NC State Baseball Coach Reaches Milestone Season

As the 2026 college baseball season approaches, the No.17-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack already has something to celebrate before it even hits the field.

One of their own is hitting a well-deserved milestone. That's right. It's manager Elliott Avent's 30th season at the helm of the NC State baseball program, and he's still enjoying every second on the job.

"It's just a pleasure and still a thrill for me every day, to come here to Doak Field," Avent told 247 Sporst during a podcast appearance earlier this week. "It gets even better once the players get out of class, and they come over to the field, and you interact with the players. It hasn't changed from my first year to this year. It's the same thing. You're interacting with great men, trying to help them chase their dream, trying to get to the postseason, and trying to put the pieces together. The thrill hasn't changed from the first day I got here til today."

Avent Through the Years

Avent arrived at NC State in 1996, a former Wolfpack assistant fresh off an eight-year stint as the manager at New Mexico State. There, he had won over 200 games, a mark that would later put him in the state's Athletics Hall of Fame.

30th season — Jun 9, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent meets with his team on the mound during the game against the Rice Owls in the Raleigh super regional of the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament at Doak Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

While he had spent time competing out west, Avent's career had plenty of mid-Atlantic roots, starting as an assistant at Division III North Carolina Wesleyan and making other stops at Louisburg Junior College and William & Mary along his quest to be a head coach. The journey made him a natural fit for the program, as he helped it return to the postseason just one year after having a respectable streak snapped.

"Everything you do as a coach is talk about going to the postseason," Avent added during the podcast interview. "That's what it's all about: going to the postseason. Then, you try to get to Omaha and have a chance to win a national championship. That's the three midnsets as you build your team and try to figure out how you're going to get there."

That mindset has worked greatly for Avent in Raleigh. His team won 42 games during his first season, and in 2010, he became the program's all-time leader in coaching wins. Under his watch, NC State has made the NCAA Tournament 22 times, reaching six Superegionals, produced dozens of All-Americans and All-ACC players, and had 137 players drafted into Major League Baseball.

His 30th season could become even more special. As the Wolfpack look to build off a run to the Regional Final last season, he is just one win away from tying Jim Morris as the leader in wins at an ACC school. And yet, the focus remains on the program andsucceeding on the postseason,

"Every inning's important because every game you win matters for the postseason," Avent said. "Our non-conference schedule is challenging as well, and any of those games can help catapult you to the postseason or keep you from getting there."

Elliott Avent's 30th baseball season at NC State begins on Feb. 13 in Puerto Rico against Washington.

Want more NC State content throughout the year? Follow @WolfpackOnSI on X (Twitter) and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE