The 2026 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represents North Carolina State University in the 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack play their home games at Doak Field under 30th-year head coach Elliott Avent. They compete as members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Wolfpack entered the season coming off an appearance in the 2024 College World Series and a regional final appearance in 2025. Following a regular season marked by major pitching injuries and shifting roster adjustments, NC State finished the regular season 32–21 overall and 14–16 in ACC play. They capped off their regular season with a crucial 7–2 victory over No. 2 rival North Carolina to cement the No. 9 seed in the ACC Tournament.

Preseason In the preseason, NC State was highly regarded by national publications, checking in at No. 17 in the initial D1Baseball rankings. The season marked the historic 30th year at the helm for head coach Elliott Avent, who signed an extension in 2020 running through the 2026 campaign.

Roster

2026 NC State Wolfpack roster # Player Position Bats/Throws Class Hometown High School / Previous School 0 Luke Nixon INF L/R Jr. Wilmington, NC New Hanover HS 1 Rett Johnson OF L/R Fr. Youngsville, NC East Carolina Academy 2 Mikey Ryan INF R/R So. Luling, LA Rummel HS 3 Christian Serrano INF R/R Fr. Fuquay-Varina, NC Pro5 Baseball Academy 5 Sherman Johnson INF/C R/R Jr. Loganville, GA Loganville HS 6 Dalton Bargo UTL L/R Sr. Omaha, NE Westside HS 7 Brayden Fraasman OF R/R Sr. Okeana, OH Ross HS 8 Ryder Garino RHP R/R So. Cherry Hill, NJ Cherry Hill West HS 10 Truitt Manuel RHP R/R R-Fr. Fletcher, NC West Henderson HS 11 Preston Bonn C L/R R-Fr. Lawrenceville, GA Brookwood HS 13 Andrew Wiggins OF L/R Jr. Indianapolis, IN Heritage Christian HS 14 Ty Head OF L/R So. Windermere, FL Windermere HS 15 Drew Lanphere C R/R Jr. Donelson, TN Donelson Christian Academy 16 Collins Black RHP R/R So. Charlotte, NC Myers Park HS 17 Sam Harris RHP R/R Fr. Cary, NC Broughton HS 18 Wyatt Peifer INF R/R Sr. Boyertown, PA Boyertown Area HS 19 Heath Andrews RHP R/R Jr. Raleigh, NC Sporting Goods Academy 20 Ryan Marohn LHP L/L Jr. Chantilly, VA Freedom HS 22 Luke Hemric LHP R/L Fr. Apex, NC Apex Friendship HS 23 Vincent DeCarlo C R/R Fr. Tampa, FL Jesuite HS 24 Devin Mitchell OF R/R Jr. Edmond, OK Edmond Santa Fe HS 25 Danny Heintz RHP R/R Gr. Cary, NC Green Hope HS 27 Chris McHugh INF R/R Jr. Enfield, NY Commack HS 28 Cooper Consiglio LHP L/L Jr. Palm Harbor, FL IMG Academy 29 Julien Peissel RHP R/R R-Jr. Hickory, NC Saint Stephens HS 30 Mikey Ragusa RHP R/R Fr. Coral Springs, FL Cardinal Gibbons HS 33 Kaden Morris RHP R/R R-Fr. Fayetteville, NC Cape Fear HS 34 Anderson Nance RHP R/R So. Eden, NC John M. Morehead HS 36 Jacob Smith RHP R/R Fr. Winston-Salem, NC Reagan HS 38 Landon Carr RHP R/R R-Jr. Waxhaw, NC Cuthbertson HS 41 Jacob Dudan RHP L/R Jr. Huntersville, NC Lake Norman Charter 47 Aiden Kitchings RHP R/R Fr. Braselton, GA Rabun Gap Nacoochee 50 Brandon Novy INF R/R So. Holly Springs, NC Pro5 Baseball Academy 99 Tristan Potts LHP L/L So. Waxhaw, NC Cuthbertson HS

Coaching Staff Name Position Seasion at NC State Alma Mater Elliott Avent Head coach 30th NC State (1978) Chris Hart Associate Head Coach 22nd Florida State (2003) Clint Chrysler Pitching Coach 8th Stetson (2009) Bo Robinson Assistant Coach 5th Charlotte (1998)

Season Overview The 2026 campaign tested the Wolfpack's depth due to critical injuries across their pitching staff. Early in the conference schedule, the team lost both components of their elite weekend starting rotation—junior right-hander Jacob Dudan and junior left-hander Ryan Marohn—forcing head coach Elliott Avent to rely heavily on a highly active contingent of true freshmen relievers.

Despite these setbacks, individual standouts anchored the lineup. Outfielder Rett Johnson, infielder Luke Nixon, catcher/infielder Sherman Johnson, and outfielder Ty Head guided the offense through structural challenges. Sherman Johnson proved particularly dynamic down the final stretch, launching five home runs across the final seven regular season matchups.

Key moments of the regular season highlighted the team's high ceiling. The Wolfpack claimed an early marquee victory on March 3, defeating No. 16 Coastal Carolina 6–4. They also achieved a decisive season sweep over in-state rival East Carolina, culminating in an abbreviated 12–2, eight-inning run-rule victory in Raleigh on April 28.

In conference play, NC State opened their series against No. 11 Florida State with a 6–4 victory before dropping the final two contests. They faced additional hardship during a series sweep at the hands of No. 3 Georgia Tech and an ankle injury to starting shortstop Mikey Ryan during a weekend series against Virginia Tech, which opened opportunities for true freshman Christian Serrano.

Entering the regular season finale against archrival and No. 2 ranked North Carolina, the Wolfpack sat firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. After dropping the opening two games at Doak Field, NC State secured an emphatic 7–2 win in the Saturday finale. Driven by back-to-back home runs from Sherman Johnson and Chris McHugh, the victory solidified the program's postseason credentials and earned them the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament.

Schedule and results 2026 NC State Wolfpack game log Regular season (32–21) Postseason

Awards and Honors All-ACC Teams Following the conclusion of the regular season, four members of the Wolfpack earned all-ACC honors: Rett Johnson (Fr., OF) Luke Nixon (Jr., INF) Sherman Johnson (Jr., INF) Ty Head (So., OF)

References

External Links NC State Wolfpack Baseball Official Website