NC State pitcher, coach representing Pinellas County at College World Series
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - Cooper Consiglio is still at a loss for words.
"I don't think it's quite set in yet, but it's definitely a really big accomplishment and a lot of people would kill to be in this position," Consiglio said.
The position that the East Lake High School alum now finds himself in: taking the mound for a team heading to the College World Series.
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"There's really no feeling like dog piling on the field knowing you're heading to Omaha," Consiglio said.
The NC State left-handed pitcher isn't alone on his journey from the Tampa Bay area to the College World Series. Of the eight teams competing in Omaha, six teams have at least one local product on the roster.
"I think it's just a really competitive area with a bunch of guys that want to win," Consiglio said.
In fact, Consiglio's Tampa Bay roots are exactly why he committed to the Wolf Pack in the first place, as NC State associate head coach Chris Hart and pitching coach Clint Chrysler both also grew up in Pinellas County.
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"The fact that they're from the same area that I'm from helped me realize that they knew what I've been doing, and they know the level of baseball that goes on there," Consiglio said.
After getting Consiglio on campus, Chrysler wasn't afraid to throw the true freshman into the fire early on, trusting the lefty from East Lake from the start.
"The one thing that people forget with Coop is that Coop is a baby," Chrysler joked. "He just turned 18 at Thanksgiving. He was on campus as a 17-year-old playing against 23-year-olds."
But, that trust in the young pitcher from Palm Harbor was rewarded as Consiglio ultimately helped NC State on its way to Omaha.
"You have to throw them in the fire to a point," said Chrysler. "You have to pick and choose your spots as a coach, or as a game manager, to put them in positions to be successful."
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Success is exactly what Consiglio found in his first season in Raleigh, North Carolina, thanks, in part, to a coach who grew up playing on the same fields as him.
"He has meant a lot to me," Consiglio said about Chrysler. "He always reminded me to stay confident in myself and trust what I'm doing and trust what we've been doing all fall and all spring."
Consiglio and the Wolf Pack, meanwhile, are already in Omaha and will play Kentucky in their opening game Saturday afternoon.
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