2026 NC State Baseball Preview – Part II: Who’s Back

Key Highlights

• Hey, I don’t blame you – that’s a reasonable reaction at a surface level.
• Fear not, though, there’s plenty of reason for optimism for the 2026 Wolfpack, and it starts with who’s back from last year’s team. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHeath Andrews – JR – RHPPreston Bonn – rFR – CLandon Carr – rJR – RHPCooper Consiglio – JR – LHPJacob Dudan – JR – RHPBrayden Fraasman – SR – OFTy Head – SO – CFDrew Lanphere – rJR – CTruitt Manuel – rFR – RHPRyan Marohn – JR – LHPChris McHugh – JR – 1BKaden Morris – rFR – RHPAnderson Nance – SO – RHPLuke Nixon – JR – INFBrandon Novy – SO – 1B/3BJulien Peissel – rJR – RHPTristan Potts – SO – LHP(Starters and key contributors in bold)By a quick count, that’s four starters plus a key contributor returning to the lineup plus two-thirds of the weekend rotation and three of the top four relievers by innings pitched in 2025.
• That’s a solid basis to start a club with, especially in today’s current transfer portal climate.
• Let’s take a closer look at those coming back, starting with the players who didn’t play as crucial a role last season. Preston Bonn was a late addition to the Wolfpack’s freshman class of 2025 and spent the year redshirting while Alex Sosa started 40 games behind the dish and Drew Lanphere accounting for the other 16 starts at catcher.
• With Sosa now gone, the 6’0, 187 lbs Bonn has a chance for playing time. Landon Carr redshirted last year after notching a single appearance in February with a scoreless inning against Ohio State.