3 Standouts in NC State Baseball's Series Win Over Miami

RALEIGH — After losing back-to-back ACC series, NC State returned to Doak Field with hopes of fixing its latest shortcomings. Even with a thinner stable of arms in a three-game series against Miami, the Wolfpack did just enough to secure a series win, splitting Friday's doubleheader and then pulling away in a teeter-totter victory on Saturday.

The Wolfpack leaned on monster offensive performances from some of the usual suspects, but also saw a freshman have a truly special weekend. Without production from these three team members, NC State could've dropped yet another series and found itself in great peril in earning an NCAA Tournament bid. Instead, the momentum of the season flipped. Who were the standouts?

Shortstop Christian Serrano, Freshman

Series stats: 6-13, HR, 4 RBI, BB

After a stellar performance in the midweek victory over East Carolina, shortstop Christian Serrano continued to pick up the slack left by starter Mikey Ryan after his injury in the Virginia Tech series. The youngster racked up another six hits, two of which were crucial in the series win over the Canes.

Serrano blasted his first collegiate home run in the second game of the doubleheader, driving in three runs for the Wolfpack. In Saturday's 12-7 win, his sixth hit of the series was a base hit right through the middle of the infield to give his team a one-run advantage in the bottom of the seventh.

Second baseman Luke Nixon, Junior

You're not seeing double.

That's Luke Nixon's second home run of the night, and it's a one-run game!

B7 | Wolfpack 6, Miami 7 pic.twitter.com/d2N2FRKn55
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2026

Series stats: 5-12, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR, 3 BB

Luke Nixon came into the series as one of the Wolfpack's strongest hitters and continued to swing a hot bat against the Hurricanes. Perhaps most importantly, Nixon drives in runs near the top of NC State's lineup and has a bat that can be moved around with ease. He mashed a pair of home runs in the 12-7 win on Saturday.

"Homers are not much my game," Nixon said on Saturday. "I'm glad I could just put some runs on the board, especially after some of the stuff that went on early in the game defensively that I'm not proud of. Just to be able to put those runs back on the board and help my team, that's all I want to do."

Right-handed pitcher Anderson Nance, Sophomore

The Wolfpack needed some pitching help in the third game of the series, turning to the always reliable righty Anderson Nance in the fourth inning. Head coach Elliott Avent hoped to save Nance until the fifth or sixth inning, but went to the powerful righty early. It proved to be a sharp decision.

Nance worked for 5.2 innings, throwing a career-high 113 pitches and striking out a career-high nine batters. It was a remarkable outing for the sophomore and one that proved to be crucial in the Wolfpack's series victory.

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