It’s been an up and down year for the Pack on the diamond.  They’ve proved they are capable of defeating some of the best teams in the country yet have been plagued by inconsistency to this point.  Despite a rollercoaster ride of a season, there has been one player in particular that’s remained a constant force in the Wolfpack lineup day in and day out.

Coming off a 2010 season where he saw limited playing time, slick fielding, sophomore shortstop Chris Diaz has exceeded all expectations this year emerging as one of Pack’s most reliable players. 

“He’s been so solid and so steady,” head coach Elliott Avent said.  “He comes to play every day, he’s competitive and has as good of instincts [as anyone] on the team when you encompass the whole game.”

Diaz hit the ground running, collecting four hits and scoring four runs, both career highs, in four at bats against Elon in the season opener and hasn’t looked back.  He’s started every game this year at short where he has an average of .338, a pair of home runs, 158 RBI’s and is showing no signs of slowing down.

“I’ve felt very confident at the plate and very confident in my play,” Diaz said.  “That’s helped me a lot to go out there and play better every day.”

Given his bloodline though, Diaz’s play shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  He isn’t the only Diaz that has left his mark on State’s baseball program.  His older brother, Jonathan, also played for the Pack and is currently playing in Double-A ball for the Toronto Blue Jays.  However, while they are similar in size and stature, Chris brings a different game than his brother did.

“Same ingredient, same genes, they understand the game and they love to play the game,” Coach Avent said.  “[But] they’re totally different ballplayers,”

Having an older brother playing professional baseball has proved beneficial for Diaz, who says Jonathan has been a big part of his success.

“He’s been a great influence.  [He’s] been the guy that’s kept me going, the one that gave me the confidence to come out this year and play my best,” Diaz said.  “He’s helped me slow the game down and given me a lot of advice that he’s gotten playing in pro ball.”

As good as Jonathan was, it’s a testament to Chris and how he’s been able to step out from behind his brother’s shadows to make a name for himself.  He plays the game the right way and everyone around him teammates, coaches, and fans have taken notice.

“He is somewhat of a silent leader.  He doesn’t do a lot of talking but he leads by example and he’s a very high intensity guy”, sophomore outfielder Cameron Conner said.  “He gets after it every play, his head’s always in the game, [and] he never takes a pitch off.  He’s a leader on the field and really does a great job out there.”

Diaz has carried his weight this year when it comes to providing run support, but he’s become one of the pitching staff’s best friends helping lock down the middle of State’s defense at shortstop.

“He saves us a lot of runs, a lot of hits, he’s great,” senior pitcher Rob Chamra said.  “He has great range [up the middle] and…his bat’s been one of the better bats for us this year. He’s really helped us a lot this year”

More so than anything, Diaz is loyal to a team concept.  Regardless of his breakout year and the individual statistics Diaz has put up this season it’s clear to see that the team and winning comes first.

“I always have team expectations,” Diaz said.  “Anything I can do to help the team win is what I want to do.”

And his coach echoes those comments, believing Diaz is the kind of guy all good teams need to have.

“[He’s] a great teammate and they know he’s a winner, they know he’s a guy that likes to compete and gets after it,” Avent said.  “That’s what you have to have when you’re out their grinding it out. You have to know the guy next to you is grinding it out too.”