Wolfpack Welcomes Princeton for First Home Weekend Series of 2026

Friday, February 20

Raleigh, NC

3 p.m.

NC State

Princeton

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Wolfpack Welcomes Princeton for First Home Weekend Series of 2026

2/19/2026 4:55:00 PM | Baseball

Game Notes

RALEIGH, N.C. – The first weekend series at the Doak of 2026 sees the Wolfpack take on Princeton for a three-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 20^th at 3 p.m. All three games can be seen on ACCNX and heard on WKNC 88.1 and the Varsity Network app.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. RHP Justin Kim (PU)
Saturday: RHP Jacob Dudan (NCSU) vs. RHP Liam Kinneen (PU)
Sunday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (NCSU) vs. RHP Brady Kaufman (PU)
NC State has never lost to Princeton in the three previous meetings. The first meeting was in 1960, with the Pack winning 5-1. The Pack and Tigers last met in 2003 in Zebulon, with NC State coming away with an 8-2 victory.

After appearing for the first time in 2026 and getting the final three outs against Winthrop, Cooper Consiglio will get the Sunday start. Last season, Consiglio made six starts, splitting time in the bullpen. He finished with 38 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched.

With 1,298 career wins, Avent is the third-most-winning active Division I head coach. Two wins this weekend would mark 1,300 victories, which would make him just the 24th head coach ever to reach the mark. He is only 27 wins away from winning 1,100 wins at NC State.

Wolfpack catcher Drew Lanphere helped lift the Wolfpack over Winthrop with a four-RBI game, which included a double and a home run. Lanphere had one home run all last year, and it didn't come until April. His first of 2026 was his fourth of his career.

He leads NC State with a .714 average in three games with five hits, seven RBIs, and four runs scored, all while starting all three games behind the dish. His average ranks third in the conference and fifth nationally.

The Pack bats are off to a hot start with a .373 batting average through three games, which ranks second in the ACC and 11th in the nation.

Ryan Marohn and Jacob Dudan are set to make their first starts at the Doak this season. In their starts in Puerto Rico, they combined to go 2-0. In 9.2 innings pitched, they did not allow a run and struck out eight with one walk.

Marohn was named a preseason Third Team All-American by Perfect Game and the NCBWA. He was also named to Baseball America's Preseason Pitcher of the Year Watch List.

Dudan is currently second in the conference in WHIP (0.40)

After ranking sixth in program history for most walks in a season, last year (48), Head has two this season, but is the only Pack player to have at least 10 plate appearances this season without striking out.

The Wolfpack were 17-8 when scoring first and have outscored their opponents 426-316 in 56 games.

Through three games so far, the Wolfpack are outscoring opponents 30-7. NC State has scored in every inning so far except the first and the ninth.

The Wolfpack was 30-7 in games last season when they hit at least one home run in a game, compared to 5-13 when they hit zero.

NC State has had at least one home run in every game this season. The Pack hit three against Winthrop, and Dalton Bargo leads the way with two on the season.