ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

May 30, 2021

Elliott Avent

Truist Field

NC State Wolfpack

Postgame Press Conference

Duke 1, NC State 0

Q. In the seventh inning, it looked like you guys had a chance to score but a little miscommunication at third base. What do you think went on and did you think he should have tagged on that play?

ELLIOTT AVENT: Well, obviously he was going to tag. He just he may have misread the fly ball, and wanted to get a better jump than he probably needed to get. And he left early; he's a smart player. He realized he left early. Went back to re-tag and knew he shouldn't chance it and he did the right thing there. Probably just tried to be a little too good when all he had to do was a regular tag.

Obviously we haven't played Duke all year and didn't know the strength of the center fielder's arm and he wanted to make sure and tried to get too good a jump there.

Q. Not the result you wanted but how big was Chris's performance to keep you guys in the game?

ELLIOTT AVENT: That's quite an environment, and pitching against a team that's won 11 games in a row, obviously hot, you're pitching against the veteran who was our Friday night starter last year and has a lot of experience out there, and you knew you had to match a guy like that pitch-for-pitch.

So I thought what Matt and Chris both did was outstanding in this environment on this stage, just both of these young men grew up tremendously today. They have been good all year for us, but they took another step in their growth process today.

Q. What was your message to the team after the game?

ELLIOTT AVENT: It was a long message. I talked to them and said what I had to say. You try to learn in every game, and as much as I would have liked to see them out there on that field to collect the ACC Championship trophy, they are a team that I thought that would be special for this ballclub. They have done a lot together with few people. They are almost like the Marine slogan, the few, the proud and the Wolf Pack.

But just we learned in the Carolina game, we got down 8-0 and didn't quit in a game that could have gotten ugly, and we tried to grow from that for the rest of this tournament.

This is a grueling tournament. This tournament starts with 12 of the best teams in the country. This weekend starts with four of the best teams in the country. So as much as we would have liked to gotten this ACC Championship, there is a bigger prize out there, and if we can reflect on this game, learn from not only this game but this tournament, and have a good week of practice, we're looking forward to playing next week.