NC State baseball roster prospectus: Outfield
With the MLB Draft now in the books and the transfer portal activity starting to slow, NC State baseball is beginning to get an idea of how the roster is shaping up. Thanks to a couple of transfer additions, the outfield is looking fairly well-stocked.
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NC State Baseball Outfield Prospectus
NC State baseball is losing the best outfielder off last season’s squad. Devonte Brown signed as an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays after batting .304 with 15 homers in the leadoff role for 2022. Brown was second behind Tommy White in homers and slugging percentage (.570) and led the Wolfpack in runs scored (68) and walks (50).
The other two primary starters in the outfield are expected to return. Dominic Pilolli generated draft buzz after the lefty hit .261 with nine homers and 33 runs batted in (RBI) in 180 plate appearances. He added nine doubles and three triples in his first season in Raleigh after transferring from Charlotte and recovering from a knee injury suffered in 2021.
Noah Soles also emerged as a starter in the outfield and hit .321, the third-highest average on the team, in 168 at bats. He belted four homers and 11 doubles.
Two promising freshmen on the 2021 team were Will Marcy and Chase Nixon. The former started 23 games and appeared in 32. Marcy hit .277 with three homers in 83 at bats. He was also 4 of 5 on stolen bases. Nixon was 6 of 22 at the plate (.273 average) while earning a pair of starts.
Yet NC State baseball added firepower thanks to a dynamic duo transferring in from Davidson and two touted local prospects.
Both Trevor Candelaria and Parker Nolan were first-team all-conference choices a season ago, with Candelaria manning right field and Nolan in center.
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Candelaria broke out in 2021 when he hit .285 with 11 homers and 17 doubles in 172 at bats. He also stole 13 bases on his way to being all-conference. In two games against NC State, Candelaria went 3 for 7 with two doubles and a home run and walked once.
This past season, Candelaria was a star, batting .342 with 13 home runs, 19 doubles and a pair of triples in 234 at bats. He also drove in 62 while scoring 62 times as well. His on-base percentage was an impressive .452, and he stole 13 bases. He helped Davidson go 43-13.
Nolan batted .310 at the plate with 15 homers and 50 RBI in 2022. Nolan added 11 doubles and 5 triples and had a .663 slugging percentage. Nolan walked 40 times for a .442 on-base percentage and stole 12 bases while helping Davidson win the Atlantic 10 regular season title.
Both Nolan and Candelaria will be super seniors for NC State baseball.
Adding to the potential firepower of the outfield are two incoming recruits who were considered potential MLB Draft picks but went unselected. Speedy Michael Gupton from Rolesville (N.C.) High is a former track standout who is considered the top prospect in the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game, while lefty Eli Serrano from Fuquay-Varina is an imposing presence at the plate at 6-foot-5, 195-pounder and was rated No. 2 in N.C.
