NC State baseball preview: Pitching to be the strength in 2025

For the first time in the last six years, NC State’s pitching staff will not lean on either Sam Highfill or Logan Whitaker. Those two arms epitomized what the Wolfpack wanted to do on the mound during their tenure in Raleigh, but both are in MLB organizations going into the 2025 campaign.  So, where does NC State’s pitching staff stand going into another season as it looks to make its third trip to the Men’s College World Series in a five-season span? The Pack will rely on a mix of experienced veterans and battle-tested underclassmen to propel the team through the spring. While Highfill and Whitaker are gone, NC State returns a key group of pitchers that will make up the Wolfpack’s strength of the team. Graduate right-hander Matt Willadsen and junior righty Dominic Fritton are a pair of often-used veterans, while the Pack’s young bullpen arms of sophomores Cooper Consiglio, Jacob Dudan and Derrick Smith are back to build off a breakout 2024 campaign.  For NC State pitching coach Clint Chrysler, this staff brings a unique combination of experience and talent to the table. The Wolfpack will be able to deploy different pitchers for nearly every situation, including varying arm angles and slots, which makes Chrysler feel he has a “well-rounded group.” Chrysler is well aware of the expectations of his group, which might be tasked with carrying the load in tight ballgames, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.  “I think we have a nice mix of old and new. We have a nice mix of stuff and pitchability,” Chrysler told TheWolfpacker.com. “It’s up to our guys, it’s up to Coach Avent and myself to manage this guys properly. You don’t ever really know until the real bullets start flying. … It’s a constant battle to figure out those roles. What your roles are in February might not be your roles in May. But I do like the personnel.” Here’s a look at NC State’s pitching staff as the Wolfpack enters the 2025 season.