State sails past Pirates, 10-3
A 5-0 3rd inning lead had the Pack in control all night
RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 15: The NC State Wolfpack bench celebrates the double during the college baseball game between the Boston College Eagles and the NC State Wolfpack on March 15, 2026 at Doak Field at Dail Park in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Baseball games between NC State and East Carolina are typically highly contested affairs, but the Wolfpack saw to none of that on Tuesday in Greenville, scoring five runs across the 2nd and 3rd innings to take an early lead, while Luke Hemric and four other freshman arms kept the Pirates offense at bay. In the end, State cruised to a 10-3 win, improving their overall record to 25-12 and moving up nine spots in the RPI rankings to #52.
The Pirates fall to 22-15-1 on the year and drop to #40 in the RPI rankings. Freshman LHP Luke Hemric (4. 0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K) was sensational in earning the second win of his career, allowing runners to reach scoring position in the 2nd and 4th innings, but not allowing either to reach third base.
His seven strikeouts in four innings against the nation’s toughest team to strikeout was quite the statement. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack lineup used a two-out ECU error in the 2nd to plate a run, and made the error hurt worse with Rett Johnson singling home another run in the frame, to make it a 2-0 game. Ty Head broke the game open an inning later on a one-out home run to right field.
The Pack plated another run in the frame as Brandon Novy brought home Mike Ryan, who walked and advanced to third on a Sherman Johnson single. Sherman Johnson doubled to lead off the 6th inning, advancing on a Novy sacrifice bunt, and scoring on a Brayden Fraasman groundout to extend State’s lead to 6-0. ECU notched a run in the 6th off Wolfpack reliever Mikey Ragusa on a Davin Whitaker walk, Jack Herring single to move Whitaker to third base, and Brayden Bachman sacrifice fly.