No. 14 NC State and Sacred Heart Meet for Weekend Series

Friday, February 27

Raleigh, NC

3 p.m.

NC State

Sacred Heart

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No. 14 NC State and Sacred Heart Meet for Weekend Series

2/26/2026 3:41:00 PM | Baseball

Game Notes

RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 14 NC State Baseball continues its homestand as the Wolfpack gets set to welcome the Pioneers of Sacred Heart University for a three-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 27^th at 3 p.m. through March 1^st.

All three games will be broadcast on ACCNX and can be heard on WKNC 88.1 and the Varsity Network App.

NC State is 7-1 on the season and is coming off two midweek games in which the Pack put up 45 runs on 34 hits, including nine doubles and six home runs, with 21 walks. The Pioneers are 1-5 to begin 2026.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. RHP Bryan Matuschat (SHU)
Saturday: RHP Jacob Dudan vs. RHP Ryan Parker (SHU)
Sunday: LHP Cooper Consiglio vs. Anakin Underhill (SHU)

This will be just the second meeting between the two programs. The first came in 2012 at the Raleigh Regional, where the Wolfpack defeated the Pioneers 16-5 in game one, then went on to win the regional and advance to the Gainesville Super Regional.

NC State enters the weekend in the top five nationally in both team batting average (.365) and team ERA (1.72). The Pack has a +81-run differential (97-16); the 97 runs are the 12^th most in the country. NC State has outscored opponents by over five runs per game and has out-hit opponents in 7 of 8 games this season.

Offensively, Chris McHugh is once again leading the Wolfpack, having hit safely in all eight games this season and leading the team with five multi-hit games and five games with multiple RBIs. He is hitting .452 on the season with 14 hits, including four doubles and three home runs, with 14 RBIs.

In 56 games last season, Ty Head hit four home runs. In just 23 at-bats in 2026, the sophomore has already matched that total. After starting the season 0-7, Head has felt at home at the Doak. Head is hitting .348 on the season with 10 RBI and 10 walks to lead the team and is 24^th in the nation. Head remains just one of 19 players in the country yet to strikeout.

NC State had 10 run-rule victories in 2025. The Pack has totaled two so far despite winning four games by 10 or more runs.

Just as the offense has been humming, so has the Wolfpack pitching. In 68 innings pitched, NC State pitchers have combined to strikeout 87 batters with only 25 walks and 13 earned runs while holding opponents to a .165 batting average.

Jacob Dudan has not allowed a run in 12 innings, striking out 13 batters with no walks. He was named to the Baseball America National Team of the Week following his performance against Princeton, where he went a career high seven innings and struck out 11 batters.

A mix of veteran leadership and youth movement has been at the forefront of the Wolfpack's success so far. Freshman Luke Hemric made his first career start against Akron and earned his first Wolfpack win after throwing four shutout innings in just his second appearance on the mound.

Pitching Dominance