North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: A Baseball Bid
5/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH -- When NC State decided to start over from scratch with its baseball field, the No. 1 consideration in the design of the new facility was to attract an NCAA baseball regional.
That's because, even when the Wolfpack previously performed well enough on the field to merit consideration to be a host, the old Doak Field had neither the capacity nor the amenities that the NCAA required to host one of the 16 four-team sites. The NCAA requires a 2,500 seating capacity, and a minimum financial guarantee of $35,000 to host a regional. (The NCAA receives 75 percent of all net receipts above and beyond the $35,000, as well.)
Two years ago, when Coach Elliott Avent's team had one of the best seasons in recent memory, the school made a successful bid to host a regional - at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, more than an hour away from campus. The Wolfpack advanced from there to play a Super Regional against Miami, in Coral Gables, Fla.
Now, with Avent's squad ranked in the Top 25 of the major college baseball polls and in the Top 15 of the various RPI models, officials in the athletics department are preparing to make a bid to bring the NCAA baseball tournament on campus for the first time in school history.
"That was probably the No. 1 consideration in the design of the stadium renovations," said Senior Associate Athletics Director Charlie Cobb. "We wanted to make sure we had the functional space - the press box, the bathrooms, all the things Doak Field didn't have before."
Now, some three years after the school made the $5 million investment to level the field, build new grandstands, a new press box, lockerrooms, training rooms, a players lounge and an indoor batting facility, Cobb and nearly a dozen other members of the athletics department are prepared to make an official bid for the Wolfpack to be a regional host.
Cobb and other members of the athletics department staff - including personnel from marketing, the ticket office, game management, outdoor facilities and media relations - have filled out all the detailed paperwork necessary for the bid, which will be submitted by Wednesday.
The bid isn't just a showcase for Doak Field either. The school also plans to use the newly opened $1.5 million J.W. Isenhour Tennis Facility for such things as postgame interviews, drug testing and pretournament administrative meetings.
There are multiple reasons why being a regional host is important: it's a reward for the players to play at home; it provides a competitive edge; it generates some income for the athletics department; and it puts the school in place for the opportunity to host a Super Regional.
"First of all, it rewards the kids for an outstanding season," Cobb said. "Secondly, this gives us a chance to show off the new and improved Doak Field. And third, it gives us a chance to be successful in the playoffs."
But just because the school can now meet all the minimum requirements to host a regional, there are no guarantees that Doak will be selected. That will be decided by how the Avent's team finishes the regular season.
The Wolfpack ( 36-14 overall, 15-12 ACC) is currently in sixth place in the ACC standings, following its winning series against Duke. But Avent's team could move up as high as third in the standings, depending on the outcome of this week's three-game series against Florida State, Georgia Tech's three-game series at North Carolina and Miami's three-game series at Clemson.
The Wolfpack and Seminoles play at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Following that, the Wolfpack and the rest of the league will head to Jacksonville, Fla., for the ACC Tournament May 24-29.
NCAA Tournament bids will be announced on May 29 on ESPN2.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
