NC State Baseball

D1Baseball Ranks NC State’s Ty Head as the #21 OF Heading Into 2026

Published

5 months ago

February 12, 2026

Matthew Bradham

D1Baseball has released its 2026 Preseason Outfielder Rankings, and Ty Head checks in at No. 21 nationally.

That ranking places Head 7th among ACC outfielders heading into the 2026 season.

ACC OF Preseason Rankings

1) Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
2) AJ Gracia, Virginia
5) Lucas Moore, Louisville
9) Zion Rose, Louisville
11) Alex Hernandez, Georgia Tech
19) Brayden Dowd, Florida State
21) Ty Head, NC State
23) Owen Hull, North Carolina
33) Boston Torres, Wake Forest
40) Tatum Marsh, Stanford

Head, listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team last season and immediately established himself as one of the most reliable and dynamic players in NC State’s lineup.

Here’s a look at what he produced as a freshman:
Batting Average: .274
On-Base Percentage: .433
Slugging Percentage: .402
OPS: .835
Hits: 49
RBI: 33
BB: 48
2B:11
HR: 4
R: 46
SB: 6

Head served as the Wolfpack’s leadoff hitter in 2025 because he displayed unheard-of patience at the plate for a freshman. His 48 walks ranked 7th in the ACC and were the 6th most in a single season in NC State history.

Defensively, Head was just as dependable.

He started all 56 games in center field, making him one of only two Wolfpack players to start every game of the season at the same position. He posted a .992 fielding percentage and led the team with four outfield assists.

And while the numbers tell one story, the eye test tells another.

In the outfield, Head developed a reputation for potentially making a highlight-reel play at any moment. Whether it’s covering an absurd amount of ground, laying out for an acrobatic dive, or stealing a home run at the wall, Head always looks one swing away from a SportsCenter Top-10 moment.