Baseball Begins 2025 Campaign With Series Against Fordham

RALEIGH, NC - The No. 13 NC State baseball team opens its 2025 season Friday with a three-game series against Fordham at Doak Field at Dail Park.

Due to inclement weather in the forecast on Sunday, NC State and Fordham will play a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 14^th.

The Wolfpack and Rams will now play on Friday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with gates opening at 10 a.m., and will play at the originally scheduled time of 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Fans are asked to arrive early ahead of Friday's 3 pm game to recognize the 2024 team and be a part of the special unveiling in the outfield. The recognition will conclude with a ceremonial first pitch by one of the College World Series team alumni.

A somewhat new and young 2025 squad will take the field this season as the Pack welcomes 10 freshmen, 10 transfers, and 19 returners. Earlier this month, D1 baseball tabbed the Wolfpack as the No. 23 freshman class in the nation.

10 Transfers for wolfpack fans to keep an eye on – Justin DeCriscio (San Diego), Ryan Jaros (Georgia Tech), Trenton Lyons (Ole Miss), Matt Ossenfort (Vanderbilt), Chris McHugh (VCU), Julien Peissel (UNCG), Jet Gilliam (Southern Nevada), Landon Carr (Gaston), Eli Pillsbury (John A Logan), Brayden Fraasman, (Lincoln Trail).

Head coach Elliot Avent enters his 29^th season at the helm of NC State and will look to build off his third trip to Omaha. Avent, who reached his 1000^th career win at NC State last season during opening weekend, has totaled over 1200 wins in his career with a record of 1,036- 615 at NC State. Elliot is the fifth active Division I head coach with 1,000 wins at one school.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Frida GM1: LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Aric Berg (FOR)
Friday GM2: RHP Heath Andrews (NCSU) vs. Aidan Dowd (FOR)
Saturday: LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. RHP Mike Rabayda (FOR)

This series marks only the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The first meeting came in May of 1993 during the Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla. NC State is 1-0 against the Rams, winning 12-4 in their first and only meeting. Fordham finished the 2024 season 19-33 overall and 10-14 in the A10 Conference.

NC State is 21-7 in season openers under head coach Elliott Avent. NC State has not dropped a season opener since 2016 against Old Dominion. The Pack are currently on an eight-game winning streak on opening day, which ties the longest streak in winning its first game of the year under Avent (2001-08). NC State can break the streak Friday as the Pack improved its season-opener winning streak to eight games following a 6-1 victory over VCU on Feb. 16, 2024.

For the second consecutive year, NC State baseball was ranked No. 13 in D1 Baseball's 2025 Preseason Top 25 poll, as announced by the publication. Baseball America Tabbed the Wolfpack No. 16, while Perfect Game had NC State at No. 36.

Baseball Begins 2025 Campaign With Series Against Fordham

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Players Mentioned

Landon Carr

Justin DeCriscio

Brayden Fraasman

Dominic Fritton

Jet Gilliam

Ryan Jaros

Trenton Lyons

Ryan Marohn

Chris McHugh

Matt Ossenfort

Julien Peissel

Eli Pillsbury