A first look at the 2025 Wolfpack baseball season
The 2025 college baseball season will be here before we know it. Let’s get to know this year’s NC State squad and find out if this group can make it four trips to the College World Series in a dozen years. Here’s how we’ll try to do this:
- Part I took a look back at the 2024 season and the players who are no longer with the program.
- Part II will look at the returnees from that 2024 team.
- Part III will look at the newcomers for 2025.
- Part IV will look at the non-conference schedule.
- Part V will look at ACC opponents.
Let’s go!
Who’s back
NC State almost made it four straight years with exactly 20 returnees from the prior season, but Peyton Young’s dip into the transfer portal in December left the Wolfpack with 19 returning players from 2024’s CWS squad.
The Pack loses a ton of innings from last year’s team, but returns a bunch of quality young arms, plus the potential return of a couple arms lost due to injury for part or the entirety of the 2024 season. There’s not a ton of returning production from the lineup, but of the five returnees who were starters or key contributors last year, three missed significant time during the year due to illness and/or injury. Getting them back at full strength will be very beneficial.
Below are the players returning in 2025 from the 2024 team:
- Heath Andrews – SO – RHP
- Jake Bechtel – SO – OF
- Cooper Consiglio – SO – LHP
- Jacob Dienes – rJR – LHP
- Jacob Dudan – SO – RHP
- Dominic Fritton – JR – LHP
- Matt Heavner – JR – INF
- Josh Hogue – JR – OF
- Carson Kelly – SR – RHP
- Drew Lanphere – rSO – C/OF
- Jaxon Lucas – SO – RHP
- Ryan Marohn – SO – LHP
- Luke Nixon – SO – INF
- Andrew Shaffner – JR – RHP/OF
- Derrick Smith – rSO – RHP
- Alex Sosa – SO – C
- Shane Van Dam – JR – RHP
- Matt Willadsen – rSR – RHP
- Camden Wimbish – SO – RHP
(Starters/Key Contributors in bold)
Heath Andrews was a bit of a project prospect in last year’s freshman class, a 6’3, 195 pound high-upside but raw talent. He struggled with the few opportunities he got (0-1, 11.57 ERA, 9.1 IP, 14.5 BB%, 10.9 K%), mostly thanks to control issues. In the instances he was in the zone, he got hammered for leaving the ball out where hitters could – and did – do damage. The talent is clearly present as Andrews received an invitation last summer to pitch in the Cape Cod League, and he fared much better there (2-2, 4.08 ERA, 17.2 IP, 6.6 BB%, 21.1 K%). With a mid-90’s fastball among his three-pitch repertoire, Andrews should be a bullpen depth piece at the worst, but has the stuff and build to compete for a starting spot, whether in the weekend rotation or as a midweek starter. If he throws anything less than twice as many innings as he threw last year, I’d be shocked.
Jake Bechtel was a two-way prospect out of high school last year, but didn’t see action on the mound. He hit .063/.167/.250 with 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, and a 5.6 BB% and 50.0 K% last year in 18 plate appearances. Built like a linebacker at 6’5, 230 pounds, Bechtel has moved off the mound and will be an outfielder only this year. He obviously has a strong arm and moves well for his size, but will still be a project guy in 2025 with the depth of outfielders on this team. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and really tap into that natural power, he could have a nice future with the Pack.
A high school teammate of Bechtel’s, Cooper Consiglio shined as a freshman in 2024 for the Wolfpack. When injuries hit State’s pitching staff, the lefty stepped up huge, including in the Pack’s late season run with huge performances in wins over Florida State, Virginia, and Wake Forest. For the season, he posted a 5-4 record with a 4.97 ERA over 41.2 IP, a 13.5 BB% and 21.3 K%. After last season, he played with the USA Baseball College National Team. While Consigilo lacks a typical starter’s build, he has the stuff to excel in that role, while also being able to fill any relief role. Unless he develops a third pitch that can be used more frequently than he showed his changeup last year, his two-pitch mix will likely relegate him to a reliever role in 2025.
Jacob Dudan was a steal of a recruit for NC State in the 2024 freshman class. Rated outside of the Top 500 nationally, Dudan showcased a skillset of a Top 100 arm as early as last fall. There was still some rawness to him, but the fastball-slider combo was unreal and he stepped into – and delivered in – some key situations for the Pack last year. In 2024, Dudan posted: 4-2, 6 SV, 4.50 ERA, 48.0 IP, 15.8 BB%, 26.0 K%. That effort earned him Freshman All-American and ACC All-Freshman Team honors, as well as a run with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team during the summer. With a high-90’s heater, a slider with wiffleball like movement, and a true competitor mentality, Dudan is a high-leverage arm if ever there was one. He should continue to fill that role in 2025 for State. The next step in his development will be improving his ability to work multiple innings, specifically in maintaining the same level of efficiency in that second inning.
Like Bechtel, Jaxon Lucas came to campus as a two-way prospect. Unlike Bechtel, Lucas was a much higher-rated recruit, tabbed as a top 150 recruit nationally. Like Bechtel, Lucas will be dropping the two-way label in 2025, but unlike Bechtel, Lucas will be focusing on pitching. Across his freshman year, Lucas posted a 1-0 record with a 9.43 ERA over 21.0 IP, with a 11.3 BB% and 20.8 K%. The ERA makes you cringe, but the underlying numbers display the potential that exists with his low 90’s heater and exceptional changeup. Lucas pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, although he struggled with control there. He’ll be a relief arm again in 2025. Stepping forward will require better control and the development of a better third pitch option.
A 20th round draft pick out of high school in 2023, Ryan Marohn figured to ease into a prominent role with State. Instead, injuries – and his own production, to be fair – pushed him into the opening weekend rotation. While he bounced around between the weekend rotation, midweek starts, and relief gigs, Marohn turned in an excellent rookie effort: 4-2, 1 SV, 3.97 ERA, 59.0 IP, 9.7 BB%, 17.8 K%. With his prior experience and success, Marohn and his low-90’s heater should find a home again in the weekend rotation, this time with a more likely chance of sticking in that role all year. The nice part is that he has the flexibility to adapt to different roles for the pitching staff, should another arm step up and he be able to add better value in a different slot.
We covered Chase Nixon’s transfer in Part I, but his younger brother Luke Nixon returns for the Pack in 2025. It was Luke who played the more significant role among the Nixon brothers in 2024, and he’s the leader among returning players in games played from last year. Luke Nixon was not a highly rated recruit out of high school, but instantly showed his natural feel for the game and ability to produce. Nixon also showed his defensive versatility, being able to play in the infield, as well as moving to the outfield when injuries created a need there for State. The overall numbers (.238/.395/.349, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 37 R, 34 RBI, 14-18 SB, 15.2 BB%, 15.2 K%) don’t jump off the page, but the underlying numbers – namely the walk and strikeout rates – signify a jump in production for his sophomore year. Nixon should be the starting second baseman for the Pack this year.
Alex Sosa was a massive recruiting coup in getting him to Raleigh in 2023. A top 100 national recruit, many expected him to go pro out of high school, but instead he made his way to NC State. He was expected to be an immediate contributor, but came down with an illness after the opening series of the year and missed the next month of the season. Even once back, it took awhile for Sosa to get his strength back and to readjust to college pitching. He finally got his legs back under him when the calendar turned over to May, and went on to be the impact bat many expected from that point on. For the season, Sosa hit .230/.356/.398, 1 2B, 6 HR, 16 R, 24 RBI, 1-1 SB, 15.6 BB%, 25.2 K%. From May through the end of the year, Sosa hit .322/.459/.593, 1 2B, 5 HR, 11 R, 18 RBI, 1-1 SB, 18.9 BB%, 21.6 K%. If anyone’s unfamiliar with what he can do, just watch the home run he hit in the Super Regional clincher at Georgia. After mostly DH’ing last year, Sosa – who spent time last summer on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team – will be State’s starting catcher in 2025.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but we’re going to talk about a sophomore who was a two-way player last year but will focus on a single position in 2025. Camden Wimbish was a high school catcher who also pitched, but he’s a PO (pitcher-only) now for the Pack. Last year he appeared in just five games, posting a 9.82 ERA over 3.2 IP with a 15.8 BB% and 21.1 K%. With a mid-90s fastball and a developing curveball, Wimbish has the profile of a potential back-end bullpen option. He’ll get more opportunities this year than last, but he’ll need to produce.
Drew Lanphere came to State as a corner infield and catching prospect. He’s still catching, but has an outfielder designation next to his name on the 2025 roster. After not seeing the field in 2023, Lanphere started 18 games in 2024 while putting together a line of .273/.367/.377, 2 2B, 2 HR, 13 R, 14 RBI, 12.1 BB%, 24.2 K%. Some injuries limited him and he took on a mostly reserve role after mid-April. Lanphere should serve as the top backup catcher behind Sosa in 2025 while competing for starting DH duties.
Derrick Smith exited high school as one of the top players for his class in the state of Minnesota, but despite some of the greats that have come from that state over the years, that barely placed him inside the top 500 nationally. With a strong frame and a power fastball, Smith was a bit of a project, and his trajectory followed. He made three appearances as a freshman while redshirting, then took a while to hit his stride in 2024. Smith is a great example of why coaches get paid the big bucks, because I was saying early last year that Smith was getting too many important innings while not backing that up with results (16.88 ERA over 7 appearances and 5.1 innings through the end of March). The coaching staff clearly saw something there and their instincts proved right. From the start of April through the end of the year, Smith posted a 1.85 ERA over 17 appearances and 24.1 innings. For the season, Smith posted a line of: 3-2, 8 SV, 4.55 ERA, 29.2 IP, 8.9 BB%, 33.3 K%. After the season, he joined Consiglio, Dudan, and Sosa on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He should resume his closer duties in 2025, coupling again with Dudan to form the nation’s premier 1-2 punch at the back of the bullpen.
If Smith is the case for coaching knowing better, Dom Fritton may be the case for why coaches shouldn’t tinker with something that’s working. Fritton put together a Freshman All-American campaign his first season on campus that landed him with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, and many expected him to take a big step forward in 2024. However, the adjustments to his pitches by the coaching staff instead resulted in a big step backwards. Freshman year (2023): 3-4, 3 SV, 3.59 ERA, 62.2 IP, 8.9 BB%, 27.8 K%. Sophomore year (2024): 3-7, 7.64 ERA, 73.0 IP, 13.5 BB%, 20.7 K%. Fritton clearly had issues locating his pitches which impacted everything else from there. He’d leave balls out over the plate and got hurt badly with that (22 HR surrendered in 2024 after just 7 allowed in 2023). The good news is that he had a strong fall and the upside is clearly still there. If he can get back to his freshman year form, State will have the ace they need for 2025.
Matt Heavner and his Farrah Fawcett hair flow arrived to campus as an undersized and underrated recruit. He served as a backup as a freshman, then stepped up as a sophomore when late April injuries in the outfield forced Luke Nixon to move off second base, with Heavner filling that role admirably. Twenty-one of his 29 starts came after that point, including every game in the NCAA Tournament (.276/.344/.310, 6.3 BB%, 9.4 K%). For the season, Heavner hit .253/.357/.358, 4 2B, 2 HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 0-1 SB, 8.3 BB%, 14.2 K%. With the outfield restocked via the transfer portal (more on that in Part III of this series) and Nixon’s impending move back to second base, Heavner is most likely going to fill a reserve infielder and pinch-hitter role in 2025 for the Pack. Having a player in that role with prior starting experience – and success – is a great asset for the team.
Josh Hogue was putting together an excellent 2024 campaign (.314/.398/.450, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 26 R 28 RBI, 2-3 SB, 9.2 BB%, 16.6 K%) when a freak collision in the outfield ended his season with a broken leg. The lefty-hitting Florida native was a recruiting afterthought coming out of high school, mainly because he hadn’t yet grown into his frame and he was playing out of position defensively. After a year in JUCO ball – and a move to the outfield – he came to State and immediately stepped in as an everyday starting corner outfielder for the Pack. If Hogue is fully healthy from the leg injury, he should step back into a starting gig in either left or right field. He could also be a candidate to DH for State given the influx of new outfield help.
In danger of becoming the next John Miralia, Andrew Shaffner needs more innings. Over his first two years in Raleigh, Shaffner has put together: 0-0, 1 SV, 4.45 ERA, 32.1 IP, 9.9 BB%, 22.0 K%. For some reason, his innings total dropped from 21.0 as a freshman to 11.1 last year, and even then, 3.0 of those innings came in mop-up duty against Georgia in the Super Regional (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K to get the save). He put together four excellent starts in the Valley League last summer (1-0, 1.45 ERA, 18.2 IP, 7.5 BB%, 33.8 K%). With a mid-90’s fastball among his three-pitch mix, Shaffner has the potential to step into a starter role whether that’s a midweek or weekend, or he could take on the role of long relief. Regardless, he needs more innings.
Like Hogue, Shane Van Dam was putting together a great 2024 campaign before an injury ended his season early. Van Dam was a late bloomer on the diamond in New Jersey while also being the quarterback of his high school’s football team. That led him to SUNY Cortland where he played both sports as a freshman. With his future clearly on the diamond, Van Dam transferred to NC State and quickly showed his promise with four innings of shutout ball in his debut. He had his ups and downs as you’d expect from a player moving up from DIII ball to the ACC. For the year, he posted a line of: 4-0, 1 SV, 4.58 ERA, 37.1 IP, 11.9 BB%, 22.6 K%. Coming off a May 2024 Tommy John Surgery, the expectation should be minimal that Van Dam actually contributes to this year’s team. The focus should be on recovery and rehab so he can produce for the 2026 Pack. Anything we get from him in 2025 is a bonus.
Jacob Dienes came to Raleigh as a project lefty and is still in that status as he enters his fourth year on campus. He’s only tossed 3.0 innings across his first three years with the Pack (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 37.5 BB%, 18.8 K%), but could be poised to toss a few more innings as a redshirt junior. He’s found more success in the Coastal Plains League during his college career (2-2, 5.24 ERA, 44.2 IP, 17.5 BB%, 28.0 K%), but locating pitches will be key to him getting any mound time in 2025.
Carson Kelly is a multi-slot reliever who throws a low 90’s heater from his three-quarters slot and a mid-to-high 80’s sinker from his sidearm slot. He made 39 appearances over his first two years on campus (2-0, 1 SV, 54.0 IP, 14.6 BB%, 24.9 K%), but made just 7 appearances in 2025 (1-0, 1 SV, 9.64 ERA, 4.2 IP, 26.1 BB%, 26.1 K%). He has a pair of different offerings from each arm slot, giving him the potential of a four-pitch mix. If he can locate, Kelly can offer significant value as a reliever for the Pack in 2025.
Matt Willadsen was expected to resume his workhorse role for the Pack in 2024, but instead an arm injury cost him the entire season before it even began. He had Tommy John Surgery in early March 2024 and should be a contributing factor for the 2025 Pack, but to what extent will be unknown. It shouldn’t be expected that he pitches to his previous level (16-12, 4.43 ERA, 260.1 IP, 9.5 BB%, 22.9 K% over 3+ seasons, including 80.0+ innings over each of the 2021-2023 seasons) as TJS recoverees usually don’t hit their prior form until the second year after surgery, so like Van Dam, whatever he can contribute in 2025 will be a bonus. What is known is that Willadsen is a bulldog on the mound who has pitched through several ailments in his career, finding success each time. While he shouldn’t be counted on to deliver 80.0+ innings this year, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t push his way into a prominent role of some form for the Pack this year. Regardless of his production, he’ll again serve in his role as a leader for the team, being a steady presence in a group of young pitchers who will benefit from his experience and leadership.