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What Another Non-Conference Week Looks Like for the Pack 9

Wolfpack baseball faces a slight rise in competition in the first week of March, as a key ranked matchup looms on Tuesday.
Tucker Sennett|
NC State Wolfpack players meet on the mound during an eventful first inning against the Stetson Hatters during the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday, May 30, 2025.
NC State Wolfpack players meet on the mound during an eventful first inning against the Stetson Hatters during the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday, May 30, 2025. | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

RALEIGH — The first official day of spring is right around the corner, but NC State baseball is already beginning to bring the season's spirit to the campus in the first few weeks of the season. The Wolfpack finished off a three-game sweep of Sacred Heart on Sunday, ending a week in which the team scored 90 runs across five games. Now, the stakes begin to get higher.

Another five-game week gets underway for No. 13 NC State on Tuesday, as No. 16 Coastal Carolina heads in from Conway, S.C., to face the Pack in the first game of the week. After that, Elliott Avent's team hosts another four games, including a three-game weekend set that could see some more impressive offensive numbers.

Competition level is rising with the Chanticleers

The Chanticleers come to Raleigh having already faced several high-profile programs, including two from the SEC, between Texas and Ole Miss. Coastal Carolina got off to a 7-4 start to the season, but suffered some costly injuries already, with key pitchers Cam Flukey and Hayden Johnson expected to be sidelined for at least eight weeks. Those missing pieces shouldn't affect the rest of the Chanticleer lineup, however, due to the game's status as a midweek.

It will mark the first ranked matchup of the season for the Wolfpack, which preyed on lowly squads from the Northeast over the last week, fleeing the cold weather for opportunities to get on the field. NC State will try to continue the offensive eruption it showed over the previous five games, which could be made easier if Tennessee transfer Dalton Bargo returns to the lineup after missing the last four games. Expect freshman left-hander Luke Hemric to be a candidate to start for the Pack.

The rest of the week

After the ranked battle against the Chanticleers, the Pack 9 hosts an in-state opponent with the Queens University of Charlotte Royals set to arrive at the Doak for another midweek matchup. The Royals already knocked off one power conference foe, beating South Carolina 9-8 on Feb. 25, but still will come into the game with a 4-7 record.

NC State finishes its week with the regular weekend rotation back in the mix, hosting 0-7 Lafayette of the Patriot League for a typical three-game set. The Leopards already faced another ACC opponent, suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of No. 24 Miami (FL) in Coral Gables, Fla.

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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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