NC State Wolfpack Baseball 2026 Position-by-Position Preview

With Opening Day tomorrow in Puerto Rico, let’s break down the NC State baseball squad position by position for 2026.

The Wolfpack lost some big pieces after last year’s Regional run, but the pitching staff is loaded with vets, and the lineup has some proven pop mixed with new talent. If the pieces can fit together as they look like they can, this team has a real shot to hang around the top half of the ACC.

NC State’s success is going to ride on its pitching staff. They bring back a bunch of experienced guys who ate innings last season, and some transfers add nice depth in the ‘pen.

Starters

• Ryan Marohn (JR LHP) : Marohn is likely the ACC’s top returning arm and a guy who is a preseason 3rd team All-American. Marohn was outstanding in 2025, finishing the season with an 8-3 record and a 3.38 ERA across 14 starts. What truly separated him, though, was his command. He struck out 91 batters while walking just 19 in 59 innings, giving him one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in the ACC. He’s the obvious ace of this group and will be one of the biggest factors for NC State’s success.
• Jacob Dudan (JR RHP) : Dudan was being ranked at the #1 relief pitcher in the nation heading into last season, and he while I don’t think he lived up to that hype, he did put up big-time numbers with a 3.90 ERA in relief last year (41 K in 30 IP). But this year NC State is moving Dudan from the relief role to the starter role. He’ll be the back-end of the 1-2 punch alongside Marohn. In his short time with USA Collegiate National Team in July, he threw 3 scoreless innings vs. Japan. Dudan is a future MLB guy, and NC State is seeing what they have in him as a starter. If he can dial in his command, and Morohn can replicate his success, watch out.
• Heath Andrews (JR RHP) : Probably your Sunday starter. Posted a 6.02 ERA in 64.1 IP with 53 strikeouts last season. Mid-90s fastball and a good slider/change—needs to cut down on hard contact, but the stuff is there for a bounce-back.
• Anderson Nance (SO RHP) : Versatile swingman who could start midweeks or spot in the weekend rotation. As a freshman he was lights-out: 8-2, 3.50 ERA, 51 K in 54 IP, holding hitters to .256. Mid-90s fastball up to upper-90s with a sharp slider.

Bullpen
Depth is solid with returners like Tristan Potts (low ERA in limited work) and Landon Carr (coming off injury). Transfers like Collins Black (from Duke, mid-90s stuff for high-leverage spots) and others give options. There are a few interesting freshmen that could prove valuable, too. Overall, this group threw a ton of innings last year and should take the next step forward this year.

NC State lost a big bat behind the plate when Sosa transferred to Miami, so it’s going to be a little more focused on defense and game-calling this year.

• Drew Lanphere (rJR) : Lanphere looks to be the starter coming into the season, mostly because he brings experience calling games to the table. This season is going to depend on how well the pitching staff does, so an experienced signal caller behind the plate might be valued higher this year than in most. His bat leaves a lot to be desired, though, as he hit just .217 with 2 HR last season.
• Dalton Bargo (SR, transfer from Tennessee) : I think most believe State will start with Bargo at DH, but this is a kid who was the #1 catcher coming out of Nebraska when he was recruited to Missouri in 2022. But Bargo gives you a strong bat. He hit 272 last season with 14 HRs, and while he’s not going to give you the experience and savvy behind the plate that Lanphere will, he does give you some serious thump to make up for what you lost in Alex Sosa (and it opens up the DH spot for another offensive weapon.)
• Preston Bonn (rFR) and Vincent DeCarlo (FR) : Depth pieces; DeCarlo’s a high-upside freshman with a strong arm.

Overall, it will be interesting to see how Catcher plays out. With the pitching staff being so important to this year’s success, it isn’t tough to see Avent go with the more trusted Lanphere to start the season.

• First Base: Chris McHugh (JR) : McHugh made quite the impression in his first season with the Wolfpack in 2025, after transferring from VCU last offseason. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, finishing the regular season with a .365 batting average, a .462 on-base percentage, a .533 slugging percentage, and an OPS of .955. McHugh also logged 7 home runs and 48 RBIs. McHugh ranked 7th in the ACC in batting average and 8th in on-base percentage. He’s got All-ACC potential. He’ll start at 1st but can slot into the OF if needed. It’s likley NC State will ask him to up his power output, even if that costs him a little average. This team needs some pop and McHugh (who helped his team win the MLB Derby X in Durham recently) has some massive power that he hasn’t fully tapped yet.

• Second Base: Luke Nixon (JR) : The son of former MLB star Trot Nixon, Luke was one of only two Wolfpack players to start every game last season, and his development from Year 1 to Year 2 was hard to miss. He finished the 2025 season hitting .295, a significant jump from his freshman average of .238. He was even better once conference play rolled around, batting .306 against ACC competition. Speed remains a huge part of Nixon’s game. He was NC State’s primary burner last season, leading the team in stolen bases (14) and triples (3).  He’s ranked as the #35 2nd baseman nationally.

• Shortstop: Mikey Ryan (SO, transfer from LSU) or Sherman Johnson (rSO, JUCO transfer) : Ryan, listed at 6-foot, 195 pounds, transferred to NC State this offseason from LSU, bringing with him both pedigree and upside. While Ryan’s on-field opportunities in Baton Rouge were limited, he did see action in 16 games for the Tigers, logging three official at-bats. Even in that extremely small sample size, Ryan produced when given chances, recording one hit, two walks, and two runs scored. The lack of playing time at LSU shouldn’t overshadow the talent level.Coming out of high school, Ryan was one of the most highly regarded middle infield prospects in the country. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 113 overall prospect nationally in the 2024 recruiting class, and the No. 30 shortstop in the country. Ryan played his high school baseball at Rummel High School in Luling, Louisiana, where Perfect Game also ranked him as the No. 1 shortstop in the state. His talent was recognized nationally, as Ryan participated in the 2024 MLB Draft Combine, an invitation reserved for the top amateur prospects in the country. He is currently listed as the #202 MLB draft prospect.If Ryan doesn’t pan out, you have Sherman Johnson, who dominated the JUCO ranks. We’ll talk about him in the next section.

• Third Base: Sherman Johnson (rSO, JUCO transfer) or Wyatt Peifer (SR, transfer) : Tight battle. Johnson flipped his commitment from Arkansas to NC State at the last minute, and we’ll be happy he did. This is a dynamic player. Johnson, listed at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, transferred to NC State Wolfpack this offseason from McLennan Community College, where he was a major reason the Highlanders reached the Junior College World Series.Not only did Johnson help lead McLennan on a deep postseason run, he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.At the plate, Johnson was a complete player who filled the stat sheet in every way imaginable. He batted .319 with a .425 on-base percentage, .569 slugging, and a stellar .994 OPS across 59 games, racking up 69 hits—including 21 doubles, 3 triples, and 9 home runs—for 33 extra-base hits total, while driving in 51 runs, scoring 64 times, drawing 35 walks, and swiping 21 bases. D1 has him ranked as the #48 best 3B in the country.Meanwhile, Peifer is a guy we need to watch. This past season, Peifer hit .241 with 6 home runs, 10 doubles, 32 RBIs, 31 runs and 10 stolen base (which isn’t all that great.) However, in 2024, he hit .305 with 44 RBIs, 40 runs, 5 home runs, 19 doubles, 28 walks and 8 stolen bases. But there is reason to believe last year’s ouput was front-loaded with him coming off injury and not getting it going until later. As a Sophomore, Peifer compiled an on-base percentage of .409 and an OPS of .904, while also earning a Gold Glove on defense. If Peifer hits, then you have some decisions to make.

This is a young and very exciting group that combines speed, athletiticsm and defense with strong hit tools and even some pop.

• LF: Rett Johnson (FR) : Johnson a highly touted freshman outfielder for NC State in 2026, a 5’9″, 170-pound left-handed hitter from Youngsville, NC, ranked as the top outfielder in the state and a top-30 national outfield prospect by Perfect Game before committing to the Wolfpack. Coach Elliott Avent has compared him to breakout sophomore Ty Head for his athleticism, contact skills, speed, and defensive instincts, and Johnson is probably locked into the starting left field job heading into Opening Day after strong performances in fall ball and preseason scrimmages.
• CF: Ty Head (SO) : Locked in as the starting CF and leadoff spot in the lineup, Ty Head was an elite-level freshman last season. The 6’3″, 205-pound lefty hit .274 with a .433 on-base percentage (48 WALKS!), .402 slugging, and .835 OPS across 56 starts, recording 49 hits (including 11 doubles and 4 home runs), 33 RBIs, 46 runs scored, and elite defense with just one error and a .992 fielding percentage that earned him All-ACC Freshman Team honors. If you thought last year was good, NC State is anticipating an even bigger breakout from Head in 2026.
• RF: Brayden Fraasman (SR) : Fraasman is a guy who played well last season, putting up a final line of .279 with 11 homers (team-high) and 47 RBIs. NC State is banking on a big senior year from him, but I’m not sure he won’t end up in a bit of a position battle with Andrew Wiggins. Fraasman can deliver at the plate, but he’s also not all that great at working his at-bats, leading to just a .329 OPB (which was one of the lowest on the team). Avent will need to see improvement there because I don’t think there is much doubt that Johnson and Head are locked into their spots to start the season. That leaves Fraasman and Wiggins. Both with great upside, but different players. Fraasman gives you some pop, but Wiggins gives you a higher ceiling and a better OBP.
• OF Andrew Wiggins (JR transfer from Indiana) : Wiggins is a very intriguing player, and someone that it’s hard for me to see not playing a big role on this team. This is a guy who was a Top-50 high school recruit and is projected to go in the Top-85 picks in the MLB Draft. He’s a 6’2″, 225-pound left-handed hitter (throws righty) who transferred from Indiana.In his sophomore season at Indiana in 2025, he hit .256 with a .454 on-base percentage, .414 slugging, and .867 OPS across 43 games (37 starts, mostly in right field), recording 34 hits (including 7 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs), 24 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 38 walks, 11 hit-by-pitches, 36 strikeouts, and 7 stolen bases (on 9 attempts), showcasing strong plate discipline, speed, and athleticism.It depends what Avent ends up needing from this spot. I think it’s Fraasmans’ to lose, but Wiggins is going to put on a push.

• I think people expect to see Dylan Bargo here, and that very well may be the case, but I’m going to leave this spot open for now because NC State doesn’t really have a pure DH. They don’t have a guy who is an elite bat that they just can’t put in the field.Instead, they have a bunch of position battles that need to play out. Bargo fits best here if you are going with Lanphere at catcher. But then you’re pushing either Wiggins (who is an MLB prospect and had an elite OBP last season) or Fraasman (a senior who hit 11 bombs last year) out of your lineup.And that’s not to mention the potential SS/3B situation where you have Johnson very likely ending up a starter in one of those two slots (if not moving to 2B and pushing Nixon to SS), which then pushes Peifer or Mikey Ryan out of the lineup. Ryan has a high pedigree, and Peifer has the big sophomore season and the previous season as a gold glove winner.There may end up being a rotating door at DH this year.

At the end of the day, this NC State team is way more flexible than we’ve seen in recent years. But that also leads to a ton of questions…

All of which will start working themselves out tomorrow when NC State opens its season vs. Washington in Puerto Rico.