Ripken the Bat Dog, the fan favorite Labrador Retriever who has run out to get the kickoff tees during NC State Football games at Carter-Finley the past couple of years has tragically passed away, due to a “serious, undiagnosed medical condition.”
Honestly, there were times that the Wolfpack fans cheered louder for Ripken than anything else that transpired in the football game itself.
Ripken was also the Bat Dog for the Durham Bulls, and made appearances with the NC State Baseball team, Holly Springs Salamanders, Carolina Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes.
As you will see in one of the Instagram posts below, Ripken even made SportsCenter.