NC State Wolfpack Baseball Punches Ticket to College World Series

For the first time in over a decade, NC State baseball is headed to Omaha. The Wolfpack clinched their College World Series berth on Sunday with a dramatic 7-4 victory over Virginia in the decisive game of the Charlottesville Super Regional, sending the maroon-and-white faithful into a frenzy that could be heard well beyond the confines of Doak Field.

Junior pitcher Caleb Whitmore was the hero, throwing seven gutsy innings of four-hit ball before handing the ball to closer Darius King, who struck out the side in the ninth to seal the celebration. First baseman Tyler McDowell provided the offensive fireworks with a three-run home run in the fifth inning that broke open what had been a tense 2-2 game.

“These kids have been on a mission all year,” said head coach Elliott Avent, wiping tears from his eyes during the postgame press conference. “They believed they could do this when nobody else did.”

The Wolfpack, who entered the season unranked, rattled off a remarkable 47-15 record and an ACC Tournament championship. Their pitching staff leads the nation in ERA, and the lineup features five players batting over .300. The combination of dominant pitching and timely hitting has drawn comparisons to NC State’s 2013 CWS squad.

The Pack will open play in Omaha on June 14 against the winner of the Corvallis Super Regional. Thousands of NC State fans are already making travel plans, and the university has announced a public watch party at Carter-Finley Stadium for those who can’t make the trip to Nebraska.