When coach Elliott Avent and any other longtime N.C. State baseball fan in attendance today at Doak Field looks into the opposing dugout, they may see a familiar face.
Former Wolfpack All-American first baseman Tracy Woodson is in his first season as the coach at Valparaiso, and he will bring his team to Raleigh for a two-game set starting today.
During Woodson’s stint at State, from 1982-1984, he set the single-season home run record in 1984 with 25 — a mark that he still shares with former Pack slugger Turtle Zaun — and finished with 46 homers in his career, which remains third on the all-time list.
In his final collegiate season he batted .373 and drove in 77 runs in just 40 games, which earned him the ACC Player of the Year award and selections to three different All-American teams. After that he was drafted in the third round by the Los Angeles Dodgers and played an important role in L.A.’s 1988 World Series victory.
“[Woodson] was a great player, and he’s great guy,” Avent said. “And I’m looking forward to seeing Tracy.”
As for the scouting report on Woodson’s team, though, Avent has a limited knowledge. He said all that he really knows is what limited information Woodson told him when the two spoke recently.
“He called after they scored 15 runs in their first game,” Avent said. “Tracy likes to hit. So I’m sure they can hit a little bit.”
So far this year, though, the Crusaders are 2-7 and have lost five consecutive games.
For State, it will send two of its freshman pitchers to the hill in the short series. Today Nate Karns will get the start, which will be only his second collegiate appearance. In his first outing, which was against UNC-Greensboro, he allowed three runs on three hits in four innings and took the loss.
Right-hander Sam Brown will take the mound Wednesday for just his second start as well. But for Brown it will be his seventh appearance on the season, as he has come out of the bullpen in five games so far. To this point Brown has yet to figure in a decision and has an earned run average of 8.59.
Both Brown, who played high school ball in Raleigh at Millbrook, and Karns were drafted in last year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft. Brown went in the seventh round to the Washington Nationals, and Karns was picked by the Houston Astros in the tenth.
For Avent, though, no matter what happens on the field, getting a chance to catch up with a fellow Pack alumnus is the reason this game is on the schedule.
“This game on the schedule had everything to do with it,” he said. “It’s because of Tracy.”
