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Heath Andrews Proves Himself as the Wolfpack's Stopper

The junior righty returned to his starting slot on Sunday and got NC State a crucial series win in the first ACC set of the 2026 season.
Tucker Sennett|
Right-handed pitcher Heath Andrews throws a pitch in No. 10 NC State's 5-1 victory over Boston College on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Right-handed pitcher Heath Andrews throws a pitch in No. 10 NC State's 5-1 victory over Boston College on Sunday, March 15, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — For 12 days, Heath Andrews didn't get any work for No. 10 NC State. The junior right-handed pitcher began the season as the Sunday starter for the team, but ended up moving into the midweek slot when the team faced Coastal Carolina earlier in the season. Sunday marked his return.

In dire need of a win, head coach Elliott Avent and the rest of the Wolfpack coaching staff turned to the junior to be the stopper in the first ACC series of the season, having split the first two games with the visiting Boston College Eagles. Andrews answered the call, replacing lefty Cooper Consiglio in the Sunday slot and immediately thriving during his outing.

A return to form

The decision to start Andrews wasn't an easy one for Avent, but it came down to issues beyond Consiglio and Andrews themselves. The Wolfpack bullpen showed warts in the first two games of the series and lacked a consistent left-handed option, as freshman lefty Luke Hemric struggled earlier in the series.

"I'm not saying it comes down to this, but we need another left-hander in the pen right now," Avent said. "I came that close to putting (Consiglio) in yesterday ... Heath hadn't pitched in 10 days ... and he's missed some time and with that extended rest, you just didn't know how he would be."

One reason for Andrews' two-week absence was a trip away from the program to attend his grandmother's funeral earlier in the week. That fact alone impressed Avent even more when the junior took the mound on Sunday and worked for seven innings, spelling the bullpen at the end of a hard-fought series. The righty finished the game with four strikeouts and allowed one run, although it was unearned and came via an error by the defense.

"I just didn't expect Heath, after what he's gone through, to go out there and pitch the gem he pitched today," Avent said.

Andrews dealt with traffic throughout the entire game, but remained calm during his outing. The Eagles ended up leaving 10 runners on base over the course of the game, many of them coming during Andrews' innings. After spending most of the last two weeks in the bullpen, Andrews was eager to get back into the action and help the Wolfpack win.

"Every game, I was ready because I was in the bullpen on Friday and Saturday," Andrews said. "Just knowing my name got called and just going out there and doing the best I can."

The junior tried to focus on controlling what he could control rather than worrying about the gravity of the situation he was put into. While his team needed a win, he just wanted to go out there and execute, letting the rest fall into place around him. While the defensive errors certainly created additional pressure, Andrews overcame it well.

"I think of it as I'm here, I got to start and I've got to do everything I can to help us win," Andrews said.

For NC State catcher Drew Lanphere, Andrews' outing was impressive. The steady backstop of the Wolfpack navigated through the outing with the righty, calling a quality game and keeping Andrews on point with the traffic all around him.

"It was awesome. It was just like he was against Coastal, he had been dominant," Lanphere said. "He just does what he does. Throws a lot of strikes. Gets a lot of outs."

Drew Lanphere
Catcher Drew Lanphere looks at the dugout during No. 10 NC State's 5-1 victory over Boston College on Sunday, March 15, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

With Andrews back in the mix, the Wolfpack's starting rotation appears to be even deeper now, especially after Consiglio's impressive outings over the past two weekends. The Wolfpack will need more from its bullpen, as Avent said after Sunday's win, but seven inning outings from Sunday pitchers bodes well for the rest of the season.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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