Top 11 Showdown: No. 10 NC State Visits Tallahassee to Face No. 11 Florida State

Friday, March 20

Tallahassee, FL

6 p.m.

NC State

Florida State

Top 11 Showdown: No. 10 NC State Visits Tallahassee to Face No. 11 Florida State

3/19/2026 4:23:00 PM | Baseball

Game Notes

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – No. 10 NC State prepares for a ranked matchup as the Wolfpack travels to Tallahassee to face the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 20^th, at 6 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ACCNX and heard on WKNC 88.1 and the Varsity Network app.

This will be the first meeting and trip to Tallahassee since 2024. The Wolfpack has a 6-4 record over the last ten matchups. Overall, the Seminoles lead the series 77-40, with the Wolfpack coming in at 12-34 on the road in the last 46 matchups.

These two programs are closely connected, as associate head coach Chris Heart played at Florida State and was a four-year letterman for former head coach Mike Martin from 1999 to 2003. Overall, Hart played 195 games for the Seminoles, starting 116, and batting .271 with 23 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, and 72 RBIs. Hart's four Florida State teams (1999, 2001-03) recorded a combined 218-60 (.784) and made it to the NCAA Super Regionals all four years. The Seminoles reached the College World Series in 1999 and 2000. During his time at Florida State, Hart played every position except pitcher and center field.

NC State Director of Player and Program Development and former Pack shortstop, J.T. Jarrett, is the son of current Seminole head coach Link Jarrett.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. LHP Wes Mendes (FSU)
Saturday: RHP Jacob Dudan (NCSU) vs. LHP Trey Beard (FSU)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Bryson Moore (FSU)

This will be the second ACC series of the season for the Pack. The first saw NC State take a series from Boston College. In that series, all three weekend starters—Ryan Marohn, Jacob Dudan, and Heath Andrews went seven innings, marking the first time since 2021 that a weekend rotation has all gone at least seven innings. Just under six percent of starts in Division I this year have been seven or more innings.

The Wolfpack is coming off its seventh run-rule victory of the season after a midweek win over UNCW in Wilmington. NC State had 10 run-rule victories in 2025. The Wolfpack had been run-ruled four times last season but has yet to be run-ruled this year.

Chris McHugh, in the victory over the Seahawks, had a career-best six RBI night. He ranks among the top 10 in the ACC in both hits with 33 (6^th) and RBIs with 29 (6^th). On the year he is hitting .402 with a team high.774 SLUG with 22 runs scored. He hit seven home runs all last season and has already matched that total in 21 games played.

Freshman Rett Johnson had started 15 games as the nine-hole hitter. In the past two Wolfpack contests, he was moved to the leadoff spot and continues to hit and get on base. He is hitting a team-high .441 on the season, scoring 21 runs with 26 hits and 16 RBIs. His .533 OBP is 10^th in the league.

NC State has stolen 56 bases and has only been caught seven times. Ty Head leads the team with 15. The most stolen bases by a Pack team in 2013 was when the Wolfpack swiped 110 bases. The Wolfpack has not stolen over 50 bags in a season since 2021.