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RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 15: Luke Nixon #0 of the NC State Wolfpack misses the throw as Ty Mainolfi #2 of the Boston College Eagles slides into second during the college baseball game between the Boston College Eagles and the NC State Wolfpack on March 15, 2026 at Doak Field at Dail Park in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There’s an adage in developing young pitchers that says you pull them early to build confidence. NC State got a solid five-inning start from freshman LHP Luke Hemric on Tuesday, allowing just a single run over his first five frames – a run which probably shouldn’t have even scored if not for a misplay on a popup that ended up being an RBI double – while striking out eight Campbell hitters. Unfortunately, despite already being at a career-high 71 pitches, Hemric was sent back out for the 6th inning, ultimately giving up a three-run home run to Joey Morton before being lifted from the game.
With a listless performance from the Wolfpack lineup, that was pretty much the game right then and there. NC State would go on to lose 7-2 to the Camels.
Hemric (5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K) was great through those first five frames, allowing just two hits and keeping Campbell hitters from being able to square him up. Even in the 6th inning, the first two hits from the Camels didn’t leave the infield. The Morton shot was the first true shot the Camels got off the freshman from Apex.
Fellow freshman Sam Harris (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP) followed Hemric, and Anderson Nance (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) relieved Harris in the 7th. It was a bad showing for each, especially for Nance who was coming off a dominant relief outing this past Friday at Florida State.
Aiden Kitchings (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) was a bright spot for the Pack bullpen on the night.
It didn’t really matter much since State’s hitters couldn’t muster up much of anything, managing just four total hits on the evening, although they did work six walks. It was a lot of missed opportunities for the Pack. Two on and one out in both the 1st and 3rd innings resulted in just two total runs. Two on with no outs in the 4th ended without a run crossing, while State also managed to get the leadoff hitter aboard in the 6th and couldn’t score a run.
The Pack put a runner on base in eight of nine innings, but managed just two runs for the game. That won’t do.
Chris McHugh (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) had half of the team’s hits in the game. Rett Johnson (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 0-1 SB) had a nice game at the plate, but also ended the game on the rare thrown out trying to steal first base. I’m still not sure what was going on there, but a lesson for all your young players: if you’re a base runner and you don’t know what’s going on, just stand on a base until the umpire tells you.
Ty Head (1-for-2, 2 BB, 1-1 SB) was the only other Pack batter to reach base safely multiple times as the Wolfpack struck out 10 times in the game.
This game was certainly not the confidence booster that State needed coming off two losses at FSU and ahead of a series with a powerful Georgia Tech squad that looks like it’ll require the Pack lineup to produce a bunch of runs to pull out a series win. That series with the Yellow Jackets starts Friday night at 7:00pm in Atlanta.
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