NC State baseball is on a roll, winning 11 of its last 12 games. While the entire team has elevated its play, the Wolfpack’s starting pitching is leading the charge in Raleigh. With a talented trio of starters, the Pack’s ceiling continues to trend upwards.
NC State’s Friday starter, junior left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton, is quickly finding his rhythm after a slow start. The veteran pitcher is 3-1 this season and holds an ERA of just 1.26 — the best among NC State’s starters. Allowing just a .208 batting average, Fritton uses offspeed pitches to perfection to make it difficult for hitters to reach base.
Fritton’s worst performance of the season came against Ohio State and showed where he can improve. At times, he struggles with control, which popped up in the Pack’s game against the Buckeyes. Walking six batters over just 17 at-bats, Fritton was unable to find the strike zone all night.
Fortunately for the Wolfpack, Fritton has been playing much better since the Ohio State debacle. In his three starts since facing the Buckeyes, Fritton gave away just five walks across all three outings. Meanwhile, the lefty racked up 30 strikeouts in those three games, including the ACC opener against Virginia Tech.
The Pack’s Saturday starter is sophomore right-handed pitcher Heath Andrews, who’s enjoying a breakout season. The lone righty in the red-and-white’s starting weekend rotation, Andrews is posting very comparable numbers to Fritton. Like Fritton, Andrews is also holding batters to very little at the plate with a 0.198 average. However, Andrews’ strikeout numbers lag behind Fritton’s, with just 22 Ks this year.
Rounding out the Wolfpack’s weekend rotation is sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Marohn. As NC State’s Sunday starter, Marohn has been outstanding. Marohn has arguably the best control of the Pack’s starters, dealing 42 strikeouts to just four walks. Refusing to give away free bases, Marohn’s ability to force hitters to earn bases is a rare and valuable asset for the Wolfpack.
Marohn shoved throughout non-conference play, including a complete game against Wright State where he threw 14 Ks. However, to open ACC competition against Virginia Tech, Marohn struggled in his least impressive showing of the year.
Going just 2.1 innings, Marohn quickly racked up strikeouts. However, allowing five hits, including a pair of home runs, the lefty couldn’t quite establish himself. Whether it was fatigue from throwing 126 pitches the week before or the step up in competition, Marohn will have to be better than he was against the Hokies. Nevertheless, the Virginia native is a promising star in the making.
With an impressive trio of starters, NC State is positioned well in the ACC. Very few teams have three starters to feel very confident in. While the group still has areas to improve and is far from a perfect group, NC State has the arms to emerge as one of the better teams in the ACC.
