N.C. State’s club baseball team rode its bats to the team’s first appearance in the National Club Baseball Association’s World Series in Fort Myers, Fla. But despite a team batting average of .323 – the best in the tournament – the team came up just short, finishing the season at the beginning of June as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation.

“It was a really great year for us,” catcher Adam Walker, a senior in agricultural business management, said. “We had a lot of talent and we all got along. Our one-through-nine batters brought some great bats.”

The team began the series with an extra-innings win over Arizona led by the Pack’s shortstop, junior Ryan Lambert, and his three RBIs. Lambert’s bat led the team through most of the season, batting .440 and leading the NCBA in hits.

In the double elimination tournament, the Pack’s first defeat came in its next game against Penn State, which it lost 13-6. But in the bottom of the ninth inning in the following game against Virginia Tech, sophomore third baseman Tyler Wilson hit a walk-off two run single to win the game for State.

The Pack would go on to break Penn State’s 25-game winning streak in its next game, as junior pitcher Garrett Sewell allowed only one earned run in 8 2/3 innings. But in the next game, the Lions ended the Pack’s season.

With two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, Walker had the chance to win the game. He smashed a ball to the fence, but came up just short as Penn State sealed its win.

“That game was tough, because we had a lot of really hard hit balls that just went right to their fielders,” Walker said. “It was really disappointing.”

But according to freshman pitcher Matt Gearheart, the club team achieved many of the goals they laid out before the season started. By winning its conference and regional championships, the club baseball team accomplished more this season than it ever has.

“We really showed how we improved throughout the year,” Gearheart said.

And though players like Walker are graduating, the catcher notes that much of the team’s talent will be back next year.

“We had a really high talent level this season, with a lot of new guys coming in and a lot of guys returning,” Walker said. “And the team has a really solid core coming back next year.”