Two Pitchers NC State Can Lean On After Dudan Injury

RALEIGH — NC State's pitching staff suffered a significant blow Thursday, as right-handed starter Jacob Dudan will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury to his UCL that will require Tommy John surgery. The news came after a stellar start to the season for the junior righty, who led the ACC with 50 innings pitched in his first year as a starter before getting hurt.

Now, head coach Elliott Avent and pitching coach Clint Chrysler need to pivot quickly to keep things rolling for the Wolfpack, as it continues to surge in ACC play during a five-game win streak. The rotation has some depth, especially with junior lefty Ryan Marohn still in the fold as the Friday starter. However, the Pack needs three other pitchers to step up in Dudan's stead.

Junior RHP Heath Andrews

Season Stats: 2-1, 29.1 IP, 3.99 ERA, 24 K, 14 BB

Andrews is the first man up for the Wolfpack with Dudan out, as the program announced he would get the start in the Saturday game of the Duke series. With Marohn securing a win Friday night, he has an opportunity to get the series victory for the Pack. There's no doubt that Andrews has the makeup to be a worthy successor for Dudan, but it's a matter of consistency for the junior.

The righty had an up-and-down sophomore season and experienced some similar moments in the first few months of the 2026 campaign. If Andrews can buckle down and be an innings eater on Saturday, bridging the gap for the bullpen would get a lot easier moving forward.

Junior LHP Cooper Consiglio

Season Stats: 2-2, 3 SV, 30 IP, 3.00 ERA, 38 K, 10 BB

Consiglio, a crafty lefty, has been something of a revelation for the Wolfpack in 2026. His ability to come in, no matter the situation, and handle things with confidence has been crucial for the team in his 30 innings of work to this point. Before Dudan went down, it looked like Consiglio might be settling into a more consistent role in the bullpen with Andrews working as the Sunday starter.

Now, it looks like the lefty will be the Sunday starter for the Pack. NC State has a serious lack of depth when it comes to left-handed pitching. That was part of the reason for shifting Consiglio back into the bullpen, but he will now be far more valuable as a third starter than a bullpen arm. With Consiglio back in the starting rotation, expect Luke Hemric to be the go-to lefty out of the pen.