Large crowd gathers at Doak Field to celebrate the return of NC State’s baseball team

After a day of frustration and heartbreak, N.C. State’s baseball team flew back to Raleigh, where a large crowd of fans waited at Doak Field, chanting, “We beat Vandy!”

One fan outside the Wolfpack’s home stadium lit a Vanderbilt T-shirt on fire. Others cheered him on until a Raleigh police officer snatched the shirt away and stomped out the flames to boos.

Around 9:15 p.m., fans started filing into The Doak while yelling, “Wolf! Pack!”

The team arrived at the stadium around 9:30 p.m. and entered the stadium. The team stood on the infield as Coach Elliott Avent spoke to the crowd through a megaphone.

“This means as much to me as anything that has happened in my baseball career and my baseball life,” he said.

N.C. State was one win away from reaching the championship series in the College World Series when the NCAA ruled their Saturday game against Vanderbilt a no-contest after Wolfpack players tested positive for COVID-19. The Wolfpack played the Commodores Friday with 13 players, including 4 pitchers.

The NCAA announced the no contest in a tweet at 2:10 a.m. Saturday before tweeting that Vanderbilt was moving on to the CWS finals.

In a statement Saturday evening, N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan said some of the positive tests came from players who had been vaccinated.

“We have confirmed that a number of our players who tested positive had previously been vaccinated,” Corrigan wrote. “While rare, we know that breakthrough infections are possible for individuals who have been vaccinated. Fortunately, those who have been vaccinated and still get COVID are at much less risk for serious illness.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.