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Harris Helps NC State Baseball Bounce Back: Stats, Observations

The Wolfpack got an elite performance from freshman righty Sam Harris in its 12-7 win over Stanford.
Tucker Sennett|
Right-handed pitcher Sam harris winds up in NC State's 12-7 win over the Stanford Cardinal at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif., on May 9, 2026.
Right-handed pitcher Sam harris winds up in NC State's 12-7 win over the Stanford Cardinal at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif., on May 9, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

After dropping the first game of the series to Stanford, NC State recovered nicely in the Saturday tilt, rallying to beat the Cardinal 12-7 at Sunken Diamond to tie up the three-game set. Things looked bad for the road team early in the game, but the Wolfpack responded with some crooked numbers in the fifth and sixth innings to come all the way back from a 5-0 deficit.

Both Sherman Johnson and Ty Head continued their impressive runs at the plate, while Andrew Wiggins got his first start in right field, a decision that proved to be particularly wise for head coach Elliott Avent. However, it was a freshman reliever who turned out to be the difference between a win and a loss for the Pack in another massively important game.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

  1. LF Rett Johnson: 1-5, BB
  2. 2B Luke Nixon: 2-6, 2 R
  3. 1B Chris McHugh: 1-6, R, K
  4. CF Ty Head: 1-2, 3 R, RBI, HR (13), 3 BB, K
  5. 3B Sherman Johnson: 2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB
  6. RF Andrew Wiggins: 2-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB, HR (6) -- RF Brayden Fraasman
  7. SS Christian Serrano: 0-5, RBI, K
  8. DH Dalton Bargo: 2-4, R, RBI, BB
  9. C Drew Lanphere: 0-1 -- PH/C Vincent DeCarlo: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB

LHP Luke Hemric: 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Aiden Kitchings: BB
RHP Sam Harris: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K, W (2-1)
RHP Mikey Ragusa: 0.2 IP

Critical observations

The Cardinal jumped all over freshman lefty Luke Hemric, who struggled in his latest start for the Wolfpack, but didn't let things get too out of hand. The home run proved to be the most fatal issue for the freshman, as Stanford mashed three homers in the first two innings of the game, chasing Hemric after he recorded just six outs. Luckily for the Wolfpack, another freshman was ready to step up.

The series win over Miami was headlined by a heroic bullpen performance from sophomore righty Anderson Nance, who came in and threw 113 pitches in the final game of that three-game set. On Saturday, it was freshman right-hander Sam Harris who carried the load out of the bullpen, throwing 79 pitches over 6.1 innings to earn the win for the Wolfpack.

Wiggins provided a truly impressive spark to the lineup in his first start in the outfield. There were concerns about his defense, which hurt his opportunities for playing time, but he proved his bat far outweighs those issues in the field on Saturday, mashing his sixth home run of the 2026 season in the top of the sixth to help the Wolfpack extend the lead.

Scoring five runs in the fifth and four in the sixth proved to be the difference in the game for NC State, which now has an opportunity to steal a second series victory in a row. Taking care of Stanford in the final game would go a long way in maintaining a strong RPI standing, and it would solidify the Pack's status in the upper half of the ACC standings with one series left in the season.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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