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ASSISTANT COACH PAGE 3

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RED BASEEBAL • 2013

The boys of summer return to Doak

Last season, a host of key players took the N.C. State baseball team on a wild journey. The spring of 2012 included

43 wins, a second-place finish in the ACC, an NCAA Tournament berth and a come-from-behind win against Vanderbilt in the Raleigh Regional before coming up a little bit short against top-ranked Florida in the Super Re-gional round.

Many of those players are returned this sea-son and are hungry for more. They include sophomore pitcher Carlos Rodon, the lefty phenom who posted a 9-0 record and a 1.57 ERA to earn the ACC’s Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards. Sophomore third baseman Trea Turner stole 57 bases in 2012, shattering the Wolfpack’s single-season record. Senior outfielder Tarran Senay hit six home runs, drove in 32 runs, and delivered what turned out to be the hit that sent the Pack to the Super Regionals.

State also returns solid relief pitching in senior left-hander D.J. Thomas, senior right-hander Chris Overman and sophomore lefty Travis Orwig.

But not every contributor is back. Fan fa-vorite outfielder Ryan Mathews took his 17 homers and 62 RBIs from 2012 to the Oak-land Athletics. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted speedy shortstop Chris Diaz in the 11th round. Sure-handed infielder Andrew Ciencin, whose .994 fielding percentage was the highest among regular Wolfpack starters, graduated in 2012.

Other key players from last season who are no longer on the team include Vance Williams, John Gianis and Danny Canela.

Despite the loss of some talent, head coach Elliot Avent said he’s not worried.

“You never just ‘replace’ anybody,” Avent said. “Instead, when someone leaves, it be-comes an opportunity for someone else to step up and do great things.”

One of those players is sophomore catcher Brett Austin. The Charlotte native was third on the team in doubles with 17 and drove in 37 runs in 2012, splitting time behind the plate and in the outfield. He also made just three errors in 62 games.

Austin is likely to be the team’s full-time catcher this season. Senior infielder Grant Clyde and senior outfielder Bryan Adametz are two other players who may get more chances to contribute this season.

The new players in the starting lineup will be expected to play the same type of baseball as their predecessors.

“The offensive philosophy is the same,” assistant coach Chris Hart said. “[In] some games we’ll hit a bunch of doubles and hom-ers, and there will be others where we may have to manufacture a run in the fifth inning.”

The loss of some talent has not affected how people outside Raleigh view the Wolfpack.

State is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA’s Top 35. That’s good for second-highest in the ACC; archrival North Carolina checks in at No. 2.

Avent said the team has been getting ready for the season just as it always has.

“We’re approaching everything the same way,” Avent said. “Your ranking does not de-fine how you practice.”

That methodical approach has earned Avent the respect of his fellow coaches. The Pack was picked to win the ACC in a preseason coaches’ poll, edging out Carolina 10 votes to nine for the Tar Heels.

Avent said all the talk is just that — talk. He said that it was up the players to prove themselves.

“It’s easy to be told how good you are,” Avent said. “But we need that desire to be great from our players. The question I ask them is, do they want to be as great as people say they are?”

That is the million-dollar question.

STORY BY LUKE NADKARNI | PHOTO BY NATALIE CLAUNCH

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Hart brings talent to Pack

The Wolfpack wouldn’t have been nearly as successful last season without a tal-ented group of freshmen that included

pitcher Carlos Rodon, who was named a fi-nalist for the Golden Spikes award, and third baseman Trea Turner, who turned into a stolen base machine for the Wolfpack.

While all of those underclassmen’s accolades were well-deserved, fans should save equal praise for the man responsible for bringing them to Raleigh.

Assistant coach Chris Hart is a textbook example of hard work and patience paying off. After graduating from Florida State Uni-versity in 2003 following a four-year career for the Seminoles, Hart served as the hitting and third base coach for one year at St. Pe-tersburg College in Florida. In the summer of 2004, Hart worked for the Loudoun Rangers of the Shenandoah Valley League, a wooden bat league for college players. He left there to join the Wolfpack family; 2013 marks his ninth season as a member of State’s staff.

“A couple of jobs were open here,” Hart said.

“I started as the director of operations, then became a volunteer assistant and just worked my way up through the staff.”

Today, Hart wears many hats for the Wolf-pack. He is in charge planning each team prac-tice, as well as coaching hit-ting and the team’s catchers.

“He just wanted to coach so badly,” head coach Elliot Avent said of Hart. “As a di-rector of operations, he didn’t get to be on the field.”

Off the field, he is Avent’s chief recruiter, a position he’s held since 2010.

“Chris Hart has been un-believable for our program.” Avent said. “Nobody works harder than him.”

Hart acknowledged that recruiting is no walk in the park. With the NCAA’s strict rules limiting coaches’ contact with prospective players, a coach who’s too aggressive can get his team in deep trouble.

“We’re not allowed to do much,” Hart said.

“We can’t call them, we can’t text them, we can’t talk to them. Most of it is through their high school coach. But if I see a kid I want, I’m going to do my best to get him on campus.”

Hart is proving to be very good at his job. Last season, the Wolfpack boasted the No. 4 recruiting class in the country as rated by Baseball America. Since Hart began serving as an on-field coach seven years ago, nine State players have earned All-ACC honors and 11 have signed professional contracts.

“He’s been tremendous,” Avent said. “He’s always ei-ther on the road recruiting

or making phone calls. His work ethic is re-sponsible for getting us a top recruiting class.”

Hart’s own career at the high school, college and professional levels probably doesn’t hurt his coaching and recruiting prowess, either. He was a star at Clearwater Central Catho-lic High School in Florida and was named to

the state’s All-Star team as a senior in 1998. That same year, he was honored as the state’s American Legion Player of the Year. He was then drafted in the 46th round by the Boston Red Sox, but opted to go the collegiate route instead.

He struggled with injuries early in his career but bounced back to have a productive senior year for a Seminoles team that made it to the NCAA Super Regionals. Hart saw action in every FSU game that year, hitting four home runs and knocking in 35 RBIs.

Hart’s versatility as a coach was foreshad-owed in Tallahassee. In college, he played seven of the nine positions in the field, with pitcher and center field being the only excep-tions.

Now, with the Wolfpack ranked in the Top 10 as the season begins, Hart and the rest of the team are primed to build off of last season’s Super Regional appearance.

“Step one is believing you can do it,” Hart said. “And I think we’re at that stage.”

“Chris Hart

has been

unbelievable for

our program.”Elliot Avent,

baseball head coach

STORY BY LUKE NADKARNI | PHOTO BY NATALIE CLAUNCH

Assistant coach Chris Hart, middle, is perhaps the team’s most important asset.

RED BASEEBAL • 2013

4

Turner’s productivity guides Pack

Sophomore shortstop Trea Turner is re-turning after a stellar freshman season, which saw a Super Regional berth for

the Wolfpack and summer stint with the USA collegiate National.

If there’s one thing Turner knows how to do, it’s to get on base. He’s fast and can swing the bat. He’s essential to State’s success, whether in the batter’s box, on the base paths or guard-ing the infield.

Last season, the then-fresh-man phenom led the nation in stolen bases with 57. Twenty-nine were consecutive steals to open the season.

His lightning fast speed helped the Lake Worth, Fla., native steal five bases in one game against Clemson last season, becoming only the sixth player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accom-plish the feat.

“I like getting on base, steal within the next few pitches, get to third, and then a sac fly scores me,” Turner said. “I re-ally like to put pressure on the other team and make it so they feel uncomfortable. I think just being on base leads to bigger innings.”

Turner started all 63 games last season at third base, hitting .336, the 10th-highest aver-age in the ACC.

He finished with five home runs, 13 doubles and 43 RBI.

This season, Turner will make the switch to shortstop, his natural position.

“I’m more comfortable with the throw and

setting up the ground ball better at shortstop,” Turner said. “I think it would be a more com-fortable year.”

Though he spent time at second base this summer with Team USA, the sophomore said he wants to stay at the shortstop position at the next level.

Comfort and consistency are things the team will look to build on following last year’s incredible run to the Gainesville Super

Regional.“One thing we have over

last year’s team is we kind of know how to win,” Turner said. “Going into this sea-son I think we know what to expect and that we can win every single game.”

The bar has been set high this season, as the Wolfpack is ranked No. 9 in the country and picked to take the ACC in a preseason coaches’ poll.

Turner said the team’s ex-periences from last season should help the team in 2013 and beyond.

Whether it’s with his glove, bat or quick feet, Turner should continue to make his, and the Pack’s, presence felt.

“We don’t have to [think] ‘Maybe we’re going to win this game, maybe we’re not,’” Turner said. “We think we’re going to win, and that’s a demeanor that a lot of teams have that get to Omaha.”

“I like getting on

base, steal within

the next few

pitches, get to

third, and

then a sac fly

scores me.”Trea Turner,

sophomore shortstop

STORY BY JONATHAN STOUT | PHOTO BY NATALIE CLAUNCH

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Rodon looks to avoid sophomore slump

On a team stacked with talented up-perclassmen, it was a freshman who contributed the most to a success-

ful 2012 baseball campaign that ended in the Super Regional in Gainesville, Fla.

Now a sophomore, 2012 ACC Pitch-er of the Year and Freshman of the Year Carlos Rodon wi l l assume the role as N.C. State’s number one starter. “[The team’s ‘ace’] is a nice title, but I have to go out there [and pitch],” Rodon said. “It means nothing until I actually go out there, compete and win some games. We will see what happens this year.”

Rodon, a preseason All-American, made his mark in the previous season early on, striking out the first three batters he faced in his debut against Marshall University and earning his first colle-giate win. In his first start, he pitched five scoreless in-nings against UNC Wilm-ington, striking out three batters.

The Holly Springs native, one of only two undefeat-ed pitchers in the NCAA, dominated throughout the course of the season, fin-ishing with a 9-0 record. Rodon led the conference with 114.2 innings and a 1.57 ERA. He also struck out 135 batters, placing him second in the ACC and tied for third nationally.

“When I get out on the field, I try to compete to the best of my ability,” Rodon said. “I have great teammates behind me. It is not just me winning the games. The whole team is win-ning the games.”

Rodon’s longevity will play a major factor in the team’s success. His complete games against Maryland and Duke last year proved that he’s more than capable of going the distance.

Another key to his success in 2013 will be his maturity from having a season under his belt.

“Mentally, I improved a lot,” Rodon said. “In high school, I considered myself a ‘thrower,’ but just by playing one year [of college base-ball], you can learn so much.”

Rodon will throw against some of the tough-est teams in the NCAA, including No. 2 North Carolina, No. 11 Florida State and No. 21 Georgia Tech.

After falling to the Tar Heels despite Rodon’s scoreless nine-inning performance in 2012, the Wolfpack will have to take advantage of the hurler’s tenacity throughout the confer-ence schedule if they hope to live up to the pre-season coaches’ poll hype and win the ACC.

“Expectations are nice, but they do not mean anything until you get on that field,” Rodon said. “I am looking forward to getting on the

field and seeing how it plays out.”

The southpaw’s potential was evident throughout his high school years. After leading Holly Springs High School to the NCHSAA 4-A State Championship game, Rodon was selected in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Rodon chose State over the possibility of playing for the

Class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers or going to junior college to speed his progress toward the pros.

“I have heard stuff about junior college, and I have been asked about it a lot,” Rodon said. “I had never thought of it once. I was 100 percent certain of going back to school.”

Rodon said that while the team wants to ac-complish many things in 2013, the one over-arching goal is simple: returning to the College World Series for the first time since 1968.

“The goal is not to get to Omaha,” Rodon said. “Our goal is to win the whole thing.”

“When I get out on

the field, I

try to compete to

the best of

my ability.”Carlos Rodon,

sophomore pitcher

STORY BY DANIEL WILSON | PHOTO BY NATALIE CLAUNCH

RED BASEEBAL• 2013

6

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Despite the hype around the program’s 2013 cam-paign, head coach Elliott Avent doesn’t like to dish in the expectations others have set for the Wolfpack. Rather, he’s excited about the hype not only surrounding N.C. State’s program, but each team in the state of North Carolina.

In a state that doesn’t have any Major League-level teams but boasts some successful minor league clubs, such as the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, college baseball is the talk of the town for the upcoming summer.

“It is neat to have that kind of exposure to a place where I think baseball grew up,” Avent said.

Not only is the Wolfpack a top-tier team hailing from the top of the Carolinas, with a preseason ranking of No. 8 in the country, rival North Carolina is ranked as the No.

1 team in the land in Baseball America’s poll. The Heels are ranked second in the College Baseball Preseason top-40.

Avent said he takes satisfac-tion in the attention the state has garnered leading up to the start of the season.

“That means that North Carolina is alive,” Avent said. “Baseball has been a big sport in the state of North Caro-lina since I was a little boy. I think to have this kind of flavor and this kind of national attention in North Caro-lina and the Triangle [is good].”

The baseball prominence in the Tar Heel state doesn’t stop in the Triangle. The state is filled with promi-nent basebal l programs from the mountains to the outer banks. East Carolina is ranked in the top—40 as

well. Appalachian State, who took down the Wolfpack in its first series of the season, was picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference in its preseason media poll.

State split the season series against East Carolina last season. Elon, another in-state opponent State will see, is currently picked as the South-

ern Confer-enc e ’s f a-vorite in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Among the Wolfpack’s in-state At-lantic Coast Conference baseball op-ponents are Du ke a nd Wake For-

est. State won both series last season in sweeps.

“So many good baseball teams in the state is what makes our schedule so tough.

Baseball program ranks among top in the state

“So many good

baseball teams

in the state is

what makes

our schedule

so tough.”Elliot Avent

baseball head coach

STATE continued page 7

Technician was there. You can be too.

The Technician staff is always looking for new members to write, design or take photos. Visit www.

ncsu.edu/sma for more information.

2013

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We play the ACC schedule and then the teams we play within the state, they’re so good.”

These in-state opponents, a long with other North Carolina foes such as UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Wilm-ington, UNC-Charlotte and Davidson will challenge the Wolfpack this season.

The Palmetto state is no slouch either. South Carolina is also producing programs that will present the Wolfpack with a challenge this season. Coastal Carolina is also a na-tional top-40 team this sea-son. The Chanticleers were picked to finish first in the Big South Conference’s South Division and had 12 first place votes to finish atop the con-ference in its preseason poll.

The Pack lost to the Chan-ticleers, 3-2, in their only meeting last season at the Coastal Carolina Univer-sity Invitational. Clemson

will also be on the Pack’s ACC calendar

The last time football swept the state was in 2003, and the current men’s basketball’s only in-state loss this season came in a rematch with Duke at Cameron Indoor.

With what Avent describes as the most talented team the Pack has had since he’s been here, State is poised to get over the hurdle, especially against North Carolina, and

prevail as the Carolina’s top team.

STATEcontinued from page 6

PRESEASON NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS IN THE CAROLINAS:No. 2 North CarolinaNo. 7 South CarolinaNo. 8 N.C. State

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

RED BASEEBALL• 2013

8

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