NC State OF Ty Head discussed making the NCAA Tournament, what Coach Avent has done for him, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
What was it like for you guys to see your name pop up yesterday, and now you get to come back to Auburn?
It was cool. Coach always says act like you're in, so that's what we've been working for all season. And so, I mean, it was so exciting, but we all knew that we belonged there.
Coach has obviously been someone who is really influential on you guys as baseball players, but also as young men. I wanted to ask some of your teammates this, but what is the most random thing he's helped you out with outside of baseball?
Probably staying away from our academic advisors.
Okay. Keeping the grades up?
Yeah, keeping the grades up. I'm a good student, but just trying to stay out of those meetings and trying to stay away from all the tutoring. And he's taught me a lot about how to stay out of those.
And as a baseball player, what are the things that he's done in your life to give you the confidence and all the tools that you need out there?
He gives you confidence. He always reminds you that you're a good player. But the big thing I would say is just how to be a ballplayer, what's right, when to bunt, when to hit. I feel like I've stepped up to a different level, just because before I go to bat, I look at him, and he just gives me what to do. He helps me in every way, but just being a ballplayer and knowing the game and knowing what's right in that situation.
You mentioned confidence. How does he give you confidence? What does he do to get you more confident?
He just says a bunch of good things about you. Sometimes he'll bring you right back down, but he'll bring you right back up. He'll shoot you a text, or he's always watching the games back, and he'll just send something that he saw. He just always reminds you.
How does he bring you up, bring you down, bring you back up? Can we get an impression?
It's how you can be so good, you're shooting so high, but your secondary is just something like that. He's like, "Man, you're a good player, man." That's how it'll be.
When it comes to Coach Hart, what makes him the right guy for this job?
I love Coach Hart. Hopefully he says I'm his favorite player, but me and him, I feel like we're the same person. He's a guru with everything. He knows every situation, how fast you need to be; it's the perfect fit.
Have y'all gotten into the nuts and bolts of UCF yet, or any of the teams down there?
All I know is my sister's husband is the first base coach at UCF.
Oh, okay. It's a family affair.
Yep, there's going to be a lot of family there. We've had a few FaceTimes, just talking trash.
What's she pulling for?
We did talk about this. She said she's going to wear black.
What?
I mean, we have some black in our room, so it's kind of neutral. But I said we're blood, so you've got to pull for your brother.
One of the biggest things for Hart is that he's had a ton of success in the state of Florida, obviously recruiting you guys like Trea Turner and several others from the state of Florida. What has he done to convince you guys to want to come out to North Carolina and play?
I think it's just the confidence in his voice. I mean, he wants you, he wants you. He gets everybody, I feel like. If he really wants you, he'll get you, no matter what, whatever it takes.
How old were you when he started recruiting you?
Freshman in high school. As soon as he talked to me, it was my first ever visit, committed right here.
Really quick, what stood out to him versus other recruiters? How is he so persuasive?
His voice, or his demeanor.
