Observations From NC State's Turnaround Victory Over Notre Dame

RALEIGH — Winning cures all in baseball. That was certainly the vibe around Doak Field as NC State snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over Notre Dame on Thursday, turning things around in a big way. It was the kind of team effort the Wolfpack needed to turn things around.

Head coach Elliott Avent spoke about the need to do the little things better after losing to Liberty on Tuesday. NC State executed in key situations and did just enough to give lefty ace Ryan Marohn the comfort needed to control the game and escape with a victory. Some clutch hitting in the eighth provided much-needed insurance on top of that.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

Marohn setting the tone!

He works a 1-2-3 first inning and picks up two strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/mUWsJfDeJq
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 2, 2026

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

LHP Ryan Marohn: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, W (5-1)
RHP Anderson Nance: 2.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K, S (2)

Key observations

Elliott Avent. — NC State head coach Elliott Avent before a game. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

After the game, Avent revealed that Marohn battled through hamstring soreness after hurting himself earlier in the week. Still, the ace wanted to get out there and give his team a chance to win even on short rest, as he pitched last Friday. The Wolfpack got everything it needed from Marohn, as he shook off an early home run allowed and battened down the hatches the rest of the way.

Nance returned to form as well after a series of rough appearances over the last two weeks. The lockdown reliever worked his way into and out of a pair of jams in his two-plus innings of work, still managing to earn his second save of the season. For him to get out of those tenous situations meant an improved sense of confidence for the team as a whole, but it also led to urgency.

For all your insurance needs, call McHugh Inc. pic.twitter.com/BZku6AbCCl
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 3, 2026

While the five runs in the second inning, mostly courtesy of a three-run home run from Luke Nixon, accounted for the brunt of the damage. The insurance runs later on were even more critical. Rett Johnson continued to string together quality at-bats, including a walk to put two men on in the bottom of the eighth while the team clung to a two-run lead.

Up came McHugh, who dealt with a major slump over the last two weeks. The veteran first baseman put the bat on the ball and served a base hit to right field, doing just enough to extend the lead for Nance by bringing home Johnson and Fraasman. At times over the last month, NC State failed to get the hits it needed to. Thursday was different.

WOLFPACK back in the WIN column! pic.twitter.com/8jAzMBLz1x
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 3, 2026

While it avoided a historic losing streak that would've dated back to the 1940s, NC State still has work to do in righting the ship after such a dismal stretch of play. The next assignment is a tough one, as Notre Dame's ace, Jack Radel, has punched out 54 batters while walking just seven in 41 innings of work.

NC State will face Radel and the Fighting Irish in the second game of the series on Friday at 6 P.M. EST.