The heat is on: NC State baseball’s pitching staff off to hot start in 2023

NC State baseball is off to a red-hot start as one of the few teams to remain unbeaten through the first two weekends of the 2023 season. A big reason for the Pack’s perfect record is the strong top-to-bottom play of the Wolfpack’s pitching staff, which has given up no more than four runs in a game and holds a team ERA of 1.57, good for second-best in the ACC.

Entering the season, junior righty Matt Willadsen was expected to be one the Wolfpack’s better pitchers, and he’s delivered so far this season, striking out batters with ease. With 14 strikeouts, he’s more than doubled the six hits he’s given up in two starts, and his rare ability to limit batters from even putting the ball in play makes him a key asset to the team.

Freshman Dominic Fritton has impressed in his first two starts of his collegiate career. The lefty is holding opposing batters to just a .154 batting average, and the only run he’s given up was a solo shot against Belmont — the Bruins’ only score of the game. Despite being new to the college game, Fritton has held his own, emerging as one of the early surprises for the Wolfpack.

Meanwhile, redshirt junior righty Logan Whitaker is NC State’s Friday-night starter and has looked the part in his two starts, allowing just 10 hits and four runs while posting six strikeouts. His production has been good, but it will be interesting to see if Whitaker remains the Friday starter with the tremendous jobs Willadsen and Fritton have done.

NC State’s final starter, junior PJ Labriola, will likely see most of his action during midweek games. The Clemson transfer has started one game this year — a midweek game at Coastal Carolina where the Chanticleers scored three runs in 3.2 innings, but the lefty threw five strikeouts. At Clemson, Labriola was primarily a reliever, so becoming a starter will have a learning curve, but he’ll have opportunities to build confidence during mid-week starts this season as he adjusts into his new role.

In addition, the bullpen is also a strength for NC State this year, as it has little drop off from the Pack’s group of starting pitchers. The group has several talented and experienced players that give the Wolfpack an advantage late in ball games, only giving up two runs this season.

Redshirt senior Baker Nelson is one of the more experi- enced options on the mound for the Pack. The right-handed reliever has appeared in three games, blanking opponents in each appearance while earning three strikeouts and only giving up three hits.

Junior Justin Lawson is also one of the better pitchers in the bullpen — through four innings pitched, he leads the team with an opposing batting average of .077. The righty has also racked up six strikeouts, the most out of all the relievers. He’ll be a valuable asset for the team, especially facing a challenging conference schedule.

Making his highly-anticipated return to the hill, junior Sam Highfill has played well thus far after coming off a back injury from last season. So far, in 3.1 innings of action, the righty has only given up one hit while striking out three batters and as the season progresses, it’ll be worth watching if Highfill’s role evolves. Last season, he started six games and would have been a capable starter should he have remained healthy, but he also provides a steady presence on the mound late in games, something the Wolfpack will need in ACC play.