A lot of influential people had high expectations for NC State baseball in 2025. Coming off of a College World Series birth, the Pack was ranked No. 13 in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings and had some of the highest-ranked pitchers in the ACC.
Despite the hype, the Pack quickly fell out of the rankings after a five-game losing streak early in the season. Six weeks and 24 games later, NC State finds itself at 7-5 in the ACC with series wins over Pittsburgh, Virginia and Virginia Tech — and picking up one of three against Duke, the reigning ACC champs — making a small case to get back into the top-25 rankings.
Even with the recovery, NC State is far from the contender status that fans had hoped for. Why has the Pack not lived up to expectations?
Lights too bright
After the Pack’s loss to Liberty in February, head coach Elliot Avent did not appreciate all the hype being thrown in the direction of the team, especially toward sophomore reliever Jacob Dudan, who was touted as the No.1 reliever in the nation in the D1Baseball preseason rankings. Dudan blew a three-run lead in the ninth, kicking off the five-game losing streak and a rough start to the season.
“He just got too many accolades,” Avent said. “He was unbelievable last year when nobody knew his name, and now, every time he picks up a paper, I’m sure he’s seeing how he’s the best reliever in the country.”
Dudan’s ERA was 20.25 after four appearances, and he looked like a shell of his freshman-year self. But after a few quality outings, his ERA has slowly come back down to just 4.85.
A similar story can be told about sophomore catcher Alex Sosa, who was one of the few familiar names returning to NC State’s roster. Sosa has started 11 of 12 conference games so far and is batting just .263 — not great for a player who was expected by some to carry the offense.
Bright spots
Even without strong performances from Sosa and Dudan, NC State is still relying on underclassmen to get the job done. Only three players have started all 32 games for the Pack this year — freshman center fielder Ty Head, sophomore first baseman Chris McHugh and sophomore second baseman Luke Nixon.
In the ebbs and flows of the baseball season, most players go through periods of inconsistency — but not star freshman Head. He has started every game this season for a reason. Head ranks sixth in the ACC for on-base percentage at .500 and second in walks, with 36. His plate discipline has put the Pack in positions to win, most recently by getting a walk to put senior designated hitter Josh Hogue at the plate, leading to a walkoff win.
“It’s really tough to play with younger people at this stage,” Avent said. “But we’ve got some young guys doing some special things.”
Along with the young bunch, a few of the veterans have also stepped up in ACC play. Senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio is batting just under .300 with six homers, and junior reliever Andrew Shaffner has posted a 1.24 ERA in 12 appearances. Hogue and junior right fielder Brayden Fraasman both hold hit streaks of six games. Junior starting pitcher Dominic Fritton has solidified himself as the top dog, with a season ERA of 2.85, a massive jump from his sophomore year 7.64.
If Dudan and Sosa can climb out of their sophomore slumps, the Pack would morph into a formidable force come postseason. With six series to play, we’ll find out who can handle the spotlight.
