The consensus around college baseball heading into NC State’s ACC series at Florida State was that the Seminoles were the stronger team. For the first game and a half of the series, that was perspective was in question; however, by the time the dust settled on Sunday afternoon, it proved to be true – at least here in March. The Wolfpack won the Friday opener before dropping both the Saturday and Sunday tilts, ultimately losing the series and dropping to 18-6 (3-3 ACC) on the season. Florida State improved
to 19-4 (5-1).
Despite losing the series, the Pack did see their RPI ranking jump 57 spots on the week. The dreadful non-conference slate had held NC State down significantly in that regard, but the Wolfpack now check in at 81st in the country. The ranking figures to improve again this week with a weekend series at a powerful Georgia Tech (19-5, 6-3 ACC, RPI #22) this coming weekend.
Friday night in Tallahassee featured a come-from-behind win for the Pack. NC State plated a run in the 2nd inning on a Dalton Bargo double high off the right-center wall to plate Brayden Fraasman. FSU evened the score in the 3rd before NC State plated Fraasman again in the 4th on a Ty Head sacrifice fly to take the lead once more. A Myles Bailey 3-run home run in the 5th appeared to be a potential death knell for NC State, but the Pack had other ideas. Ty Head singled home Luke Nixon in the 6th to pull within a run, and the Pack took the lead later that inning on a 2-run Rett Johnson double. State added another run in the 9th on an FSU error to make the final tally of 6-4.
Ryan Marohn (4-0) earned the win in the outing while Anderson Nance picked up his first save of the year. Both Pack arms were tremendous in the game, with the Bailey home run being the only real knock against either, but even that was just a high pop fly that just carried over the left field wall. Marohn (6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 10 K) continued his excellent 2026 campaign and Nance (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K) looked like his old self in keeping the Seminole hitters off-balance.
Rett Johnson (2-for-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, SH), Nixon (2-for-5, R), and Bargo (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) all tallied multiple hits on Friday.
Saturday was a back-and-forth game with the two teams trading punches until FSU blew the game open in the 6th inning. Bailey homered twice in the game – both massive no-doubters, unlike his Friday homer – including in the 1st inning to put FSU out front. NC State responded with a run in the 2nd on a Rett infield single before FSU plated another run in the bottom of the 2nd to put the FSU back in front by a pair of runs. The Wolfpack responded in the 4th to take the lead, with Rett scoring on an FSU error and Nixon plating Chris McHugh and Head to put the Pack ahead 4-3.
The Seminoles responded with a run in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game and then took the lead on Bailey’s second blast of the game in the 5th.
The turning point in the game was the 6th inning. Jacob Dudan didn’t have his best stuff and despite a pitch count already in the 90s went back out there to start the frame. This would have been a spot to see NC State bring out whichever of Cooper Consiglio or Heath Andrews wasn’t going to start the Sunday game, but the Wolfpack staff was apparently trying to see if they could get another inning out of Dudan. Instead, FSU loaded the bases on a pair of singles sandwiching a 9-pitch walk. Collins Black then came in to pitch for the Pack and the result was a 1-1 meatball that Brayden Dowd launched over the right field wall for a grand slam. The game was essentially over from there. FSU pushed across two more runs on Black before Danny Heintz came on to finish out the inning.
Ty Head homered in the 8th, but it was too little too late as NC State lost by a 5-11 final score.
Dudan (5.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) had his worst outing of the year, and was saddled with his first loss of the season. Black (0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) continued his shaky outings. Heintz (2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K) had a promising outing considering how much pitchers struggled with FSU hitters on Saturday and Sunday. It should be an outing that pushes him a little further up the bullpen pecking order.
Despite the loss, Nixon (4-for-5, R, 2 RBI) had a huge day, while Head (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, RBI) and Bargo (2-for-5) joined him with multiple hits in the game. Rett Johnson (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, 1-1 SB) and Drew Lanphere (0-for-1, 2 BB) also reached base safely multiple times Saturday.
Sunday was nothing short of a complete beatdown administered by FSU. The less we say about it the better.
Andrews (1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP) got shelled while getting handed his first loss of the year. Consiglio (3.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP) was better, but that’s not saying much considering the result. Ryder Garino (1.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K) continued the gas-on-fire approach, while Aiden Kitchings (0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K) was the only NC State pitcher on the day to not be hit with a run against him, although he did allow an inherited runner to score.
Nixon (2-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI) continued his hot-hitting weekend, with Sherman Johnson (2-for-2) also having a multi-hit day. Wyatt Peifer (1-for-1, BB) and Mikey Ryan (1-for-3, 2B, R, BB) also reached base safely multiple times in the game.
With the first – and hopefully only – series loss of the season for the Pack, NC State dropped from the their Top 10 ranking, but only a little ways, dropping to #14 in the latest D1 Baseball rankings. FSU moved up one spot to take NC State’s former position of #10. Stinging a little more is that UNC now sits one spot ahead of the Wolfpack at #13, while a Coastal Carolina squad that NC State previously defeated sits one spot behind the Pack. NC State’s next ACC opponent, Georgia Tech, remains at #3 following a 2-2 week. The Wolfpack’s ACC opponent after the Georgia Tech series, Notre Dame, entered the rankings this week for the first time this season at #23.
Before NC State heads to Atlanta for Friday’s series opener with the Yellow Jackets, the Wolfpack will first host Campbell (14-9, RPI #116) for a Tuesday non-conference affair in Raleigh. First pitch for the game with the Camels is slated for 6:00pm, with the game on ACCNX.
