Spring sports also took part in National Signing Day on Nov. 11. From baseball to track and field, let’s have a look at NC State’s spring sports commits for the class of 2021.
Baseball
In a 2021 recruiting class ranked 13th by Baseball America, Wolfpack baseball brings in 12 new freshmen to the roster. Most notably among these are shortstop Kahlil Watson and third baseman Tommy White.
Watson is ranked as the ninth-best high school player nationally and the best in North Carolina by Perfect Game, so he brings some more notoriety to an already solid program that has produced great hitters like Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner. White, ranked in the top 25 as the 18th-best player in the country, will also bring his talents to NC State baseball as the top-ranked third baseman in the class of 2021.
Men’s golf
Wolfpack men’s golf brings in two recruits for 2021, Jake Wiktor of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois and Jake Ferring of Fike High School in Wilson. Wiktor comes into the program with some pedigree, as he is currently ranked in the top 200 at 189th by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).
Women’s golf
NC State women’s golf has not released any information yet on its 2021 recruiting class. Keep an eye out for updates.
Softball
Wolfpack softball’s 2021 recruiting class ranks No. 27 nationally, pulling in six players from four states and three players in the top 50 of the 2021 class. The most notably signings are outfielder Jordan Parkin from Cox Mill High School in Charlotte, infielder Maddy Schmeiser from Walsh Jesuit High School in Macedonia, Ohio, infielder/outfielder Alaina Smith from Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia and pitcher/utility player Michele Tarpey from Fuquay-Varina.
This noteworthy recruiting class should add more momentum to a growing NC State softball program that finished 19-6 in a 2020 season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a six-game winning streak at the end of the season.
Men’s tennis
Pack men’s tennis gained two top-100 players from the class of 2021 in Braden Schick from Greensboro and Joseph Wayand from Cary. Shick, who committed to NC State in April, is ranked ninth in the country by HEAD recruiting, whereas Wayand is ranked 63rd. Both players are top tier among those from North Carolina, ranking first and third in the state, respectively.
These two signings will add fuel to a Wolfpack men’s tennis program, which was ranked No. 6 in the country before its past season was cut short.
Women’s tennis
On the women’s team, the Pack brings in three recruits from the class of 2021. Most notably, Sada Nahimana from Burundi will bring her talents to Raleigh. Wolfpack head coach Simon Earnshaw told NC State Athletics that Nahimana’s commitment is “a statement addition for our program.”
Abigail Rencheli from Sarasota, Florida, who is the top-ranked Floridian and ninth-best player in the country, according to Babolat, will also join NC State women’s tennis along with Amelia Rajecki from Nottingham, England.
For Wolfpack women’s tennis, these signings add even more talent to a program ranked No. 7 last season.
Gymnastics
Pack gymnastics head coach Kim Landrus announced that the team added three gymnasts for the upcoming class on Thursday. Peyton Childs from Holly Springs High School in Holly Springs is the first. Childs is a 2019 Level 10 Junior Olympic National Qualifier and member of the Region 8 National Championship team.
Next is Hailey Merchant from Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland, a two-time Junior Olympic National Qualifier. Rounding out the three is Lauren Rutherford of Johnson Ferry Christian Academy in Roswell, Georgia, a three-time Junior Olympic National Qualifier.
“Words cannot express how exciting it is to be adding Peyton Childs, Hailey Merchant and Lauren Rutherford to the Pack family,” Landrus told NC State Athletics. “The relationships that have been built through the recruiting process with the coaching staff and each other have given me a small glimpse of the intangibles each of them will bring to the program.”
Track and field
In a recruiting class shared with NC State cross country, these new members will also join Wolfpack track and field.
Miles Ally is a distance runner from Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Ally earned multiple all-state honors in Tennessee in both cross country and track and field. Matt Bogdan, another distance runner, is from Colts Neck High School in Howell, New Jersey. He was ranked as the second-best returning runner in New Jersey for the class of 2021.
The women’s team, ranked No. 3 in the land by the USTFCCCA, also added a distance runner from the class of 2021. Brooke Rauber of Tully High School in Homer, New York is a four-time Class D New York State Cross Country Champion. Rauber also recorded three top-10 finishes at the Nike Cross Nationals during her time at Tully.
