State's 'Ketchup Bottle' Uniforms Are (Mostly) a Hit

The players and the internet liked the Wolfpack's all-red look, but traditionalist coach Elliott Avent isn't a fan

The NC State opened the 2020 baseball season with a splash on Friday. And not just with its play in a 4-0 win against James Madison.

It was more like a splash of color.

Dressed from head-to-to toe in red, the Wolfpack's new uniforms became a viral sensation as soon as they were unveiled on social media moments before the first pitch.

The players seemed to like the new look, too.

"I like them," junior pitcher Nick Swinney said of the all red uniforms after striking out a career-high 11 over seven innings to pick up the season opening win. "We kind of look like Heinz Ketchup bottles, but I like them. It's a different look. I think they're nice."

State coach Elliott Avent, as an old-school home-white-road-gray kind of guy, wasn't quite as enthusiastic about his team's colorful wardrobe statement.

But he also knows that as a successful coach, you sometimes have to do things don't agree with to keep your players happy and motivated.

"I think they're absolutely terrible," Avent said of the uniforms, implying that he might not have had the team wear them again if it has lost in them on Friday. "The players love them and that's all that matters."

"I am old-school, but we've all evolved and throughout the years I've evolved as much as anybody. If the players love them and they're happy, it's a player's game. So if they like them, I like them."