Wolfpack Shortstop Earns Spot On National Team of the Week

RALEIGH — NC State baseball is entering a critical stretch of the 2026 season. The Wolfpack needs to kick things into gear if it still hopes to make noise in the postseason and luckily for the team, one of its most important pieces is starting to live up to the potential that head coach Elliott Avent and his staff always believed was there.

Sophomore shortstop Mikey Ryan arrived after minimal playing time at LSU in his freshman season, in need of a much larger role. The infielder exploded over the last week, ultimately earning a spot on Baseball America's National Team of the Week for his efforts. It's a big step for a player looking to break out in a big way as he strives to play at the next level after his career at NC State.

What did Ryan do?

Had a week.

Mikey Ryan has been named to the @BaseballAmerica National Team of the week. pic.twitter.com/l9KQFLoqJ7
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 14, 2026

Over four games last week, Ryan played his best baseball of the season, both at the plate and defensively. The talented shortstop racked up eight hits in 16 at-bats during the Wolfpack's 3-1 stretch, which included a series win over its Tobacco Road rivals, the Duke Blue Devils. However, Ryan's impressive run started all the way back during his team's midweek win over UNCW.

The shortstop mashed two home runs and two doubles during the week, adding six RBI to the Wolfpack's significant total over four games. The two homers came in NC State's Friday victory over Duke, when he helped blow the game open and exhausted Duke's bullpen with his bat. He also tallied a stolen base in the weekend series.

Shortstop Mikey Ryan wears a hockey helmet in the dugout to celebrate hitting a home run in NC State's 10-4 victory over Duke on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

For Avent, watching Ryan come to life over the last two weeks has been a rewarding experience. The Wolfpack staff dropped the shortstop down in the lineup after he struggled mightily, much like the rest of the team during a seven-game losing streak. However, the staff didn't pull Ryan from the lineup, understanding the ups and downs that come with the sport. Now, that confidence and trust are paying off.

"He's got a lot of athleticism. He's got a good swing. He's got power," Avent said on Friday. "He's just got to keep focused on how to play the game. He can still get better. The great thing about Mikey Ryan is there's a lot of room to get better."

Ryan continued an impressive six-game hit streak that spanned back to the team's sweep of Notre Dame, when the turnaround began. Now, NC State needs its shortstop to continue swinging a hot bat with its postseason dreams on the line.

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