Here's the behind-the-scenes story of NC State's sudden College World Series exit
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- "We have an urgent matter at the Division I Baseball Championship," read an email that went out on 12:24 p.m. on June 25 from the NCAA's director of championships.
It was the seventh day of the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, where four teams remained competing for the title.
The News & Observer obtained the email through a public records request. NC State released hundreds of pages of documents and emails that provide a fuller account of the team's CWS exit.
The News and Observer's Andrew Carter said the documents show that while the NCAA had a detailed plan for COVID-19 testing, there was no plan on what to do in the event of multiple cases.
Before arriving in Omaha, NC State defeated No. 1 seed Arkansas in a Super Regional. After arriving in Nebraska, the Wolfpack won its first two games.
On that Friday, the team needed one more win to advance to the best-of-three championship.
However, drama had been unfolding behind the scenes. An unidentified NC State player tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and two days later, officials were still trying to figure out the ramifications.
Focus then shifted on the player who had shared a room with the one who had tested positive. Emails back and forth continued about protocols, and NC State argued the second player be allowed to return after five days of quarantining and negative tests. The topic soon became moot.
Around 90 minutes before the scheduled start of NC State's game against Vanderbilt on June 25, there was a video conference between a six-person medical team and Anthony Holman, the NCAA official charged with running the CWS. Around 13 hours later, NC State's season was over.
Read more about the revelations and timeline in the News & Observer's article here.
