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NC State Should Be Comfortable Behind the Plate

If Drew Lanphere can swing the bat more effectively, the Wolfpack should be a little more comfortable at catcher in 2026.
Tucker Sennett|
Jun 8, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; A North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet lies in the dugout prior to the game against the Rice Owls in the Raleigh super regional of the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament at Doak Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; A North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet lies in the dugout prior to the game against the Rice Owls in the Raleigh super regional of the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament at Doak Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

RALEIGH — College baseball season is here and NC State is ready for a 2026 push. Head coach Elliott Avent is set for his 30th season in charge of the Wolfpack program, looking for another run to the College World Series, the program's first since 2024. With a host of added talent from both recruiting out of high school and the transfer portal, the Pack could be ready to make such a push.

Strong play behind the dish is the hallmark of any great baseball team and the Wolfpack appears to be leaning on the experience of redshirt junior Drew Lanphere at catcher. If the veteran can put it all together and be a quality catcher and contribute offensively, he could be a major surprise in the lineup each game.

Lanphere's outlook on the coming season

Lanphere started 23 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2025, offering Avent a solid defensive option behind the plate. The catcher's issues were hitting-related, as Lanphere ended his redshirt junior season hitting just .217. He did have some nice moments, but there will need to be some improvements for him in 2026 if he wants to hang on to the starting role.

The strength for Lanphere comes with his chemistry with what figures to be a very strong stable of arms for the Wolfpack in 2026. Between junior starters Ryan Marohn and Jacob Dudan and sophomore relievers Anderson Nance and Collins Black, Lanphere learned the ins and outs of the group and seems confident he can help navigate them through outings in the coming campaign.

"I think the pitching staff is very strong. Obviously, we've got great returners," Lanphere said. "The freshmen have come along very well and developed very well, too. Pitching is going to be a big strongsuit that we have."

Lanphere believes that the group of freshmen arms came in and impressed both him and the rest of the team, making that cadre of arms a potentially critical asset for Avent as the season carries on. The real relationship of important for Lanphere will be the one with Dudan, who is making a transition from a role as the team's standout reliever to a full-time starter.

Jacob Dudan
May 23, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack pitcher Jacob Dudan (41) starts off the seventh inning against the Duke Blue Devils during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

"He's a very fun guy to catch," Lanphere said of Dudan. "I think he's grown a lot over the last year. Obviously, last year, had a couple of rough patches, but he's the type of guy that knows who he is and everything like that and he's grown a lot over the fall and the preseason."

Lanphere and the rest of the Wolfpack will get the season started at the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge, starting on Friday against Washington.

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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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