Jump on the NC State Baseball Bandwagon and Enjoy the Ride

I was having beers with another State grad on Sunday. We were still in disbelief that State Baseball was in Omaha, let alone winning. Part of my buddy’s disbelief, however, was that he didn’t really see it coming. Not because of the 1-8 start or the Game 1 loss to Arkansas, but because he hadn’t been paying attention at all. To be fair to him, he loves State, but with two kids and the rigors of life, he hadn’t been able to just sit down and enjoy it.

And I know how he feels.

In 2013, I was a recent grad hanging out in Raleigh. Had all the time in the world and every once in a while jumped over to Doak to watch Rodon and Turner do their thing. I watched, but in the most casual of contexts. Next thing I know, State’s in Omaha…Another blink of my eyes, they’re done. I had a chance to watch and be actively engaged in a team that had broken down the proverbial 35+ year Omaha wall…and I just didn’t jump in.

Joe Wins, But Point Stands

Cut to this week. I’m disappointed because I had this long written out thought about how amazing this State sports season has been. We’ve been competitive in every freaking sport, won team championships and dozens of individual honors. Then Joe Giglio (love that dude) brought it up on his show. Bittersweet to hear folks agree and have the same thought process, crushed I didn’t click ‘publish’ fast enough.

Like…ditto Joe…ditto…

Enjoy This Ride, Bandwagoners and All

It’s awesome being a State fan. We have a bigger Brotherhood than Duke…We have the Brotherhood of Pain (Trademarking in progress). Talk to a State fan anywhere in the world and they’ll share their heartbreak stories, before they get to the good times. We feed off the pain, we love the cursed feeling.

So then we have moments like this baseball team. We don’t enjoy the games for what they are, we just think about how it will go wrong. Like tell me you weren’t peeing in your pants for Vandy Part I? Tell me that even with all the confidence in the world that Justice would stand tall, you weren’t wondering how a two-run home run was going to end it?

It’s understandable! This isn’t our first rodeo. Yet, that’s what both Giglio and I are here to say…It doesn’t matter, enjoy this in the moment.

State shouldn’t be in the Final Four. They shouldn’t have even made it to Omaha. Frankly, they probably shouldn’t have even ended the season over .500. Yet here we are nearing July and still watching games.

Regardless of what happens today and into next week, this team has brought all the excitement and drama we could have ever asked for. Call your buddies up and go to a bar and get rowdy. It’s okay if you’re just getting involved now and picking up tidbits of who’s who on this squad. Just live in the moment knowing you’re witnessing the furthest a State baseball team HAS EVER GONE.

Love this State baseball team. I love this State fandom moment. Go Pack.