Transferring to a new school can at times be difficult for athletes in any sport, but redshirt senior Rob Chamra needed a fresh start when he came to N.C. State.
Chamra started his collegiate career with the Temple Owls, where he spent his freshman and sophomore years, but decided to come to Raleigh after two subpar seasons in which he appeared in only 17 games and compiled an 0-3 record overall.
Though the move to the Wolfpack may have been a big change for him, he already had a teammate that he knew on a personal level. Junior infielder Andrew Ciencin went to high school with Chamra at Cranford High School in Cranford, NJ, and Chamra said he was a big reason he decided to come to State.
“In 2009, Andrew [Ciencin] was already committed here, so I just came down with him,” Chamra said. “I had already gotten my release and everything, so I wanted to see what N.C. State was like. When I threw for coach [Tom] Holliday, he said, ‘I like what you got. ‘ During the year that I sat out, my entire mentality changed.”
While Chamra may have struggled at Temple, his years at State have painted a much different picture of the pitcher. Chamra has become a shut down for the Pack out of the bullpen, but has also served as a starter for some mid-week games this season.
Chamra said the change to State was not only a change of schools, but also a huge change in his progression as a pitcher.
“It’s like night and day since I transferred here,” Chamra said. “My mechanics are 100 percent different, and coach Holliday has really changed me as a pitcher to what I am now.
Chamra has appeared in eight games for the Pack this season, compiling a 4-0 record with a 3.75 ERA thus far. Though Chamra has told Ciencin in the past that he would like to be a starter, his high school teammate believes he has shown much more effectiveness out of the bullpen.
“I’ve talked to him about it before, and he wants to start,” Ciencin said. “I think that’s every college pitcher’s dream. But he is much more effective for the team coming out of the bullpen and pinning games down for us. He gives us more of a chance to win games in later innings, but his stuff is good enough to be a starter.”
Even though Chamra would like to be starting, the redshirt senior doesn’t seem to mind pitching in whatever situation his coach gives him.
“This year I feel comfortable anywhere,” Chamra said. “I have started a few games, came out of the bullpen for short stints and thrown some long relief when needed. I told coach Avent that I’ll do whatever he wants to do, I just want to win ball games.”
In the series against Clemson two weeks ago, Chamra was a key asset to winning the series when he came in on Saturday night after the Pack fell into an early hole against the Tigers. Chamra pitched five scoreless innings to lead State to a comeback victory by a score of 5-3.
Chamra said that the move to the ACC was the biggest leap for him. By the end of his sophomore season, Temple had stopped bringing him on the road to away series, but a lot has changed as he is now pitching against top college competition for the Pack.
“I was talking to Andrew [Ciencin] one day and laughing about how much things have changed for me,” Chamra said. “I said, ‘Isn’t if funny how I didn’t even travel my sophomore year, and now I’m able to pitch in the ACC tournament against Florida State?’ It’s everything that I’ve worked towards, and I really feel like it’s paying off.”
Ciencin said that Chamra is not only one of the best pitchers for State this season, but he also has one of the best senses of humor on the team.
“Rob’s not a shy guy,” Ciencin said. “He’s one of those guys who is always going to express himself. He’s easily one of the funniest kids on the team and that really helps the team to stay in high spirits if we are down.”
While Chamra may want to have a much different demeanor on the mound, he said that he can’t help but make his teammates laugh before games to keep the atmosphere light.
“Keeping it loose in the dugout has been a huge thing for our team this year,” Chamra said. “It’s hard to play when you have a lot of stress on your shoulders. So what I do before the games is try to find the guys who look really serious and try to get them to crack a smile. “
Avent said that Chamra has been a huge competitor for the Pack since day one, and that his sinker is by far his most effective pitch.
“The thing about Rob Chamra is, if you’ve ever spent two minutes with the guy you know that he is very competitive and that baseball is a huge part of his life,” Avent said. “He competes at high level and when he commands the strike zone with his sinker, he can be very difficult for opposing hitters.”
Though he may have struggled through the first two years of his collegiate career, Chamra said that he couldn’t be happier with his decision to come to State.
“I came to N.C. State not knowing what was ahead of me,” Chamra said. “But I have come to love this University and become a part of a family that I will have for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank the coaching staff for giving me an opportunity that I will never forget.”
