Wolfpack Gets Heroic Bullpen Effort From Anderson Nance
RALEIGH — With a pair of starting pitchers injured, NC State has leaned more on its bullpen than ever before, trusting young arms throughout the last three series. In Saturday's 12-7 victory over Miami, the Wolfpack went to the most reliable arm in the pen in Anderson Nance. That was the right decision.
Pitching coach Clint Chrysler took the ball from starter Luke Hemric in the fourth inning and out came Nance, ready to throw until he couldn't anymore. It never reached that point, as he worked for 5.1 innings and threw a career-high 113 pitches, more than most starters throw. In the effort, he struck out nine Canes. For Nance, though, it was just another night on the mound with one goal: to do his job.
Confidence is key
Self-confidence is one thing, but to get the support of a coaching staff to work for as long as Nance did in the win Saturday is a different level of confidence. Even after he allowed a pair of runs to give Miami the lead back, Avent and Chrysler saw no reason to pull the sophomore righty from the game. For Nance, that was just what he needed to remain steadfast in his approach.
"They could've just been like, 'Hey, we'll just go to this guy,' but just sending me back out there, I was obviously wanting to go back out there," Nance said. "I wanted to put my team in the best spot and the offense took care of that and I did my job, so I was very thankful."
A SHERM SLAM. pic.twitter.com/q9b5452YzN
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2026
The offense did its job and then some, as second baseman Luke Nixon and designated hitter Sherman Johnson combined for nine RBI, including a grand slam for the latter. Johnson explained that he and Nance are very close both on and off the field, so to help his good friend feel more comfortable on the mound was special. Like the staff, Johnson had confidence in the reliever to go as long as he did.
"Anderson is tough as nails," Johnson said. "... We talk every day and... We joke about it, but I was like, 'They need to let you go longer.' They ended up letting him go longer today and it ended up working out for us."
Just who he is
Another ACC series win in the books pic.twitter.com/pMkMsrW2lt
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2026
With Jacob Dudan and Ryan Marohn both out of the rotation, NC State's staff has been thin. There's an argument to be made that Nance could be the team's third starter behind Heath Andrews and Cooper Consiglio until Marohn returns, but his efforts against Miami proved he can be just as valuable in a less traditional role. Avent's plan in the final game against the Canes was to get Hemric to the fifth. The freshman didn't make it that far, but Nance mopped up.
"He's always been like that... You don't make the USA team if you're just an everyday righty," Avent said. "He believes in himself. He grew up in a hard-nosed, work ethic family in Eden, North Carolina. They're blue collar, they do things right and they eat dinner at the kitchen table... He got raised by good people, so that gives him the values... He has love for his teammates."
The self-belief Avent mentioned is obvious in Nance's approach to at-bats. He was completely unafraid of a Miami lineup that scored in bunches throughout the first two games of the series. As his coach said, that's just who Nance is, a pitcher more than capable of handling the pressure that comes with any situation. Even in the top of the ninth, Miami loaded the bases before Nance recorded an out. The Hurricanes didn't get a run home.
"It's just something that I've always had. I would say, just slowing the heart rate down," Nance said. "Most kids get up there and they're like, 'Oh my goodness, I've got to do really well right here, or they're going to score.' I just go out there and compete and do what I've got to do."
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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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