FAYETTEVILLE — North Carolina State coach Elliott Avent credited his team’s character for advancing to the College World Series on Sunday.
The two home runs the Wolfpack hit off of Arkansas starter Kevin Kopps, including a go-ahead solo shot from Jose Torres in the top of the ninth, didn’t hurt either.
The homers accounted for all of NC State’s runs in the 3-2 victory, which ended the No. 1 Razorbacks’ season at 50-13 overall.
Torres’ 10th home run of the season brought Kopps’ masterful year and gutsy outing to a close. Until that point, he had allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 9 over 8 innings in his first start of 2021.
Down 1-2 in the count, the NC State shortstop turned around Kopps’ 118th delivery — a cutter — and his swing proved to be the difference.
At 103 pitches through seven innings, the right-handed Kopps returned for the eighth after freshman Cayden Wallace tied the game 2-2 in the seventh with a home run to left field. Kopps was at 114 pitches after getting through the eighth, but that did not deter Arkansas from leaning on him in the ninth.
“Well, the decision was that he was still pitching really well,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said of keeping Kopps on the mound. “We just tied the game up. That was going to be his last inning no matter what.
“There’s not much difference between 114 and 125 pitches. It’s all the same.”
Torres immediately knew he had unleashed the biggest swing of the game, flipping his bat in celebration as he looked toward his dugout.
“He throws a lot of cutters and I was pretty much sitting cutters all day,” Torres said. “It’s pretty funny. I just got off the phone with my dad and he was talking about, ‘He was throwing the same pitch, the same pitch, and you were on it.’ I was looking for something up and I got it and put a good swing on it.
“It was a feeling I’ll never forget until I die. It was awesome to experience that. The moment I was rounding the bases I was just focused, knowing we still had to add more runs because their offense is really great, then we’ve got to go play defense and get three outs. I just had to soak it up in the moment, lock in and finish the game.”
One of the top 10 home-run hitting teams in Division I, the Wolfpack lived by the long ball over the final two games of the super regional. NC State also hit three off of Arkansas reliever Ryan Costeiu in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 6-5 victory, turning the tide during a game in which the Wolfpack faced elimination.
The five home runs allowed by the Razorbacks in Games 2 and 3 tied for the most over a two-game stretch all season. Oklahoma (1) and Alabama (4) combined to hit five in 8-5 and 16-1 wins, respectively, at Baum-Walker Stadium in March.
“He hit that one pretty good,” Avent said of Torres’ home run. “The (second pitch of the at bat) he kind of golfed, but hit it foul. I thought that one might have had the distance....But all I know is he hit it really well.
“Thank goodness Jose hit that home run, because I don’t know how long we could have gone with (reliever) Evan (Justice).”
Opponents had hit only three home runs against Kopps over 81 2/3 innings entering Sunday.
Pitching with a 1-0 lead after Razorbacks designated hitter Charlie Welch doubled down the line in right to score Christian Franklin in the second inning, Kopps issued a one-out walk to NC State leadoff hitter Austin Murr in the top of the third, then struck out Tyler McDonough.
Wolfpack left fielder Jonny Butler fouled away an off-speed pitch from Kopps to begin his at-bat then hammered a pitch over the outstretched arm of Franklin in straightaway center field. In the first inning, Butler flew out to the warning track in center.
“That one there,” Van Horn said, “he pulled a little bit more and he got a little bit of help (from the wind). Christian still almost got it, but it got over the fence.
“You’ve just got to give North Carolina State credit. They played great. They got big hits and their pitchers did a great job.”