NC State 2025 Preview

The North Carolina State Wolfpack enjoyed a fantastic 2024 season after going 38-23 and returning to Omaha for the first time since 2021. They finished third in the conference with an 18-11 record and had series wins over Duke, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wake Forest. The Pack did struggle a bit during midweeks, going a paltry 3-6 over those nine games. NC State swept through their home Regional before dispatching the 7th overall national seed Georgia in three games on the road. 

The Wolfpack offense was led by a pair of transfers in former ECU third baseman Alec Makarewicz and former Wichita State Shocker first baseman Garrett Pennington. If you include All-American catcher Jacob Cozart, the now departed trio accounted for 59 doubles and 61 home runs. On the pitching side, they lose program legend Sam Highfill and experienced innings eater Logan Whitaker. 

Even with a power vacuum that needs to be filled following the departures of A-Mak, Pennington, Cozart, and others, NC State is ranked #14 in the College Baseball Central Preseason Top 25. The offensive identity will be quite different from last year’s version but NC State has one of the deepest pitching staffs in the country and that’s why they’re ranked to start the year.

Catchers (Starter Rank: 6, Group Rank: 4)  

Even with the departure of Jacob Cozart, NC State has one of the better catching duos in the league in Alex Sosa and Drew Lanphere. Sosa’s freshman numbers don’t do him justice as he missed time with mono and a minor injury. He still managed to play in 35 games last year and hit 6 home runs. He was particularly good down the stretch and his most memorable moment came in the deciding game of the Athens Super Regional when he hit a colossal home run to extend the Wolfpack lead. The sophomore backstop features massive offensive upside and could be the primary source of power in their young lineup.

Drew Lanphere is a redshirt freshman who made 32 appearances in 2024, mostly as a DH. He did start four games at catcher and will likely split the catching duties with Sosa while the other DH’s. Lanphere hit .273 with a pair of doubles and a pair of home runs in 77 at-bats. Over the fall, he impressed as NC State’s most consistent hitter. In the scrimmages against Elon and Duke, he combined to go 5-10 with a home run, 5 RBIs, and a walk. Even if he doesn’t end up being the full-time DH, Lanphere is a high-quality reserve behind Sosa.

Preston Bonn, a highly regarded freshman, will provide depth but is unlikely to see a ton of playing time.  

Infield (Starter Rank: 12, Group Rank: 12) 

The entire 2024 infield aside from Luke Nixon have moved on to the next level. NC State, who relied heavily on veteran transfers last year, went a different route this offseason and brought in a number of talented younger transfers. Matt Heavner, who played in 36 games last season, also returns.

Sophomore Luke Nixon is a versatile athlete who saw time at second base and in left field as a freshman. He played in 55 games as a freshman and slashed .238/.394/.349 and led the team with 14 stolen bases. I expect to see Nixon at second base again, but he could also slot in at shortstop if needed. The lefty infielder will be a key contributor to this NC State offense as they look to generate runs by stealing bases and utilizing hit and runs. His combination of plate discipline and baserunning ability makes him the perfect candidate to lead off.

Joining Nixon on the middle infield should be transfer shortstop Justin DeCriscio, who comes over after three good years at San Diego. The senior hit .302 with 12 doubles and two home runs last season while also stealing double digit bases. He doesn’t walk at the same rate as Nixon, but he’ll be another candidate to lead-off.

The corner infield tasked with replacing the production of Makarewicz and Pennington will be made up by a trio of sophomores and potentially Matt Heavner. Heavner can play either second or third and will likely be a key player off the bench. At first base, transfer Matt Ossenfort seems to be the favorite to land the everyday job. A former highly-touted recruit that didn’t get much experience as a freshman at Vanderbilt, Ossenfort is a 6’3” big bodied first baseman that is capable of spraying the balls to all fields. He enjoyed a productive summer with the Newport Gulls that saw him slash .264/.370/.448 with a .818 OPS in 34 games. The Florida native is a popular breakout candidate that should improve as he gets experience.

VCU transfer Chris McHugh is battling with Ossenfort for the everyday gig at first base and showed flashes of star ability in the fall before slumping a bit prior to the break. McHugh is a righty with great power despite only hitting 6 home runs for the Rams last season. If head coach Elliott Avent is looking to play matchups, a righty/lefty platoon between McHugh and Ossenfort makes sense. At least until one or the other is able to create separation in production.

Another former highly-touted recruit in Ryan Jaros is expected to take over the hot corner. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was enjoying a very good freshman year before a shoulder injury ended his season in April. The New Jersey native hit .343 with 5 extra base hits in just 47 plate appearances. At 6’4, 210 pounds, Jaros is hoping to tap into more power as he enters his second collegiate season. 

Freshmen Ryder Woodson and Brandon Novy will provide depth on the infield, as will sophomore Ole Miss transfer Trenton Lyons. The latter two players can also play in the outfield.   

Outfield (Starter Rank: 13, Group Rank: 8)

North Carolina State lost three of its top four outfielders in the offseason as Eli Serrano III was drafted, Noah Soles graduated, and Chase Nixon transferred. The good news is that Josh Hogue– who suffered a season-ending injury in late April– will be back and ready for opening day. The former JUCO transfer slashed .314/.398/.450 and could bat anywhere in the lineup. Hogue will likely take one of the corner outfield spots, while another JUCO transfer, Braydan Fraasman, takes the other. Fraasman played in 51 games for Lincoln Trail last year and hit .343 with 14 doubles, a triple, and 9 home runs. He also stole 17 bases. The right-handed outfielder was another standout in the fall as he displayed a mature approach at the plate and a quality hit tool. 

With Fraasman and Hogue taking the corners, the battle for center field has primarily been a two-horse race between JUCO transfer Jet Gilliam and uber-talented freshman Ty Head. Right-handed swinging Gilliam played in just five games in junior college but had a big fall and impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and raw power. Head was ranked as the 22nd best recruit to make it to campus by Perfect Game. The 6’3”, 205 pound blue chip is a left-handed swinger with elite offensive upside and the ability to be a five tool player at the college level. It will be interesting to see if NC State opts to use these two in a righty/lefty platoon akin to the McHugh/Ossenfort option I mentioned earlier.

Returning sophomore Jake Bechtel and two-way player Andrew Shaffner could also feature in the outfield, while catcher Drew Lanphere is also listed there as a possibility. Freshman Trey Bentley is another recruit who impressed over the fall that could press for playing time. 

Projected Lineup

Rotation (Rank: 9)

While the Wolfpack lost Sam Highfill and Logan Whitaker to graduation, they get a boost in the return of Matt Willadsen, who missed all of last season with an injury suffered in the weeks before opening day of 2024. Willadsen, like Highfill, was a key arm on NC State’s run to Omaha in 2021 and as a graduate student in 2025, will get one last opportunity to return. The veteran right-hander was NC State’s most consistent pitcher in 2023 when he started 16 games and went 5-5 with a 3.78 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 81 innings. He has started 45 games on the mound over the course of his collegiate career and that experience will be invaluable in terms of leadership and performance. 

Willadsen will be joined by junior Dominic Fritton, a former freshman All-American who suffered a disappointing sophomore season in 2024. He still made every start for the Wolfpack and ate up 73 innings while striking out 72 batters. The southpaw features a 95 MPH fastball and his secondary pitches have been overhauled to be made more effective. He’s a quality choice for a bounce back season in Raleigh.

The third and final spot on the weekend looks to come down to Ryan Marohn and Cooper Consiglio. Marohn made 16 appearances as a freshman in 2024 and went 4-2 with a 3.97 ERA with 46 strikeouts. The righty started the very first weekend and was often deployed in the midweeks, making 10 starts overall. Fellow sophomore Consiglio appeared in 15 games and went 5-4 with a 4.97 ERA and 38 strikeouts. The southpaw was electric down the stretch, throwing 8.2 combined scoreless innings against Virginia, Wake Forest, and Duke. With Marohn’s experience, I expect him to be the Sunday guy while Consiglio serves as another key bullpen piece.

Jacob Dudan was in the conversation to potentially start as a sophomore but it sounds like he’ll remain in the bullpen for now. Sophomores Heath Andrews and Jaxon Lucas both have filthy arsenals and each could serve as the midweek starter. My guess is that Andrew Shaffner will earn an opportunity to pitch midweeks after a solid fall performance.

Bullpen (Rank: 1)

NC State might have the best bullpen in the entire country. If Cooper Consiglio ends up in the bullpen, he’ll serve as a relief ace alongside Derrick Smith and Jacob Dudan. Consiglio will serve more as the mid-game stopper who can go three or more innings if needed, while Dudan and Smith will each likely serve as the late inning set-up/closer role. Both Dudan and Smith feature a power fastball paired with a filthy slider, though with slightly different looks. Dudan’s fastball frequently sits in the high-90s and his traditional slider has quality bite. Reports indicate that he’s also developed a third pitch that should elevate him to another level. Smith’s fastball tends to sit in the mid-90s while his unique slider grip makes it almost unhittable for batters. This duo will be key to NC State’s success in 2025.

As if the Wolfpack didn’t have enough talented sophomores on their roster, three more pitchers look to be contributors in the bullpen after promising freshman seasons. Jaxon Lucas, Camden Wimbish, and Heath Andrews have each taken massive strides forward in their development and look to emerge as important arms on this pitching staff. Lucas is the most experienced after throwing 21 innings last year, but struggled with command much like Andrews and Wimbish did in smaller sample sizes. Lucas is a righty whose arsenal features a mid-90s heater with tons of spin. He complements the fastball with a low 80s change and a mid-70s curve. If Lucas can be consistent and improve his command, he’ll be another vital weapon in this State bullpen.

Wimbish features a high-90s fastball with a biting mid-80s curveball. He looked fully in control on the mound this fall and should see increased time on the mound in big situations. Andrews enjoyed a productive summer on the Cape, showcasing his fantastic slider and mid-90s fastball. The second-year hurler pitched in 17.1 innings and struck out 16 hitters while only walking five.

A pair of JUCO transfers bolster the young bullpen as righthander Landon Carr and lefty Eli Pillsbury add more depth and ability to the staff. Carr was electric in the junior college ranks last season, going 7-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 56 strikeouts. He has a three pitch mix that he throws for strikes and shows solid overall command. In a bullpen that may only have three experienced left-handers, Pillsbury will get plenty of opportunities to contribute. His best pitch is a filthy breaking ball that he pairs with a low 90s fastball.

Another lefty, Jacob Dienes, only made one appearance in 2024 but looked solid in the fall and gives Avent another left-handed reliever. The Pack have five very talented freshman pitchers that may or may not push for playing time. The most likely to get an early opportunity is Anderson Nance, a right-hander from Eden, North Carolina. Nance is a future starter that throws a low 90s fastball with a slider and a changeup.

When Shane Van Dam went down late in the season last year and underwent Tommy John Surgery, it didn’t look likely that he’d be back for any of the 2025 season. Reports indicate, however, that his rehab has been going well and that he could make a return in April, If he comes back anywhere near the form he was in when he was injured, then NC State will have another lights out bullpen arm down the stretch.

Projected Staff

Outlook

There are high expectations in Raleigh despite the turnover in the lineup. The Wolfpack are ranked #14 in the preseason and should enjoy a great season, but don’t be surprised if they start a little slow or have a bumpy stretch in the first half of the year like they did in 2024. It’s going to take some time for players to settle into their roles and get comfortable, especially on the offensive side. It should be noted that Elliott Avent teams always find ways to hit and score runs. They’re going to need Sosa and some of their new faces to fill at least of the power vacuum left by their former sluggers. Expect NC State to employ a lot of bunts, hit and runs, and aggressive baserunning to offset the lack of the power.

On the pitching side, their starters just need to keep them in games and let the bullpen go to work. It’s going to be very difficult for opposing offenses at the back-end of ballgames. A return to Omaha is a definite possibility for this squad if the pitching remains elite and the offense comes together. At worst I think they’re a dangerous two or three seed in a Regional.