Wolfpack Grinds Its Way to Home Opener Win

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 7:00 AM ET

RALEIGH — While the sun didn't shine as brightly as the team hoped, NC State baseball got a win in its first game of the 2026 season at Doak Field. The Wolfpack got some quality power from the middle of the lineup that propelled the team to a 7-3 win over the Winthrop Eagles.

Wolfpack Lineup and Stats

CF Ty Head: 1-4, HR, RBI
1B Chris McHugh: 1-4
DH Dalton Bargo: 0-4
RF Brayden Fraasman: 1-3, HR, RBI, BB
2B Luke Nixon: 3-4, 3 R
SS Mikey Ryan: 0-2, BB
C Drew Lanphere: 2-2, 4 RBI, HR, BB
3B Sherman Johnson: 0-2 --- PH and Sub Wyatt Peifer 1-2
LF Rett Johnson: 0-4

RHP Heath Andrews (Starter): 3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Luke Hemric: 2.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 3 K
RHP Anderson Nance: 2.1 IP, H, 2 K, W
LHP Cooper Consiglio: 1.0 IP, 2 K

Recapping the action

What a spot for the freshman!

Luke Hemric, in his first appearance for the Wolfpack, gets his first two collegiate strikeouts, including this one with the bases loaded. pic.twitter.com/DvNd9H3zod
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 18, 2026

It was the Eagles who struck first on Tuesday, taking a one-run lead in the second inning of the game. Andrews wasn't on point early and became a victim of soft contact early in the game. A bloop single brought across the first run for Winthrop, but Andrews worked his way out of the first jam. The Wolfpack responded with two runs in the bottom of the second, with the first coming courtesy of a throwing error on contact from Mikey Ryan and the second from a sac-fly from Drew Lanphere.

Winthrop took the lead right back, forcing Andrews out of the game relatively early. The Wolfpack turned to Hemric, the freshman lefty, who came in and shined in his collegiate debut. He escaped a handful of jams and helped limit the damage done by the Eagles to just two runs. Head responded with a solo home run to tie the game at three.

Knew it was gone off the bat. First home run of the season for Ty Head! pic.twitter.com/DYEH2V0der
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 18, 2026

The Wolfpack broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. Lanphere blasted the team's second home run of the afternoon to right field, driving in Nixon to take a 5-3 lead. With Nance in the game, the Pack was done messing around and wanted to ride the two-run lead to victory the rest of the game. However, the Wolfpack wasn't done adding runs yet.

Someone check on that bus. Fraasman hits the Wolfpack's third home run of the game and his first of the season.

Wolfpack leads 6-3. pic.twitter.com/rniiQQDzGF
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 18, 2026

Nance settled things down on the mound nicely, but it was the offense that carried the team to victory. Fraasman roped the Wolfpack's third home run of the game to left field to push the lead to three runs. Lanphere hammered a double to drive in Nixon once again, who hit his own double down the right field line earlier in the inning. By the end of the eighth, the Pack led by four runs.

That was enough for the Wolfpack to cruise to victory late, even with the Eagles getting a couple baserunners in the top of the ninth.

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