#23 NC State shutout Norfolk State 18-0 this evening, snapping a 5-game losing streak in midweek games. Freshman Ryan Marohn pitched 4.2 innings scoreless innings, picking up his 3rd Win of the season (3-2). It was a hit parade for the Wolfpack, racking up 15 hits. Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz led the way with […] The post NC State Snaps 5-Game Midweek Losing Streak, Shutting Out Norfolk St. 18-0 appeared first on Pack Insider.

Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images NC lawmakers seek to force Carolina to play NC State every year, and even App State, ECU, and UNC-Charlotte A curious bill has hit the floor of the North Carolina State Assembly. House Bill 965, titled “UNC Intrastate Athletic Competition” would require Carolina to play NC State in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball at least once per season. Additionally, both UNC and NC State would be required to play one of East Carolina, App State, or UNC-Charlotte in said sports every season, and would have to play them home and away every six years. This would essentially force the Tar Heels to play one of these schools every season, and increase the number of true road non-conference games they schedule. There’s several layers of subtext here. The first is that this bill seems to be a hedge in case UNC and NC State end up in different conferences should the ACC implode. As a free agent, UNC would become a hot commodity between the B1G and SEC, while NC State seeks refuge in Conference-USA or something like that. North Carolina lawmakers don’t want the Tar Heel vs Wolfpack rivalry to disappear like Texas vs A&M did when the Aggies bolted for the SEC. Additionally, North Carolina lawmakers want sports tourism dollars to remain in North Carolina, preferring Tar Heels and Wolfpack alike to spend their hotel money in Boone and Greenville, rather than Berkley and Palo Alto. Lost in all of this hullabaloo is the preferences of UNC and NC State. These two schools already play their in-state rivals more than they probably care to, especially given how dangerous ECU and App State can be. While it may be kind and gracious to play their neighbors (especially away!), it can present a no-win situation. If UNC beats App State, it’s half-expected and doesn’t give the team a bump. If Carolina loses to the Mountaineers, they’ll be mocked from pillar to post. If Mack Brown, Hubert Davis, or Courtney Banghart wants to take the risk, so be it, but why have the state government legislate an important part of the non-conference schedule? The coaches know how strong their teams will be, and they’ll make the best choices for UNC’s non-conference schedule. Does that mean ECU gets the nod versus a cupcake? Who knows? But I don’t see how that’s for the NC State Assembly to decide? What do you think? Should UNC be required to play North Carolina public schools every year? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images NC State’s 2024 softball season came to a conclusion over the weekend—the Wolfpack swept Pittsburgh, but with a 6-18 league record, did not qualify for the ACC tournament. In obvious ways, State made improvements in Lindsay Leftwich’s first season as the head coach—like win total, for instance. State finished the year 30-23 overall after sputtering to an 18-35 record in 2023. But that 6-18 league record was identical to the one State put up last year, and I’ve been trying to square that with a vast improvement (24-5 this season) in the non-conference and pretty much coming up empty. Everything about this season statistically suggests it was a pretty solid step forward for the program ... except ACC play. See the below comparison, which includes three NCAA softball power ratings (ISR, Massey, ELO) that I could find. (Sources: ISR, Massey, ELO. Massey for overall SOS, ELO for OOC SOS.) The schedule schedule strength the last two years is comparable, and the ACC did not become dramatically more difficult in 2024. NC State’s road schedule in ACC play was tougher this season, and the Pack also had to play a series against an elite Duke team that it avoided in 2023—so maybe that’s the explanation here. Still, I’d have expected the team’s improvement to be reflected at least a bit in its conference record. Bit of a conundrum there. Anyway, the important thing here is that the overall picture is encouraging. The program still needs an injection of good pitching—ACC foes had a .911 OPS against State pitchers—but a complete overhaul there was always going to be a challenge in one offseason. Given all the problems Leftwich inherited, I think we saw what we needed to from her in year one.

Ohio State Transfer Safety Ja’Had Carter (6’1″/205) is taking an Official Visit to NC State beginning today according to a source. Carter played in 8 games as a reserve (6 at Safety/2 on strictly Special Teams) for the Buckeyes this past season, recording 5 tackles. Prior to joining Ohio St., Carter played his first 3 […] The post Ohio St. Transfer Safety Ja’Had Carter is Officially Visiting NC State Today appeared first on Pack Insider.