North Carolina State University Athletics
Tuesday, April 28
Raleigh, NC
6 p.m.
NC State
28-16
12
vs
2
East Carolina
28-17-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| NC State | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 0 |
Wolfpack Freshmen Ready for the Moment Against ECU
4/28/2026 11:57:00 PM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. - For the first time since 2022, NC State sweeps the season series against East Carolina after an eight-inning, 12-2 run-rule victory over the Pirates Tuesday night at the Doak. It was the ninth win of the season to end in a run-rule for the Pack and the second to come via a walk-off.Â
The victory marks win 1,099 in the NC State career of head coach Elliott Avent, putting him one away from 1,100, where he would become the fourth ACC coach and just the 20th D1 coach to reach the mark at a single school.
NC State (28-16) was led once again by a trio of freshman pitchers against the Pirates, as Truitt Manuel, Mikey Ragusa, and Aiden Kitchings combined to throw six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10.Â
Manuel (1-0) earned his first career win after pitching 2.1 innings, allowing no runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. The two walks came with the bases loaded. The runs scored were credited to Wolfpack starter Julien Peissel, who, in his second start of the season, went two innings, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks.
The Wolfpack offense recorded 15 hits, led by Luke Nixon, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Brayden Fraasman, who delivered the walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth, also had two RBIs.
Rett Johnson extended his hitting streak to 18 games and scored twice. Devin Mitchell and Christian Serrano made their first career starts for the Pack, with Serrano finishing with two hits, including a double, and scoring twice.Â
Chris McHugh hit his eighth home run of the season, marking a new career best. It was his first home run since March 17 at UNCW.
NC State started the scoring with a Sherman Johnson triple that scored Ty Head from first. Freshman Vincent DeCarlo followed with an RBI single to score Johnson.
ECU tied the game in the top of the third on two bases-loaded walks. With one out and the bases still loaded, Manuel got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts, the first on a 3-2 count.
The Wolfpack took the lead for good on McHugh's home run in the bottom of the third and added its fifth run on a Dalton Bargo sacrifice fly. The Pack now has 32 sacrifice flies on the season, which leads the ACC and is fifth in the nation.
Nixon, who homered in the first meeting, once again brought home a run with a single in the bottom of the fourth. Nixon stole second, allowing Johnson to score from third on the throw, making it 7-2.
The bottom of the seventh was the big inning for the Wolfpack, as they plated four, beginning with a Fraasman single that scored Brandon Novy from second. Johnson used his speed to beat out an infield hit and moved to second on a throwing error. The error allowed Serrano to score from second. Johnson then scored from second himself on a Nixon RBI infield single to make it 11-2.
Novy walked in the eighth, and Andrew Wiggins came on to pinch run for him at first. Drew Lanphere, who entered as a defensive replacement, singled, moving Wiggins to third. Fraasman, on the first pitch, sent the ball deep enough to center field, allowing Wiggins to tag and score, ending the game early.
NC State will now prepare for a pivotal three-game ACC series as Miami comes to Raleigh to open May. Friday's game is set for 6 p.m. on ACCNX.
Â
The victory marks win 1,099 in the NC State career of head coach Elliott Avent, putting him one away from 1,100, where he would become the fourth ACC coach and just the 20th D1 coach to reach the mark at a single school.
NC State (28-16) was led once again by a trio of freshman pitchers against the Pirates, as Truitt Manuel, Mikey Ragusa, and Aiden Kitchings combined to throw six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10.Â
Manuel (1-0) earned his first career win after pitching 2.1 innings, allowing no runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. The two walks came with the bases loaded. The runs scored were credited to Wolfpack starter Julien Peissel, who, in his second start of the season, went two innings, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks.
The Wolfpack offense recorded 15 hits, led by Luke Nixon, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Brayden Fraasman, who delivered the walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth, also had two RBIs.
Rett Johnson extended his hitting streak to 18 games and scored twice. Devin Mitchell and Christian Serrano made their first career starts for the Pack, with Serrano finishing with two hits, including a double, and scoring twice.Â
Chris McHugh hit his eighth home run of the season, marking a new career best. It was his first home run since March 17 at UNCW.
NC State started the scoring with a Sherman Johnson triple that scored Ty Head from first. Freshman Vincent DeCarlo followed with an RBI single to score Johnson.
ECU tied the game in the top of the third on two bases-loaded walks. With one out and the bases still loaded, Manuel got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts, the first on a 3-2 count.
The Wolfpack took the lead for good on McHugh's home run in the bottom of the third and added its fifth run on a Dalton Bargo sacrifice fly. The Pack now has 32 sacrifice flies on the season, which leads the ACC and is fifth in the nation.
Nixon, who homered in the first meeting, once again brought home a run with a single in the bottom of the fourth. Nixon stole second, allowing Johnson to score from third on the throw, making it 7-2.
The bottom of the seventh was the big inning for the Wolfpack, as they plated four, beginning with a Fraasman single that scored Brandon Novy from second. Johnson used his speed to beat out an infield hit and moved to second on a throwing error. The error allowed Serrano to score from second. Johnson then scored from second himself on a Nixon RBI infield single to make it 11-2.
Novy walked in the eighth, and Andrew Wiggins came on to pinch run for him at first. Drew Lanphere, who entered as a defensive replacement, singled, moving Wiggins to third. Fraasman, on the first pitch, sent the ball deep enough to center field, allowing Wiggins to tag and score, ending the game early.
NC State will now prepare for a pivotal three-game ACC series as Miami comes to Raleigh to open May. Friday's game is set for 6 p.m. on ACCNX.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Manuel, Truitt (1-0)
L: Moran, Nick (1-1)
Batting:
RBI: Irby, Austin 1 ; Wallace, Colby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burress, Braden 1 ; Whitaker, Davin 1
Batting:
2B: Serrano, Christian 1
3B: Johnson, Sherman 1
HR: McHugh, Chris 1
RBI: Fraasman, Brayden 2 ; Nixon, Luke 2 ; McHugh, Chris 2 ; Bargo, Dalton 1 ; DeCarlo, Vincent 1 ; Johnson, Sherman 1 ; Johnson, Rett 1
SF: Fraasman, Brayden 1 ; Bargo, Dalton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fraasman, Brayden 1 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Novy, Brandon 1 ; McHugh, Chris 1 ; Head, Ty 2 ; Johnson, Sherman 1 ; Johnson, Rett 2 ; Serrano, Christian 2 ; Wiggins, Andrew 1
SB: Fraasman, Brayden 1 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Serrano, Christian 1
CS: Johnson, Sherman 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball2025 Victory Over Cancer Recap
Wednesday, April 22
Auburn 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