OMAHA, Neb. — The NC State baseball team was primed to earn a berth to the College World Series Finals, but a controversial COVID-19 debacle derailed those championship hopes as the Wolfpack was eliminated on a no-decision in its final game.
It was initially a fruitful trip to Omaha for the Wolfpack. The Stanford Cardinal fell to State in the opening game of the College World Series 10-4, putting the Pack in the winner’s bracket to face off against Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter in NC State’s second game.
What happened next made freshman right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill into something of a folk hero. Highfill matched Leiter, who is arguably the best college pitcher in the country, pitch-for-pitch as the Wolfpack battled its way to a 1-0 victory over the Commodores. Junior designated hitter Terrell Tatum also played a key role in that game, just about sending a Leiter fastball into orbit before it settled down just short of the concourse in right center field at TD Ameritrade Park.
After a three-day break from play, NC State suited up for a rematch with Vanderbilt. The Wolfpack was one win away from sending the Commodores home and heading to the College World Series Finals, but the events that transpired resulted in the Wolfpack being sent home.
As the originally scheduled start time of 1 p.m. CT approached, thousands of fans filed into the stadium as they had for each game prior. However, as the pre-game warmups progressed without NC State submitting a starting lineup, it became less and less clear whether a game would even be played and why.
At 12:55 p.m. CT, the NCAA announced that the game was being delayed due to “health and safety protocols” and that a start time was TBD. Less than 30 minutes later, the game was set to start at 2:07 CT, but more than half of the 27 NC State players in Omaha did not return to the field. As it turned out, “several” Wolfpack players were put into COVID-19 protocol and were unavailable to play. The Pack fielded 13 players against right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker, another top pitcher, and the Commodores.
The “Pack 13” put up a surprisingly good fight against Vanderbilt despite Rocker notching eight strikeouts on his first time through the order. The “Legend of Sam Highfill” also continued, as he willed a single past the Vanderbilt first baseman, making Highfill only Wolfpack batter to not strikeout in his first at-bat against Rocker. He finished the game with three of State’s eight hits.
Despite the efforts of Highfill and freshman right-handed pitcher Garrett Payne, among others, NC State lost that game 3-1, setting up an elimination game the next day against Vanderbilt. That game would not happen, however, as the NCAA announced early on June 26 that the game was to be declared a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols, eliminating NC State from the tournament.
This announcement prompted a plethora of reactions from several players and alumni, especially in the Twitterverse, but most were just appreciative of having made it to Omaha in the first place.
However, multiple NC State players took to Twitter to voice their frustrations regarding the situation and the team’s subsequent exit from the College World Series.
Regardless of the final result, the 2021 NC State baseball team will go down as arguably the best in school history. Neither of the school’s previous trips to Omaha in 1968 and 2013 saw the Pack win both of its first two games. The 2013 pairing of Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón and Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner probably beats out the 2021 roster in terms of star power, plus the 1968 squad included left-handed pitcher Mike Caldwell, who accumulated 939 strikeouts and just over 2400 IP in the majors over 14 seasons.
That being said, none of the current Wolfpack players have had the chance to progress through the professional ranks. Freshman shortstop Jose Torres is slated as the No. 68 prospect in this year’s MLB draft, with the sophomore duo of catcher Luca Tresh and center fielder Tyler McDonough also ranking at No. 84 and No. 110, respectively, so the jury is still out on how good the 2021 roster really is.
With many players projected to go pro this summer, it begs the question: where will Wolfpack baseball go from here? Three NC State baseball commits, shortstop Khalil Watson, third baseman Tommy White and shortstop Payton Green also rank in the top 250 prospects for this year’s MLB draft at No. 4, No. 103 and No. 156, respectively. It would bode well for NC State if it can hold onto those three, especially instead of any or all of them electing to sign a pro contract, but only time will tell how that will play out. In the meantime, head coach Elliott Avent and his staff will need to shift their focus to next season, whatever that may bring.
The heartbreak that ended the 2021 NC State baseball season will not soon be forgotten, but with multiple starters likely leaving for the pros this summer, the path forward is clear for the Pack: reload and run it back, ideally all the way to Omaha in 2022.
