Meet (insert Chris Berman voice) the Raiders… Led by a familiar face
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Wright State
Mascot: Rowdy Viking Wolves | School Location: Dayton, OH | Conference: Horizon
2025 Record: 4-6 (0-0, T-1st) | 2025 RPI Rank: 33
2024 Record: 32-24 (20-10, 1st) | 2024 RPI Rank: 141
2023 Record: 39-23 (22-8, 1st) | 2023 RPI Rank: 80
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time(s): Fri, Mar 7 @ 3:00pm | Sat, Mar 8 @ 2:00pm | Sun, Mar 9 @ 1:00pm
TV: Friday (ACCNX), Saturday (ACCNX), Sunday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (TBD)
Tell me about this team
Welcome back home, Alex Sogard!
Okay, so the 37-year-old NC State alum is actually from Arizona, but he pitched for the Wolfpack from 2008-2010 before being drafted by the Astros and playing five minor league seasons, as well as some time in independent ball. Since he hung up the cleats, he’s been at Wright State, first as an assistant coach for two years (2017-2018) and as the head coach for the last six years entering 2025.
In that time, he’s made quite the name for himself, certainly putting himself as a name to watch whenever it is that Elliott Avent finally calls it a career. In five full seasons, Sogard has led the Raiders to five regular season Horizon League titles, three conference tournament titles, and three NCAA Regional appearances. That’s impressive.
This year’s Wright State should be another contender for Sogard as the 2025 Raiders are again the favorites to take home the Horizon League title. Of course, this is likely to be a one-bid league, so the Raiders chances of making another NCAA Regional hinge on their ability to win another conference tourney title.
After opening the season with a series at Longwood, Wright State took on back-to-back weekend series at Top 25 squads Auburn and Ole Miss. While they got swept in both series, the experience will serve them well, and the Raiders were much more competitive in the Ole Miss series, showing the team is coming together.
The Raiders are hitting a combined .267/.387/.432 with a 12.7 BB% and 25.1 K%. They haven’t been successful on the base paths thus far (7-14 SB), but there’s a clear indication of how the team wants to push the issues on the bases when permitted (Wright State was 86-117 on SB in 56 games in 2024). The defense has been solid and should continue to be so.
The pitching staff has struggled early to the tune of a collective 8.10 ERA, but if the group can pull down that 13.0 BB%, the 22.5 K% indicates there’s talent to miss bats and be a top line Horizon League group.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Dominic Fritton (JR) — RHP Mychal Grogan (SR)
Saturday: RHP Heath Andrews (SO) — RHP Cam Allen (SO)
Sunday: LHP Ryan Marohn (SO) — RHP Jarrett Heilman (SR)
Key Players:
Offense
OF Conlan Daniel (FR) – .407/.556/.593, 5 2B, 0 HR, 18.4 BB%, 13.2 K%, 1-2 SB. From the same Archbishop Moeller high school as former Wolfpack standouts and former MLB pitchers Andrew Brackman and Eric Surkamp. Has five XBH over the last five games, and went 4-for-8 at the plate in the series with Ole Miss.
DH/INF Hunter Warren (rFR) – .364/.488/.394, 1 2B, 0 HR, 16.3 BB%, 18.6 K%, 1-2 SB. Had a six-game hitting streak out of the gate before cooling off over the last four games. Even being 0-for-10 over the last four games, he’s still reached base 6 times (4 BB, 2 HBP).
C Boston Smith (SR) – .286/.468/.543, 0 2B, 3 HR, 19.1 BB%, 27.7 K%, 0-0 SB. Name the Horizon League preseason Player of the Year by D1 Baseball. Was a 2nd Team All-Horizon selection last year while being the team’s shortstop, and has also played outfield in his career. Named the Horizon League Batter-of-the-Week last week. Mashed 19 HR last year.
INF J.P. Peltier (SO) – .290/.364/.632, 1 2B, 4 HR, 11.1 BB%, 28.9 K%, 1-3 SB. First year as a starter and leads the team in HR.
Pitching
RHP Mychal Grogan (SR) – 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8.0 IP, 16.2 BB%, 29.7 K%. In his 2nd year with Wright State after transferring from NAIA school Thomas More where he threw 242.2 innings of 4.08 ERA ball over three years.
RHP Cam Allen (SO) – 1-1, 2.70 ERA, 6.2 IP, 17.9 BB%, 25.0 K%. Name the Horizon League preseason Pitcher of the Year by D1 Baseball and 2024 2nd Team All-Horizon selection. Mid-90’s fastball and a really good slider. Will be making his first start of the year after working three relief appearances to date.
RHP Jarrett Heilman (SR) – 0-2, 24.30 ERA, 3.1 IP, 13.0 BB%, 8.7 K%. Transfer from DII Mercyhurst where he had a career line of 13-3, 2.20 ERA, 131.0 IP, 8.2 BB%, 27.6 K%. Missed all of 2024 with an injury after being his conference’s Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2023.
LHP Garrett Peters (SR) – 0-0, 2 SV, 4.15 ERA, 8.2 IP, 13.2 BB%, 21.1 K%. Former Ohio State transfer led Wright State in appearances last year with 25. Named the Horizon League Pitcher-of-the-Week last week.
LHP Griffen Paige (SO) – 0-2, 12.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 10.4 BB%, 35.4 K%. Struck out 8 in 3.0 IP against Ole Miss last weekend, but also gave up 6 ER in that time.
RHP Malachi Paplanus (FR) – 0-0, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 4.8 BB%, 33.3 K%. All-Name Team candidate.
Quick! Fun Facts!
The series between NC State and Wright State is tied at 3-3. The teams split a pair of matchups in the 1994 Mideast Regional in Knoxville, TN, (that was back before the current Regional setup was in play). Wright State won an 11-inning game in Raleigh in 2012 and the opener of a three-game series in Raleigh in 2016, but the Wolfpack took the last two games of that series.
That 2016 series opener featured five future Major Leaguers: RHP Jesse Scholtens, C Sean Murphy, and OF Peyton Burdick for Wright State, and C Andrew Knizner and SS Joe Dunand for NC State.
In that one game, NC State saw three of Wright State’s seven alumni who have made it to the MLB level. The others are 3B Tyler Black (2024-present), RHP Joe Smith (2007-2022), LHP Brian Anderson (1993-2005), and INF Keith Gordon (1993).
Wright State is named for the Wright Brothers, so it’s nice that the team gets to come visit the state this weekend where flight first took place.
The Key To A Series Win For State
Just keep doing what you’ve been doing the last five games: pitchers pounding the strike zone and hitters having quality ABs.
Prediction
With this being a more battle-tested Wright State group, this is going to be a tough series.
Outcome: NC State takes two of three