Stetson Overwhelms NC State in Game 1 of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, Trouncing the Pack 11-2

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for NC State in its first game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament this afternoon, falling 11-2 to Stetson.

The Wolfpack rolled out junior 3rd Team All-ACC pitcher Dominic Fritton, who has served as its Game 1 starter all year. Fritton was tagged for 6 runs (4 earned) in just 0.1 innings. He allowed 2 hits and walked 3 batters among the 7 he faced.

Freshman Anderson Nance entered the game with only one out in the 1st inning and went on to allow 1 earned run in 2.2 innings.

In total, NC State exited the top of the 1st inning trailing 7-0.

The Wolfpack held Stetson scoreless over the next three innings, until the Hatters scored on an RBI single in the top of the 5th off junior Shane Van Dam. Overall, Van Dam was solid, allowing only 1 earned run over 3 innings.

Van Dam and senior Carson Kelly held Stetson scoreless in the 6th and 7th innings, but sophomore Jaxon Lucas allowed the 9th Stetson run across the plate in the top of the 8th on an RBI groundout.

Trailing by 9 runs, the Wolfpack scored its only two runs of the day on solo home runs by junior left fielder Josh Hogue and freshman designated hitter Brandon Novy.

Stetson responded with 2 runs of its own in the top of the 9th on an RBI double off freshman Tristan Potts.

NC State allowed 13 hits but had 8 of its own. Unfortunately, it left 10 runners on base, and a costly error in the first inning allowed 3 Stetson runs.

The Wolfpack will play the loser of Auburn vs. Central Connecticut State tomorrow at 3 p.m.