Wolfpack Forced to Adjust Again After Marohn Scratch

NC State baseball is playing things safe with its ace during the Wake Forest series.

NC State left-handed pitcher Ryan Marohn watches his team bat from the dugout in the Wolfpack's 4-2 win over Boston College on March 13, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — NC State baseball continues to struggle with its rotation in the 2026 season. After losing junior right-handed starter Jacob Dudan for the season, the Wolfpack is set to be without its other junior ace pitcher for the weekend series against Wake Forest, as the program is scratching lefty Ryan Marohn from his Friday start against the Demon Deacons.

This will be the second time NC State has kept Marohn off the mound out of an abundance of caution this season, having held him out from a scheduled start against Lafayette after he dealt with bicep tightness. Facing a daunting lineup in one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in the ACC won't be easy without Marohn, so the Wolfpack will need a lot from an already-thin starting rotation over the weekend.

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Who will the Wolfpack turn to?

Right-handed pitcher Heath Andrews throws a pitch in No. 10 NC State's 5-1 victory over Boston College on Sunday, March 15, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

NC State is going to move the rest of its rotation up one day to account for the loss of Marohn for this series in Winston-Salem, N.C. That means junior righty Heath Andrews, who already filled the role of Dudan last weekend against Duke, is set to become the Friday starter for the Wolfpack. Andrews performed admirably in his first Saturday outing of 2026, overcoming a shaky first inning to secure a win over the Blue Devils.

Cooper Consiglio, a junior lefty, will take Andrews' spot on Saturday, with the Wolfpack waiting to see how things go before picking a pitcher for Saturday. Head coach Elliott Avent has been pleased with Consiglio's efforts all season long, as the left-hander showed a willingness to do whatever it takes to help the Pack get wins in every one of his outings, most recently pitching through two blisters on Sunday.

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

The expectation is that this won't be a long-term down period for Marohn. Avent has been cautious with his top arms throughout his 30-year career, frequently referencing how he sat program legend Carlos Rodón during his time with the program when Rodón wanted to pitch more. Marohn has a similar mindset by all accounts, so this could be NC State protecting the lefty from himself.

The decision could also be for something as simple as resting a heavily worked arm in a series that will more than likely require the offense to outclass Wake Forest, rather than Marohn to outpitch the opposition. The result of Tuesday's game against ECU and the way the Wolfpack got the victory should be positive heading into the weekend series.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Luke Hemric (far left) high fives his teammates during NC State's 10-3 victory over East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 14, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

The Pack used five pitchers, all freshmen or redshirt freshmen, in the 10-3 win over the Pirates, with lefty Luke Hemric putting together a quality start over his four innings of work. The success of the bullpen in that important game and the fact that NC State avoided using too many of its high-leverage arms bode well for the weekend series.

The series against the Demon Deacons is set to get going on Friday at 8 P.M. EST.

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