When the 2020 baseball season was canceled due to COVID-19, many seniors like left-handed pitcher Kent Klyman were left wondering if they had played their last collegiate game ever. Luckily for them, the NCAA gave all spring athletes another year of eligibility due to the pandemic.
With the MLB draft in 2020 being moved to only five rounds, it was almost a no-brainer for Klyman to run it back one more time with his brothers at the Doak.
“It means a lot to me; I love everything about the environment here,” Klyman said at baseball media day on Feb. 17. “The coaching staff, they’ve helped me grow not only as a player, but as a person.”
Throughout his time at NC State, he has been one of the go-to arms out of the bullpen for Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent. Being in the program for five years has allowed Klyman to build a special relationship with the skipper.
“Kent Klyman is unbelievable; his maturity level, what he brings to this ball club, the fact that he committed to come back for another year when a lot of people would not have done that,” Avent said on baseball media day. “He lives it just like I did as a NC State fan. So I admire that because you don’t always see that today.”
Being listed at 6 feet, 7 inches and 261 pounds, Klyman is a visual nightmare for opposing hitters. His stats from his time here reflect that. In 117.2 career innings pitched in a Wolfpack uniform, Klyman has a 2.60 ERA with 119 strikeouts and a 15-5 record on the bump.
These numbers have him once again, for the third straight year, named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
It’s not only what Klyman brings to the table on the mound that makes him a key player for the Wolfpack, it’s his leadership that stands him out over others to the young pitchers.
“I think for the [younger pitchers] being able to kind of look at guys like me, Dalton Feeney, Evan Justice and Reid Johnston, those guys, so will be able to kind of show them the ropes and help them develop,” Klyman said. “I am excited to see them throw.”
With the absence of former NC State catcher Patrick Bailey, who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the MLB draft, Klyman had to develop a relationship with a whole new set of catchers in sophomore Luca Tresh, redshirt junior Danny Carnazzo and freshman Bryce Behmer. As Klyman knows, the pitcher and catcher relationship is vital for a successful pitching staff.
“All three of the catchers have progressed from the fall until now,” Klyman said. “They’ve done a great job trying to get to know each pitcher differently and form a relationship.”
As he is into now his fifth season relieving in the ACC, other schools know Klyman for his two-pitch arsenal, the fastball and the slider. That being said, in the offseason, he has worked on a new pitch that will hopefully keep more batters off balance.
“This year, I think I’ve been really able to develop a change-up,” Klyman said. “Having confidence in a third pitch is really going to help me out with going into the season, especially in ACC play. Guys aren’t really going to be looking for that.”
Now that Klyman is able to close out his career the way he wants to, the sky’s the limit for him and his team. The 2020 squad only lost two regular starters, so experience is something the 2021 Pack9 team does not lack.
“We have a lot of good guys returning,” Klyman said. “So I was like ‘Hey, we can give this another go around and get back to Omaha hopefully.’”
Klyman and the Wolfpack, after starting 2-1 in early nonconference play, will begin ACC play this Friday at Doak Field against Georgia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the game being streamed on ACC Network Extra. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates.
