Catcher Alex Sosa continues to grow heading into sophomore campaign at NC State

Alex Sosa can laugh about it now. It’s been nearly a year — and he’s grown a lot since the early stages of his freshman campaign at NC State.

Why? His introduction to college baseball was filled with several bumps in the road after an impressive 3-for-7 start with two RBI in his first two appearances. 

First, it was a bout with mononucleosis, which kept Sosa sidelined for nearly a month. When he was ready to return to action, Sosa was a part of nearly half the roster that caught the flu. By the time he was back on the dirt with the Wolfpack, it was late March and Sosa was trying to find his stride. 

The former 125th-best prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school had to put muscle back on his frame with the back-to-back battles with illness while he also was placed back into the lineup as the Wolfpack’s top option at designated hitter. 

And when he was reinserted into the hitting order, it took Sosa some time to return to his old form. He went 14 straight appearances without a hit. That was an 0-for-37 stretch with just four talks and two runs scored. Not the ideal situation for a first-year hitter in a key role within the Wolfpack’s offense. 

But eventually, he hit his stride. Sosa finished the season with a .305 average to go along with one double, five home runs and 18 RBI after his rough stretch as NC State made its run to the Men’s College World Series. 

While Sosa was able to become a key bat in the Pack’s lineup, he was able to learn a lot from the slump. It seems to have brought a new mentality to Sosa’s mind. 

“Obviously, at the time, it was a touchy subject,” Sosa recently said with a laugh. “I’ve learned to enjoy the game, no matter how it’s going statistically on the field.”

Now, as Sosa prepares for his sophomore year, he will have more on his plate. Junior catcher Jacob Cozart was drafted 48th overall by the Cleveland Guardians, which opened the door for Sosa to become the Pack’s everyday backstop. He started just four games at catcher a year ago, while Cozart led the team’s defense in 53 starts behind the plate en route to First Team All-ACC honors. 

And as a catcher, being mentally strong is a key trait. Sosa’s experiences throughout his freshman year appear to have prepared him for his new opportunity. 

“The biggest thing I learned from last year was the mental side,” Sosa said. “You’re going to go through the ups and downs. … That mental side, [you can’t] let anything get to you. And just stay focused.”

While Sosa is able to lean on that hitting slump as a learning lesson, his teammates have been able to see how he’s grown. 

Junior right-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton, who is expected to be one of the Wolfpack’s top weekend starters again this spring, was quick to point out how Sosa used that to his advantage. 

“I think he’s just embraced it,” Fritton said.”He’s put the work in and I believe he’s going to have a really good year. I know behind the plate, he’s been growing as well. As a teammate, he’s a good guy, so that’s the kind of guy you want to root for.”

While Sosa experienced a learning curve that nearly every freshman in college baseball will go through at some point, he is ready for an even bigger role this spring. Luckily for Sosa, NC State has a storied history of catchers — all of whom he has been able to use for advice. 

Sosa picked Cozart’s brain throughout last season and ever since, while he was able to train with Luca Tresh, who is in the Kansas City Royals organization, this past offseason. He was also able to chat with Patrick Bailey, a former Pack standout catcher that won his first Gold Glove with the San Francisco Giants this past season. 

That trio has all been useful for Sosa, but after he had a front row seat to Cozart last spring, he wants to glean from his leadership skills going into the 2025 season. 

“Even when things weren’t going well, either offensively or defensively, he was just always interacting with his teammates,” Sosa said of Cozart. “It’s important to do that, specifically as a catcher, but just as an overall teammate too.”

This spring will be filled with new insights for Sosa. He’s looking forward to the challenges that arise, while his bat will be relied upon as a key piece again this season.

And the closer the Wolfpack gets to the new campaign, the more it seems like Sosa is ready for a breakout sophomore season in Raleigh. 

“From a confidence standpoint and being more of a leader this year compared to last year,it’s pretty night and day,” junior outfielder Josh Hogue said. “Talent, he has it — and it’s going to show.”