NC State Rolls to Another Midweek Victory

RALEIGH — Another day, another dominant effort from No. 14 NC State baseball at Doak Field. The Wolfpack followed up a 27-0 win over Richmond on Tuesday with an 18-3 victory over Akron, moving to 7-1 on the season so far. After being shut out by Princeton in the third game of the series, the Pack outscored its next pair of opponents 45-3.

Wednesday's win over the Zips was made even more impressive by the fact that the Wolfpack took care of business without the bat of senior utilityman Dalton Bargo, who suffered a minor leg injury in Tuesday's game, per head coach Elliott Avent.

Wolfpack starting lineup and stats

A Wolfpack Wednesday Win! pic.twitter.com/5S6aHAA3JN
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 25, 2026

CF Ty Head: 1-2, HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 BB, 4 R
1B Chris McHugh: 2-4, 3 RBI, BB, 3 R
2B Luke Nixon: 1-2, 3 RBI, BB
RF Brayden Fraasman: 2-5, RBI, K
3B Sherman Johnson: 2-3, 2 RBI, BB
C Drew Lanphere: 0-4, RBI
DH Brandon Novy: 1-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R
SS Mikey Ryan: 0-2, 2 BB, 3 R
LF Rett Johnson: 3-4, RBI, BB, 3 R

LHP Luke Hemric: 4 IP, 2 BB, 2 K (W, 1-0)
RHP Julien Peissel: IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, K
RHP Ryder Garino: 1.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Collins Black: 0.2 IP, K

How the Wolfpack got it done

.@TyHead5 wasting no time!

Leadoff home run to get us started! pic.twitter.com/WK3LUf0zal
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 25, 2026

After scoring 27 runs in the win over Richmond on Tuesday, NC State picked right back where it left off. On just the third pitch of the day from Akron starter Jeremiah Newman, Head smashed his fourth home run of the season. The Wolfpack tagged Newman for two runs in the first, quickly establishing the tone in the game.

Hemric found himself in some early jams, including one in the top of the first. The freshman showed no fear and escaped those situations with relative ease. His work early in the season is making some decisions for Avent and pitching coach Clint Chrysler far easier, as the options out of the bullpen and even behind the top two starting pitchers are abundant but talented.

Jam? What jam?

Luke Hemric ends the frame with a strikeout and keeps the Zips scoreless. pic.twitter.com/jBXKnHjPoc
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 25, 2026

While home runs defined the day against Richmond, NC State showed it could get the job done with small ball. Fraasman stretched what normally would've been a bloop single to right field into a double, scoring one run. In the third, Johnson legged out an infield single, bringing another run across. The Wolfpack placed a premium on putting the ball in play, a strategy that paid dividends.

Eventually, the levee broke, as the Pack posted a crooked number in the bottom of the third inning. McHugh brought across two of the four runs with a double to left-center that might've cleared the fence on a warmer day. By that point, with an eight-run lead, it was fairly clear it was going to be a similar cruise to the finish line for NC State, just as the Tuesday game was.

Luke is locked in. pic.twitter.com/bg18mbKZ21
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 25, 2026

NC State poured it on in the sixth inning, scoring seven runs in the frame that's become a favorite for the Pack 9. In the sixth inning across all of the game so far in 2026, NC State has scored 19 runs, the most of any inning. With the 15-run lead intact after Akron put three runs on the board earlier in the game, the 10-run rule came into effect, ending the game after the seventh inning.

Avent and the Wolfpack get one day off before another three-game set gets underway over the weekend. NC State is set to take on Sacred Heart, beginning with a Friday matchup at 3 P.M.

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