NC State baseball’s Victory Over Cancer game honors families, fighters, survivors

Doak Field at Dail Park turned a Duke weekend into a pediatric cancer fundraiser, with NC State baseball’s Victory Over Cancer game bringing families, survivors and supporters into one of Raleigh’s most visible campus events. The Wolfpack’s first two editions of the game raised more than $96,000 combined for awareness and research, tying a college baseball night directly to children and families facing cancer in the Triangle.

Head coach Elliott Avent said the event began three years ago with help from former NC State player and current MLB star Trea Turner and Turner’s family, in partnership with The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Avent also said he has a young nephew battling cancer, giving the game a personal meaning that reaches beyond the scoreboard and into Wake County homes touched by the disease.

The first Victory Over Cancer Game, played against Ball State in 2024, raised $46,759. That total included a $10,000 donation from one of Turner’s agents. NC State wore special gold uniforms that night, and local children affected by cancer and their families were invited to Doak Field before first pitch. Some of the jerseys carried children’s first names, while others included words such as Fighter and Brave, turning the field into a public show of support for families living through treatment.

Avent’s idea grew beyond one game. The Atlantic Coast Conference later said he proposed an ACC Baseball Cancer Awareness Week, and the conference launched its first version in 2025. NC State’s second Victory Over Cancer Game came against Clemson on April 26, 2025, with special warmups and hat patches meant to symbolize the fight against childhood cancer. The Wolfpack beat No. 2 Clemson 4-1, and the ACC said the event raised more than $50,860 after NC State had set a goal of $60,000. Technician reported the game brought in more than $30,000.

Friday night’s 10-4 win over Duke set up this year’s return to the theme, showing how the baseball program has turned a regular home series into something larger than sports. Support has come not just from tickets, but from Turner’s fund through The V Foundation, helping make the Victory Over Cancer game a recurring Wake County tradition that links competition, campus identity and pediatric cancer awareness at the same ballpark.