2021 College Baseball

[rtp]

So surely given the contagiousness of COVID the Vandy players should start popping positive any day now since they were all around the NC ST players. I guess MISS ST will then be handed the trophy without playing for the title.

[Heath]

This was one of my favorite Texas baseball teams to follow.

I’m going to miss watching them play and sucks it didn’t end with a National Title. They were just to inconsistent at the plate.They made a hell of a run at it.

This wraps up an outstanding sports year for the University of Texas. They get football turned around and you are back to the early 2000s when Texas dominated the college sports landscape. Good times ahead.

[glen]

Heath. How many arms from UT are projected to go in the first 5 or 10 rounds of the draft? I also followed this UT team as I know 3 of the boys on it well enough they have all sat at my table through the years. All 3 very good kids. It is hard to keep up with with most of the Soph class draft eligible.

[Gclyde12]

I’m not sure how many of y’all follow Barstool sports but about a month ago the NCAA canceled the womens golf ncaa championship and they stepped up and hosted the tournament a week later at another site. It would be unbelievable if they did the same thing here and stepped in and somehow put together a deal where the winner of vandy and miss st played NC state a week later or something that way there are no questions or what if’s?

[JVasquez]

Texas had a solid run. Heck of a season.

[Chad C]

This was one of my favorite Texas baseball teams to follow.

I’m going to miss watching them play and sucks it didn’t end with a National Title. They were just to inconsistent at the plate.They made a hell of a run at it.

This wraps up an outstanding sports year for the University of Texas. They get football turned around and you are back to the early 2000s when Texas dominated the college sports landscape. Good times ahead.

Solid year indeed. Directors Cup worthy.


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[Dale Moser]

I hate that it’s over, but what a great run, and fun team to follow. Best of luck to all the guys moving on. Can’t wait to see what they look like next year.


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[El General]

Heath. How many arms from UT are projected to go in the first 5 or 10 rounds of the draft? I also followed this UT team as I know 3 of the boys on it well enough they have all sat at my table through the years. All 3 very good kids. It is hard to keep up with with most of the Soph class draft eligible.

Witt and Madden for sure. It is hard to project reliever’s getting drafted, but Quintanilla and Nixon certainly have the stuff to make a big league bullpen with some progression.

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

Not a bad start.

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[Fmjag64]

It would be interesting to find out if every team got tested for the China virus and the frequency of the testing or was NC State the only team that got tested. I don't trust the testing results especially with so many positive tests of vaccinated players. NCAA definitely a **** show that gets more stuff wrong than right.

No clue if this is accurate but a buddy pretty involved with college baseball/Omaha said some NC State players were out partying when they shouldn't have been. Not sure if the time frame would match up but if thats how it went down and they got Covid, that is very unfortunate for the program.

[Huntindad]

Wouldn't be surprised. Thought I read where the first one to test positive was no longer on the team.

[Fmjag64]

If that is the case, i dont feel nearly as bad for them. I mean it sucks, sure. BUT you're playing for a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP bid!!! Not the time or place for that. Hard lesson learned.

[glen]

If by partying you are talking about going places and back by curfew then all teams are guilty. These are mostly grown men. Many are 24 years old. Why shouldnt they go eat with their wives, girlfriends, family or go sit down and have a beer at Hooters?

[Fmjag64]

If by partying you are talking about going places and back by curfew then all teams are guilty. These are mostly grown men. Many are 24 years old. Why shouldnt they go eat with their wives, girlfriends, family or go sit down and have a beer at Hooters?

Not how it was explained to me from a typically reputable source but who knows. Sounded like a few went out for some fun when they weren't supposed to but i didnt ask questions.

I mean if im in the drivers seat to play for a Natty, dinner with gf, beers at hooters or sneaking out can absolutely wait due to the ramifications of Covid. Hell the NBA put em all in a bubble lol.

[Cajun Blake]

Not how it was explained to me from a typically reputable source but who knows. Sounded like a few went out for some fun when they weren't supposed to but i didnt ask questions.

timeline of events leading to NCSt being sent home

Sunday, June 20
— The NCAA confirmed that testing the day before the Vanderbilt game revealed no positive COVID-19 test results among all members of the NC State traveling party. NC State was given the all clear to play Vanderbilt on Monday.

Monday, June 21
— It was a great day for the Wolfpack. They defeated Vanderbilt 1-0 to move to 2-0 in the winner’s bracket. In the postgame press conference, NC State coach Elliott Avent pointed out a few members of the traveling party, including a player, had caught a ‘bug’ and were needing some rest the next few days. He pointed out that ‘other’ players were dealing with this bug, too. The NCAA said they found out later Monday that one of the players who had the ‘bug’ had a roommate removed at some point on Sunday, which created some concern inside the NCAA.

Tuesday, June 22
— The player that Avent said had a ‘bug’ on Monday, June 21, tested positive in an antigen and PCR test on Tuesday, which deemed him ‘not clear to participate’, and thus was directed to isolate. The roommate of the individual, who was in direct contact, was then directed to quarantine, according to the NCAA. The NCAA later found out that the first individual was symptomatic prior to Monday’s game, which Avent alluded to in his press conference. Avent did not know at the time it was COVID-19, however, just to make that perfectly clear. Avent, assistant coach Chris Hart and others also were tested, and were COVID-19 negative, NC State sources told D1Baseball.

* Avent confirmed to D1Baseball that he was vaccinated in early March.

“We continued to test the close contact in hopes that they could come out of quarantine sooner, and perhaps they could actually play,” Holman said.

— Also on Tuesday, the NCAA sought out NC State to find out which members of the traveling party Avent was referring to when he said ‘some of our guys have a bug’. Those persons were identified, and when tested on June 22, were ‘negative’. “That was great news,” Holman said.

— Between Tuesday and Friday, June 25, NC State attempted to have the roommate of the first individual tested each day to potentially test out and be able to pitch. That request was not granted; though, the individual wound up testing positive later in the week anyway.


Friday, June 25
— Given the fact that NC State was scheduled to play Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. that day, it was not considered to be a testing day. However, the individual who was in close contact with the COVID positive player was tested in hopes that he would test negative and could come out of quarantine ‘sooner, and perhaps be able to play’. However, that player tested positive for COVID-19. He was then deemed out of action. That gave NC State two confirmed positive tests.

— The same morning, NC State discovered two more players had shown symptoms consistent with COVID-19, so were proactive and sent them over to the Marriott for further testing. Those results arrived 90 minutes before the Vanderbilt game — both members of the traveling party were positive for COVID-19. That took NC State’s COVID-positive total to four. At that point, the NCAA took this matter up the chain to the Championship Medical Team to further evaluate the situation at hand, which is what created the 45-minute delay in the game’s start time. It’s worth noting the two players who tested positive that morning were unvaccinated players.

— At this point, the NCAA informed NC State that unvaccinated players would be removed from the game and only vaccinated players could play in the game. The NCAA gave NC State the option to either forfeit and try to play Saturday or play on with a limited roster. Avent and his team opted to play, though NC State sources say they proposed to the NCAA to play a doubleheader between the two teams on Saturday instead. That request was denied. At the start of the game, unvaccinated members of the Pack team were taken to the Marriott and tested. All of those unvaccinated members of the team were negative for COVID-19, including several prominent players on the roster. None of those players were able to return to the ballpark in time to enter the game.

– With NC State having four positive COVID-19 tests, the team reached ‘outbreak’ status, which then caused the NCAA to get all members of the team tested — including the vaccinated members who played in the Friday game against Vandy. We touched on how it was possible to test vaccinated players, here, a couple of days ago. NC State sources estimate that full team testing occurred around 7:30 p.m., Friday night, and that by 11 p.m., that evening, they still hadn’t gotten word on test results. There’s a lot of frustration from the NC State side of things on the lack of communication during that time frame. Shortly after that point, the results began to trickle in for each player — four players, all vaccinated — had tested positive for COVID-19, with all other players testing negative. Eight total members of NC State’s traveling party had tested positive for COVID-19.

Saturday, June 26
— According to NC State sources, it was around 1 a.m., that the NCAA informed the Wolfpack that they were declared a ‘no contest’ for Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt and thus their season was over. It was then that all COVID-negative players decided to make the trek over to TD Ameritrade Park for one last picture behind home plate after a somber meeting with head coach Elliott Avent and his staff. With eight positive tests and impending contact tracing, the NCAA’s point of view was that it would be impossible for NC State to finish the tournament, while also caring about the health and safety of participants. Of course, that reasoning will be hotly contested by those who saw countless sendoff and welcoming parties at different team hotels around downtown Omaha over the past two weeks.

— All COVID negative members of the NC State traveling party returned home to Raleigh and were greeted by thousands of fans at a welcome party at Doak Field. Those members will now have to quarantine for at least seven days, including Avent, who is scheduled to report to USA Baseball on Wednesday, June 30.

Sunday, June 27
— All COVID positive members of the NC State traveling party returned home to Raleigh via. private flight from Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.

No matter your stance on this issue, it was a dreadful way for NC State’s magical season to end.

But you now have the facts. Draw your own conclusions.


IMO, had the NCSt HC not said a word about a player having the "bug", the NCAA would have never investigated the matter. Dude was to open and honest with the media which opened Pandora's box


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