Wolfpack Gets Three Juniors on Preseason Watchlist
RALEIGH — While the calendar has yet to flip to February, many college baseball programs around the country are gearing up for the 2026 season with workouts, practices and more. NC State is no exception, with the season-opening trip to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge just weeks away.
Throughout the preseason and offseason, much has been made about the Wolfpack's talented roster, which landed several players on various preseason watchlists. Three juniors from NC State landed on Perfect Game's Top 100 junior list last week. All three members of head coach Elliott Avent's roster should be critical to any success the Pack has in 2026.
Juniors providing a jolt
Junior Jump. @PerfectGameUSA names three Wolfpack to the Top 100 Juniors List! pic.twitter.com/85DYLatOGB
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) January 19, 2026
First baseman Chris McHugh came in at No. 67 on Perfect Game's list, returning to the Wolfpack after a solid sophomore season. The infielder began his collegiate career at VCU, the school where Avent earned his degree, before transferring to NC State as a sophomore before the 2025 season. He made an immediate impact in Raleigh, becoming one of the best offensive players on the roster.
McHugh finished the season with a team-high batting average of .365 across 53 games. The sophomore did it all, leading the team with 72 hits and 48 RBIs, including 12 doubles and seven home runs. There's little reason to see McHugh dropping off offensively after such a strong sophomore season, one in which he earned second-team All-ACC honors.
The 2026 season should be a redemption year of sorts for right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan. After a dominant freshman year working as one of the Wolfpack's top bullpen arms, Dudan lacked the same consistency as a sophomore. He still put together a solid year, but could not replicate the same 56 strikeout potency he showed as a freshman. He ended his sophomore season with 41 strikeouts over 30 innings of work. Dudan landed at No. 61 on Perfect Game's list.
Dudan used the summer to improve greatly, as well as potentially explore new potential to be a starting pitcher for the Wolfpack. He worked on his endurance in the prestigious Cape Cod League, earning a handful of starts during his time in Massachusetts. The righty figures to be an important part of the rotation in 2026 and seems to be more confident in his approach.
Jacob Dudan with a strikeout to end the game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DaHRbVMnj2
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) March 7, 2025
As a reliever for his first two seasons, Dudan worked primarily with two pitches, a four-seam fastball and a slider. According to the coaching staff and Wolfpack starter Ryan Marohn, Dudan added a sinker and changeup to his repertoire during the offseason, making him a prime candidate for a starting role.
"Learning to play the change up off of that sinker, and then soon add that slider back in along with the four seam," Dudan said in October. "Just being able to mix all those pitches really well, it's going to be really important for me to do that in the spring."
Marohn was the highest-rated junior for the Wolfpack according to Perfect Game, coming in at No. 45 overall. The left-handed starter should be the headliner of what looks to be a greatly improved rotation in 2026. After getting extensive work as a sophomore, Marohn is looking to build on that experience and take his game to another level, offering Avent a top-of-the-line arm for Friday nights.
He was a full-time starter for the first time in 2025 and will embark on his second full season in that role in 2026. Across 14 starts, the lefty amassed an 8-3 record with a 3.38 ERA. He struck out 91 batters, while walking just 19 in 85.1 innings of work. He earned preseason Third-Team All-American honors from Perfect Game earlier in the offseason.
That time of year. @RyanMarohn21 earns Preseason Third Team All-American honors from @PerfectGameUSA.
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) January 7, 2026
📰: https://t.co/OdZ6gb0auh pic.twitter.com/OPL8KUMu4I
During the offseason and the program's fall practices, Marohn tinkered with some aspects of his preparation, while also trying to improve his durability. Length was one of the primary assets for the pitcher during his sophomore season, as he could provide Avent with starts deep into games. He will look to continue that trend in 2026.
"I was really just trying to get my body better. Every year, just going out there, competing and just working over the winter break is when I've made the most strides going into the season," Marohn said in October. "Do it again this year, hopefully. Get good results again."
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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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