NC State baseball entered the 2026 season with high expectations centered on its pitching staff. The Wolfpack were set to welcome back ace Ryan Marohn while transitioning Jacob Dudan from a reliable reliever to a full-time starter. Those moves positioned the arms as the clear backbone of this year’s squad.
While the pitching has indeed been just as good as advertised, the real breakout story has been the offense.
A core group of returners (Luke Nixon, Chris McHugh, Ty Head, Drew Lanphere, and Brayden Fraasman) provided solid production at the plate last season. But their combined numbers weren’t enough to hang your hat on, especially with the exit of star catcher Alex Sosa who transferred to Miami.