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Wolfpack Caps Off First Sweep of 2026 With 13-Run Victory

No. 14 NC State dominated Sacred Heart throughout the entire weekend, quickly jumping on the Pioneers in the final game of the series.
Tucker Sennett|
NC State baseball right-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio rests in the dugout during 13-0 win over Sacred Heart on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
NC State baseball right-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio rests in the dugout during 13-0 win over Sacred Heart on Sunday, March 1, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — No. 14 NC State finished off its first sweep of the 2026 season after a disjointed first two weekends, beating Sacred Heart 13-0 in seven innings on Sunday. The Wolfpack finished the week with 90 runs, four run-rule wins and a boatload of confidence at the plate.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

  1. CF Ty Head: 0-1, 2 R, 2 BB
  2. 1B Chris McHugh: 1-3, BB
  3. 2B Luke Nixon: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (1)
  4. RF Sherman Johnson: 2-4, 3 RBI, R
  5. DH Brandon Novy: 0-2
  6. 3B Wyatt Peifer: 1-3, R, 2 RBI
  7. C Drew Lanphere: 1-3
  8. SS Mikey Ryan: 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (3)
  9. LF Rett Johnson: 1-2, R, RBI, 2 BB

LHP Cooper Consiglio: 5 IP, H, 3 BB, 5 K (W, 1-1)
RHP Aiden Kitchings: IP, H, BB, K
RHP Ryder Garino: IP, K

How NC State got it done

The Wolfpack struck right away against Sacred Heart freshman righty Anakin Underhill. Head opened the game with a walk before Nixon hammered his first home run of the 2026 season to right field, giving the Pack a 2-0 lead before the Pioneers could settle in. Consiglio looked comfortable on the mound and immediately received run support, unlike his last start.

Home runs continued to be a preferred method of run production, as Ryan hit his second big fly of the series. However, NC State's decision to keep Sherman Johnson in the lineup even after moving him to right field paid off the most, as the utilityman drove in a pair of runs to give the Wolfpack a 6-0 lead before the end of the second inning.

NC State's offensive onslaught continued as the game moved along, adding to the tally in the bottom of the fifth inning to give itself a _-run lead in the game. The unbelievable run of hitting for the Wolfpack bodes well for the future, but the level of opponents hasn't offered much resistance either. The pitching will get better over time from foes, which is why Avent is trying to get at-bats for everyone now.

The mixing and matching of the lineup throughout the Sacred Heart series saw several different faces in the outfield. After sitting out of Saturday's game, Brayden Fraasman returned to the fray off the bench and smacked a double off the left-center field wall in the bottom of the fifth. The lopsided nature of these games helped get different arms in the mix as well.

After Consiglio's solid outing, which earned him his first win of the 2026 season, Kitchings came in and navigated his way through a bit of a jam, earning more valuable experience in his first few outings as a member of the Wolfpack.

The competition will ramp up on Tuesday for NC State, as No. 9 Coastal Carolina comes to Raleigh for what figures to be the toughest game of the season for the Wolfpack so far.

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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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