NC State took its first loss of the season to Liberty in a midweek matchup at Doak Field Tuesday afternoon, losing 9-8.
Going into the ninth, the Pack (3-1) held an 8-5 lead with the No.1 ranked reliever in the nation according to D1Baseball, sophomore Jacob Dudan, on the mound. A scenario that had most Pack fans already eyeing the exit for their evening commute.
Instead, two walks, an error and an errant throw brought Liberty back to within one run. Still, the Pack was in the driver’s seat with a lead and Liberty (4-0) down to its last out. But once again, the Flames came up clutch with an extra-base hit to take the lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, the offense looked stunned by what they had just seen and didn’t make good contact, closing the game with two groundouts and a strikeout.
Head coach Elliot Avent felt like Dudan’s blown save might’ve been the result of him listening to the outside noise.
“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.”
On the offensive side, the other returning star from last year’s College World Series run, sophomore catcher Alex Sosa, went 0-5 with five swinging strikeouts.
“I think if he just stood there four times, he’d walked four times,” Avent said. “What that tells me is he’s just trying to do too much. These guys get accolades and all this stuff, and then they think they’re supposed to be somebody other than who they are. Just come out here and play the game, and the game will give you what you let it give you.”
Avent felt like the team’s inability to close the game late came down to their inexperience.
“This team’s got to grow up fast,” Avent said. “I know we’re young, and I know it’s a whole new offense, but we’re going to have to get better fast, or there’s going to be more disappointments.”
On the bright side, this was only the fourth game of 56 and there is plenty of season to mature and develop. Despite the struggles, the Pack did a lot of great things against Liberty.
Freshman reliever Anderson Nance made his collegiate debut, pitching three innings and giving up zero runs, zero walks and only one hit. Nance said it’s important to move on quickly from a tough loss like this.
“You can think about it that night,” Nance said. “But once you come back to the field the next day, it’s in the past and you focus on what’s ahead.”
Junior right fielder Brayden Fraasman was another bright spot for the Pack, hitting his second home run of the season. Fraasman already has four extra-base hits in four games.
The Pack as a whole, was successful at the plate, with five players recording a multi-hit game.
Graduate starting pitcher Matt Willadsen made his first appearance since the 2023 season after missing 2024 with an elbow injury. Although he didn’t have his best stuff — giving up five earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched — Avent was happy to see him starting again.
“That guy has pitched in so many big games for NC State,” Avent said. “For him to come back from that injury, and just to be out there, I think it’s amazing. …He’s always going to give you everything he’s got, and we’re going to need him this year.”
Next, the Pack is headed to Jacksonville, Florida to play in the Jax College Baseball Classic Feb. 21-23, first facing off against Ohio State at 2 p.m. on Friday.
