NC State eliminated from CWS due to positive tests for COVID-19; Vanderbilt advances

Published Jun. 26, 2021 3:15 p.m. ET

There is some major drama going down at the College World Series — and this time, it's not happening on the field.

On Friday, NC State competed with only 13 of 27 players — four pitchers and nine position players — because several members of the team were in COVID-19 protocol. The Wolfpack used 12 of their players and lost to Vanderbilt 3-1 to force a winner-take-all game in their semifinal.

Earlier in the week, two unvaccinated NC State players tested positive for COVID, prompting the NCAA to test the entire team, including vaccinated players. That revealed four more positive tests, all from vaccinated individuals who were in the dugout for Friday's game.

As a result, at 2 a.m. ET Saturday, the NCAA declared that day's semifinal game a no-contest, thus eliminating NC State from the tournament.

The Wolfpack were making their third CWS appearance and had a chance to reach the final for the first time in program history. In the super regionals, they beat No. 1 overall seed Arkansas to spark their run.

After the NCAA's decision, the outrage and frustration were swift from all sides. Worth noting is that the stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, is at full capacity, with no COVID protocol for fans.

Here are some of the responses.

Defending champion Vanderbilt, which entered Saturday needing to beat NC State twice to move on, advances to the final round. The Commodores will face the winner of the Texas-Mississippi State semifinal on Monday.

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