NC State Wolfpack's Dominic Fritton (51) is pulled early after giving runs in the first against the Stetson Hatters during the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday May 30, 2025. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wolfpack Baseball Adds Veteran Reliever

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 12:30 PM ET

North Carolina State baseball continued adding to the roster this week in the transfer portal. Head coach Elliott Avent made a late transfer portal addition, bringing in former Pennsylvania and Alabama reliever Danny Heintz as some extra assistance for the pitching staff.

The right-handed pitcher spent the 2025 season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, Heintz did not see any playing time in Tuscaloosa and opted to make a move.

Originally from Cary, N.C., Heintz grew up just down the road from the Pack Nine and will now get a chance to play for a team he likely grew up watching. At Green Hope High School, he was named first-team all-conference as a junior before his senior season was derailed by the pandemic. He lettered four times at Green Hope.

Heintz spent four years (2021 to 2024) with the Penn Quakers in Philadelphia playing for head coach John Yurkow. His freshman year was shortened because of the Ivy League's strict guidelines about sports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baseball's Progress

His former teammate from Penn, right-handed pitcher Edward Sarti, described Heintz's pitching style.

"(Heintz) is a tall, physical pitcher with a ton of velocity capability," Sarti said. "He has a great, hard slider which he commands very well."

Sarti commented that Heintz has dealt with injuries throughout his collegiate career, including Tommy John surgery in 2023. However, Heintz has been healthy since the major surgery.

"He is very composed and has a great, tall mound presence," Sarti said.

During Heintz's time with the team, Penn won two Ivy League Baseball Tournaments in back-to-back years and was given automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. The righty pitched in one NCAA Regional Game against St. John's in 2024 in relief.

Across his four seasons with the Quakers, Heintz pitched 38.2 innings, struck out 55 batters, allowed 33 runs (32 earned), walked 31 batters and gave up 40 hits (five home runs). He started one game and finished his career at Penn with a 7.45 ERA.

As for what Wolfpack fans can expect from Heintz, Sarti stated that his old teammate is capable of working as either a bullpen pitcher or starter. He'll give the Wolfpack another live arm to work with in the 2025 season.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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