As we near the end of the year, we are continuing our Top-20 NC State sports moments of 2020 with picks 8-14 before we round out our list on New Year’s Eve. Today’s picks include some big draft days for some of the newest of the Pack Pros, some dominant wins and a few super high rankings.
No. 14: Patrick Bailey (13th overall) and Nick Swiney (67th) selected by the Giants in the MLB draft
Pack9 fans were finally faced with the long-awaited draft year for catcher Patrick Bailey. Unfortunately, they did not get to see his third full season as the season ended just 17 games in with the team posting a 14-3 record, but that certainly didn’t hurt his draft stock. The switch-hitting catcher with power and speed went 13th overall to the San Francisco Giants.
The MLB draft went from 40 rounds to five rounds, so NC State didn’t get the usual number of draftees, but pitcher Nick Swiney also heard his name called in the second compensation round by the Giants.
No. 13: Tziarra King drafted into NWSL, scores in debut
In January, Tziarra King became the first NC State women’s soccer player to be drafted into the league when the Utah Royals selected her with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2020 College draft. While it took longer than expected for King to make her debut due to the 2020 NWSL season being delayed, it didn’t take long for her to make an impact. After being subbed in in the 70th minute, and with her team trailing 3-1, King helped to rally her team, eventually scoring a game-tying goal in the 89th minute.
No. 12: Tennis teams collect top-five wins
The women’s tennis team especially was on fire this year, going 18-3 before the season shut down, but the men’s team also had a successful season with an 11-4 record. In tennis, the top teams usually get a number of opportunities to add big wins to its resume, and both Pack teams did just that.
Back in February, just a day after falling to No. 2 UNC, the women’s tennis team beat No. 3 Georgia in convincing 4-1 fashion at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. The women posted a 7-3 record against top-50 teams in 2020.
The men’s team also had a couple ranked wins, including a 4-3 victory against No. 4 Texas at the Cary Tennis Park in March. This was a huge bounce-back win after losing all three ranked matchups at the ITA National Men’s Indoor Championship the week prior.
No. 11: Wrestling takes down UNC in front of packed Reynolds Coliseum
Big wrestling matches in Reynolds Coliseum bring some of the best atmospheres at NC State and this one might be the crown jewel of them all in front of 4,383 fans, a Pack wrestling attendance record.
The No. 8 Tar Heels came to Raleigh looking for an upset, and the entire dual came down to the last bout. Sophomore Deonte Wilson at 285 came up with a huge takedown with 11 seconds left to seal the win, moments after it looked like UNC’s Andrew Gunning might be able to take the lead.
No. 10: Women’s tennis duo becomes top-ranked in the nation
Back in early February, the women’s tennis team was rolling behind the star power on its roster. In fact, sophomore Alana Smith and senior Anna Rogers became the first top-ranked duo in NC State’s history during the 2020 stretch of the season.
Together the duo posted a 9-2 record against ranked doubles opponents, including an impressive four top-25 wins.
No. 9: Record year for NC State football
2019 was a down year for NC State football, going 1-7 in conference play. 2020 was a different story, however. Head coach Dave Doeren and some new members to the coaching staff turned things around and in a 10-game or conference season, the Pack broke the program record for ACC wins in a season, going 7-3 in conference and adding an out-of-conference win over then-No. 21 Liberty.
No. 8: NC State student-athletes use their voices
2020 was a year of change that included waves of political activism across the country during both an election year and a pandemic. Back in early June, Black Lives Matter protests occurred across the country in the wake of multiple police-related deaths, inspiring many to use their voices.
The #PackUnited initiative began at NC State by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on June 1. Multiple athletes at NC State took part in taking their voices to social media and demonstrating across campus.
Athletes, coaches and staff members all came together for one of the most important showings in NC State history, showing unity in a time of need.
