NC State Baseball Can't Find Turnaround Against Georgia Tech

Another weekend arrived for No. 14 NC State, as did another top 25 matchup, as the Wolfpack made the relatively short trip to Atlanta to face No. 3 Georgia Tech for the third ACC series of the 2026 season. The Wolfpack, riding a three-game losing streak into Friday's game, needed a win badly. It couldn't get the job done, as the Yellow Jackets escaped with a 3-1 win.

NC State's offensive issues persisted in the first of three games against the Yellow Jackets, as the Pack only mustered the lone run, which came in the fifth inning via a groundout from freshman outfielder Rett Johnson. It was far from the start the Wolfpack hoped for against one of the nation's toughest teams, especially in their home ballpark, which is a hitter-friendly stadium.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

Another Friday night. pic.twitter.com/K1Cz0v0ur4
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) March 27, 2026

LF Rett Johnson: 0-4, RBI
2B Luke Nixon: 1-3, BB
DH Chris McHugh: 1-4, K
1B Dalton Bargo: 0-4
3B Sherman Johnson: 1-2, 2 BB, K
CF Ty Head: 0-4
SS Mikey Ryan: 0-3
RF Brayden Fraasman: 1-4, R, K
C Drew Lanphere: 1-3

LHP Ryan Marohn: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, L (4-1)
RHP Danny Heintz: 0.2 IP, BB
RHP Sam Harris: 0.1 IP
LHP Tristan Potts: 0.2 IP, 2 K

Key observations

Tailor-made.

Ryan Marohn works a scoreless third after this double play and a strikeout. pic.twitter.com/hx3IZgJdoY
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) March 27, 2026

Despite both Georgia Tech and NC State boasting offenses capable of putting up massive numbers, Friday night turned into more of a pitcher's duel than the high-powered showcase of lineups some might've expected. After scoring just two runs in the shocking loss to the Campbell Fighting Camels on Tuesday, the Wolfpack lineup had even less fight against the more talented Yellow Jackets.

After a shaky first couple of innings, Marohn buckled down and gave his team a chance to fight back, allowing just three runs on two home runs. The Wolfpack's ace still managed to strike out eight batters, a remarkable number against a Georgia Tech squad hitting .347 as a team and with 50 homers at this point in the season. It marked Marohn's first loss of the 2026 season, but he was hardly the primary reason for the final result.

Ryan Marohn has got it working and strikes out the side! pic.twitter.com/zYearuBA66
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) March 28, 2026

NC State head coach Elliott Avent utilized a significant lineup shift in the Campbell loss. He reverted to his standard lineup and did not make any substitutions throughout the game, riding with the group he chose before the first pitch. The group walked with five hits, one more than Georgia Tech, but never truly threatened the Yellow Jacket arms.

Now, the Wolfpack must find a way to get at least one victory against the Yellow Jackets to maintain some semblance of confidence in conference play. If it can't do that on Saturday or Sunday, the outlook for the rest of the season gets slightly more complicated.