 2 p.m. Saturday against Kentucky. North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State also will be there representing the ACC.

Avent said he had about 475 texts after Monday’s game — including one from Gov. Roy Cooper — and tried to answer as many as possible on the long ride home. He noted Wolfpack football coach Dave Doeren sent him a congratulatory video. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour texted.

The Wolfpack was to head back out at 8 a.m. Wednesday for the College World Series.

Said Pennington: “What do they call it, the greatest show on dirt? I’m ready to have some fun in Omaha.”