With baseball season upon us, there is one thing going through every Wolfpack fan’s mind right now. Can baseball avenge a rather large accumulation of losses produced by football and basketball?
Well, it needs to. NC State baseball is the only hope for men’s athletics this year. While the women have dominated their respective sports, their male counterparts have been lackluster at best this year.
Even though basketball still has important games to play, the team remains on the chopping block for an ACC Tournament spot with an overall record of 9-15 and a 2-11 conference record. The Wolfpack haven’t made any noise on the road, as they remain winless when not in Lenovo Center. Wolfpack fans were expecting big things from head coach Kevin Keatts and the boys in red-and-white after making the Final Four, but sadly they have not delivered this year.
Football was on par with basketball, having a very optimistic preseason and high expectations. But the season boiled down to another lost bowl game, another season with no ACC Championship appearance and head coach Dave Doeren’s record against Top-25 opponents dropping to 7-26.
Men’s soccer is the only exception, as it posted a record of 10-5-5 and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992. The Wolfpack made a statement in the men’s soccer world this year, and head coach Marc Hubbard has shown no signs of slowing down.
However, there is hope, and it lies in the hands of NC State baseball. A statement season is crucial not only for Pack fans but for the baseball program as well. The Wolfpack is ranked 13th in the D1 preseason poll for the second straight year and it holds the same high expectations that we had for basketball and football. So, can baseball rise to the occasion?
The Wolfpack did have some big losses after last year’s trip to Omaha, losing center fielder Eli Serrano, first-baseman Garrett Pennington and third-team All-American catcher Jacob Cozart.
Head coach Elliott Avent hopes to minimize the damage brought by these losses by filling holes with returning players and freshmen. The Wolfpack begin the season with the No. 23 freshman class in the nation and look to use JUCO transfers to help bring some leadership.
Two of the Top 50 impact JUCO transfer pitchers found homes with the Wolfpack this season. No. 30 junior right-handed pitcher Landon Carr and No. 47 junior left-handed pitcher Eli Pillsbury add some depth to an already stacked bullpen.
The bullpen for the Pack is looking filthy this year after having both its star pitchers, sophomore right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan and junior right-handed pitcher Derrick Smith, return for the 2025 season. In the Wolfpack’s last trip to Omaha, Dudan and Smith caught lightning in a bottle and plowed through the James Madison and Georgia lineups.
Dudan went on to be ranked the No. 1 relief pitcher and would continue his summer with Team USA after his first trip to Omaha.
Sophomore catcher Alex Sosa is another big name who is running it back with the Wolfpack. Sosa was the freshman sensation last year but was hidden in the massive shadow cast by star Cozart. Now, Sosa is going to run the show behind the plate and make a massive impact on the Wolfpack’s offense.
Sosa had an electric swing last year. With a .230 BA, Sosa sent six balls out of the park and crushed a grand slam to force a run-rule on No. 8 Wake Forest. Even though Sosa had a great season, the Viera, Florida native still showed us that he was a freshman and that he needs time to develop before he is the face of the team.
“He’s matured a lot,” said junior infielder Matt Heavner. “He’s got a lot of confidence. He knows what he’s doing. He’s not really worried about what he needs to fix. He’s just going out and competing.”
The NC State baseball organization is also due for a big season. If the Wolfpack can make it back to Omaha for a second straight year, NC State will be put on a new high in the college baseball world. Making the Pack a premier destination for freshmen and transfers and putting them on the map.
NC State baseball is yet another team with high potential, but the 2024-2025 year has shown teams don’t always live up to it. The pressure is on for the Pack9 who look to deliver the Wolfpack fans from a disappointing year of men’s sports.
