North Carolina State University Athletics
Friday, February 13
Ponce, Puerto Rico
4 p.m.
NC State
1-0
13
vs
0
Washington
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
NC State
0
0
0
4
3
1
5
13
16
1
Washington
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
2
Wolfpack Makes Quick Work of Washington with 13-0 Victory on Opening Day
2/13/2026 10:13:00 PM | Baseball
PONCE, Puerto Rico – The 2026 season couldn't have opened any better for the Wolfpack (1-0) as the bats came alive and the pitching held the Huskies scoreless as NC State beat Washington 13-0 at Estadio Francisco Montaner Friday night.
All nine starters scored a run while newcomers Dalton Bargo and Andrew Wiggins each went deep for their first home run with the Wolfpack. Bargo finished with three hits and two RBIs, while second baseman Luke Nixon had three hits and three RBIs as well.
With the win, head coach Elliott Avent ties Jim Morris with the fourth most wins as an ACC member with 1,072 victories at NC State.
Starting pitcher Ryan Marohn (1-0) earns the win in a shortened seven-inning contest after going 4.2 innings, allowing six hits, one walk, and striking out six. Anderson Nance came on in relief, going 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. After missing all last season due to injury, Julien Peissel made his first appearance on the mound and went an inning, giving up a hit, a walk, and recording his first strikeout with the Pack.
Under Avent, the Wolfpack is 23-7 on opening day. NC State has not dropped a season opener since 2016 against Old Dominion. The Pack is currently on a 10-game opening-day winning streak, the longest in program history under head coach Elliott Avent. The last time NC State opened the season with a shutout was in 2020.
The Wolfpack tagged Washington (0-1) starter Hayden Lewis for seven runs in 4.2 innings of work. Relief pitcher Liam Lierman gave up five runs while recording just two outs. The five-run seventh inning for the pack helped secure the run-rule victory.
The first three innings were a pitcher's duel as neither team could plate a run. The fourth inning was where NC State broke the game open, as a walk to Brayden Fraasman started things, and Nixon plated the first two runs of the season with a double. Wiggins would add two more with a 383-foot opposite field home run to make it 4-0.
Washington looked for an immediate response in the bottom half of the frame as the Huskies loaded the bases. With one out, Casen Taggart hit a fly ball to left, where Chris McHugh, in his first start at the position, settled underneath it for the out, then threw out the tagging runner from third at home plate to end the threat.
The Huskies would once again load the bases in the sixth inning, but Nance would work out of the jam with a strikeout.
Sherman Johnson picked up his first RBI with the Wolfpack to start the big seventh inning, scoring Bargo. Catcher Drew Lanphere brought Johnson home with a single. The Huskies committed two errors in the inning, allowing McHugh to single and bring in a run, all before Fraasman kept the line moving with an RBI single to make it 13-0.
NC State continues play in the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge tomorrow against Indiana State at 10 a.m AST/9 a.m. EST. Jacob Dudan will get the start for the Wolfpack, and the game can once again be seen on Victory+.
All nine starters scored a run while newcomers Dalton Bargo and Andrew Wiggins each went deep for their first home run with the Wolfpack. Bargo finished with three hits and two RBIs, while second baseman Luke Nixon had three hits and three RBIs as well.
With the win, head coach Elliott Avent ties Jim Morris with the fourth most wins as an ACC member with 1,072 victories at NC State.
Starting pitcher Ryan Marohn (1-0) earns the win in a shortened seven-inning contest after going 4.2 innings, allowing six hits, one walk, and striking out six. Anderson Nance came on in relief, going 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. After missing all last season due to injury, Julien Peissel made his first appearance on the mound and went an inning, giving up a hit, a walk, and recording his first strikeout with the Pack.
Under Avent, the Wolfpack is 23-7 on opening day. NC State has not dropped a season opener since 2016 against Old Dominion. The Pack is currently on a 10-game opening-day winning streak, the longest in program history under head coach Elliott Avent. The last time NC State opened the season with a shutout was in 2020.
The Wolfpack tagged Washington (0-1) starter Hayden Lewis for seven runs in 4.2 innings of work. Relief pitcher Liam Lierman gave up five runs while recording just two outs. The five-run seventh inning for the pack helped secure the run-rule victory.
The first three innings were a pitcher's duel as neither team could plate a run. The fourth inning was where NC State broke the game open, as a walk to Brayden Fraasman started things, and Nixon plated the first two runs of the season with a double. Wiggins would add two more with a 383-foot opposite field home run to make it 4-0.
Washington looked for an immediate response in the bottom half of the frame as the Huskies loaded the bases. With one out, Casen Taggart hit a fly ball to left, where Chris McHugh, in his first start at the position, settled underneath it for the out, then threw out the tagging runner from third at home plate to end the threat.
The Huskies would once again load the bases in the sixth inning, but Nance would work out of the jam with a strikeout.
Sherman Johnson picked up his first RBI with the Wolfpack to start the big seventh inning, scoring Bargo. Catcher Drew Lanphere brought Johnson home with a single. The Huskies committed two errors in the inning, allowing McHugh to single and bring in a run, all before Fraasman kept the line moving with an RBI single to make it 13-0.
NC State continues play in the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge tomorrow against Indiana State at 10 a.m AST/9 a.m. EST. Jacob Dudan will get the start for the Wolfpack, and the game can once again be seen on Victory+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Marohn, Ryan (1-0)
L: Lewis, Hayden (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Nixon, Luke 1 ; Lanphere, Drew 1 ; Johnson, Sherman 1
HR: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Bargo, Dalton 1
RBI: Nixon, Luke 3 ; Wiggins, Andrew 2 ; Lanphere, Drew 1 ; McHugh, Chris 2 ; Johnson, Sherman 1 ; Bargo, Dalton 2 ; Fraasman, Brayden 1
SH: Head, Ty 1
SF: McHugh, Chris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nixon, Luke 1 ; Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Head, Ty 1 ; Lanphere, Drew 2 ; Ryan, Mikey 1 ; McHugh, Chris 1 ; Johnson, Sherman 1 ; Novy, Brandon 1 ; Bargo, Dalton 3 ; Fraasman, Brayden 1
SB: Ryan, Mikey 1
CS: Nixon, Luke 1
Base Running:
CS: Wilson, Blake 1
HBP: Cowan, Ty 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballAuburn Regional Preview: Elliott Avent on ACC PM
Thursday, May 29
Game Three Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Tuesday, June 11
Game Two Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Sunday, June 09
Game One Press Conference - Athens Super Regional
Saturday, June 08