How Wolfpack Baseball Will Attack Wake Forest in Another Key Series

NC State has a real chance to win three ACC series in a row, completely flipping the script on a season that was close to getting off the rails.

NC State Wolfpack players meet on the mound during an eventful first inning against the Stetson Hatters during the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday May 30, 2025. | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

RALEIGH — NC State is set to hit the road once again after a crucial midweek win, this time rolling out to Winston Salem, N.C., to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a critical conference series. The Wolfpack won seven of its last eight games, including the last two series in ACC play. Keeping that momentum moving in the right direction is the key.

Wolfpack skipper Elliott Avent feels like his team is playing the right brand of baseball after experiencing a little bit of a lull at the end of March. However, Wake Forest and its hitter-friendly ballpark pose a unique set of challenges for an NC State team that doesn't have much room for error left in the 2026 season.

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Pitching matchups

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

Friday: NC State RHP Heath Andrews (3-1, 4.25 ERA) vs. Wake Forest RHP Chris Levonas (7-2, 2.22 ERA)
Saturday: NC State LHP Cooper Consiglio (2-2, 2.75 ERA) vs. Wake Forest RHP Troy Dressler (5-1, 4.08 ERA)
Sunday: NC State TBA vs. Wake Forest RHP Cameron Bagwell (2-1, 3.67 ERA)

With left-handed ace Ryan Marohn sidelined, NC State has to move up Andrews and Consiglio to Friday and Saturday to survive the weekend. The program chose to scratch the lefty, likely out of precaution after losing Jacob Dudan for the season last week. Both Andrews and Consiglio had solid outings against Duke, but they need to prove they can handle the pressure of pitching on the road.

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Keeping things flowing on offense

Third Baseman Sherman Johnson celebrates a double on second base during NC State's 10-3 win over East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 14, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

NC State hasn't had tremendous success on the road to this point, especially offensively. The Wolfpack holds a 3-5 record away from Doak Field heading into the Wake Forest series, with two ACC series losses coming at Florida State and at Georgia Tech. The Demon Deacons aren't nearly as potent as those two top-10 opponents, but still pose a serious punch.

Avent's group proved it could handle a hostile environment on Tuesday, solving the road woes in Greenville, N.C., against the ECU Pirates with a 10-3 victory. Throughout the game, the Pack continued to play small ball, while supplementing with the power surge that propelled the program to a red-hot start before disappearing during the seven-game losing streak.

2B Luke Nixon (middle) participates in NC State's hockey celebration after hitting a home run in his team's 10-3 road win over East Carolina on Tuesday, April 15, 2026 in Greenville, N.C. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

The Pack swept Wake Forest in Raleigh during the 2024 season, but won't have the same caliber of pitching it had, nor the home-field advantage. The Demon Deacons have some serious talent in their outfield with the combination of Javar Williams and Jackson Miller. Williams ranks fourth in the ACC in stolen bases, having swiped 21 bags. He's tied with NC State's Ty Head in that category.

It will come down to NC State playing fundamentally sound baseball on the road, both offensively and defensively. Wake Forest will undoubtedly be hungry for at least a series win and likely already smells blood in the water, knowing the Pack is without both Dudan and Marohn. It'll be up to the offense to give Andrews and Consiglio the run support they need to survive in Winston-Salem.

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