NC State Baseball

NCAA TOURNAMENT: NC State Headed To Auburn

NC State has been tabbed the No. 3 seed in the Auburn Regional with No. 1 seed Auburn, No. 2 seed UCF, and No. 4 seed Milwaukee in the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Tournament.
By James Henderson
May 25, 2026
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208 Comments
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Photo by Steve Murphy/Inside Pack Sports

NC State has been tabbed the No. 3 seed in the Auburn Regional with No. 1 seed Auburn, No. 2 seed UCF, and No. 4 seed Milwaukee in the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Tournament.

Stay tuned for more shortly on NC State baseball!

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NCAA TOURNAMENT: NC State Headed To Auburn

23,388 Views | 208 Replies | Last: 1 min ago by kmb717
ChemE94
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 8:31p, 5/28/26
We haven't strung three meaningful wins together in awhile. A lot has to go right regardless for us to win. Gonna have knock the cover off the dang ball and score a $h!t ton of runs this weekend to have a shot. Start nance whenever - just get a damn win when he starts. Absolutely can't waste his start whenever it is.
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LegacyPack4
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9:36p, 5/28/26
Nance makes sense on Friday. It's absolute must win game and I believe he is the best arm we have right now. It also sets you up to potentially throw him again on Monday, even if in a limited capacity .
We will have to score a lot of runs this weekend regardless, but I think this approach gives you the best chance from a pitching perspective. At least on paper.
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Jtilley
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 10:03p, 5/28/26
ICW Wolf said:
Not the appproaxh I would have taken. Feel like you need to have Namce against Auburn. Beating Auburn twice without using Namce seems a long shot. On record that I would have started Heath game 1.


You have to get to Auburn first. We don't have the pitching depth to have a chance coming out of the losers bracket IMO. Go for broke game one and two.
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Slobbering_Wolf
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10:29p, 5/28/26
I would personally put Heath in the pen, he is really solid for 3-4 innings then the wheels fall off
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ICW Wolf
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In reply to Jtilley • 10:32p, 5/28/26
Jtilley said:
ICW Wolf said:
Not the appproaxh I would have taken. Feel like you need to have Namce against Auburn. Beating Auburn twice without using Namce seems a long shot. On record that I would have started Heath game 1.


You have to get to Auburn first. We don't have the pitching depth to have a chance coming out of the losers bracket IMO. Go for broke game one and two.


As I have said much more confident Heath can handle UCF than Auburn. Feel good about him handling UCF actually.
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matracey
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In reply to Jtilley • 11:00p, 5/28/26
Jtilley said:
ICW Wolf said:
Not the appproaxh I would have taken. Feel like you need to have Namce against Auburn. Beating Auburn twice without using Namce seems a long shot. On record that I would have started Heath game 1.


You have to get to Auburn first. We don't have the pitching depth to have a chance coming out of the losers bracket IMO. Go for broke game one and two.


Right if you lose game one good chance you never even see Auburn until at least game four if you even get to a game four without losing twice. No chance you're getting to game four in a regional without using your best pitcher left especially with our lack of depth. It's different when you're the host and playing the 4 seed game one who you should be able to beat no matter who the starter is. Then you can play around a little bit.
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Borowolf10
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In reply to Slobbering_Wolf • 11:02p, 5/28/26
Slobbering_Wolf said:
I would personally put Heath in the pen, he is really solid for 3-4 innings then the wheels fall off


Agreed.
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Ncsu1050
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In reply to matracey • 7:18a
matracey said:
Jtilley said:
ICW Wolf said:
Not the appproaxh I would have taken. Feel like you need to have Namce against Auburn. Beating Auburn twice without using Namce seems a long shot. On record that I would have started Heath game 1.


You have to get to Auburn first. We don't have the pitching depth to have a chance coming out of the losers bracket IMO. Go for broke game one and two.


Right if you lose game one good chance you never even see Auburn until at least game four if you even get to a game four without losing twice. No chance you're getting to game four in a regional without using your best pitcher left especially with our lack of depth. It's different when you're the host and playing the 4 seed game one who you should be able to beat no matter who the starter is. Then you can play around a little bit.


If you had decided to go with somewhere other then nance today and lost then you're stuck throwing nance against most likely Milwaukee
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ICW Wolf
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7:46a
I will reiterate we have to beat Auburn twice without Nance. Think that though.

The surest path to winning game 1 is Nance. The best path to win the region is Heath today.
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Glasswolf
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 7:56a
ICW Wolf said:
I will reiterate we have to beat Auburn twice without Nance. Think that though.

The surest path to winning game 1 is Nance. The best path to win the region is Heath today.


I agree. Unless a complete miracle occurs. I would have started Andrews with a very, very short leash then relied on the BP with an even shorter leash
“In America, anyone can become president. That's the problem.”
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Wolfer79
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8:09a


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Wolfer79
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8:59a


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Wolfer79
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9:56a


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DrummerboyWolf
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10:06a
You have to win the first game. Nance is probably our best pitcher right now. You lose to UCF then you have to win 4 straight. If we had a full strength Marohn and Dudan, then you might could get through by losing the first. We don't have that in our back pocket to use so we have to win the first game no matter what.

Hopefully the bats are awake and we can win 3 and move on. Not likely, but always a possibility. It's baseball and anything can happen.

GO PACK!!

Being an N. C. State fan builds great character!
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ChemE94
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10:12a
Our boys gotta rake all weekend. Field sets up well for our left handed bats, just hoping to see us be aggressive at the plate and on the bases!
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Wolfer79
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10:59a
Southern Mississippi is ready



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matracey
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 11:50a
And the best path to losing the regional is to lose game 1. The surest way to lose game 1 is to throw your third starter. There's no guarantee you ever actually play Auburn and especially not if you lose game 1.

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ICW Wolf
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In reply to matracey • 11:54a
matracey said:
And the best path to losing the regional is to lose game 1. The surest way to lose game 1 is to throw your third starter. There's no guarantee you ever actually play Auburn and especially not if you lose game 1.



Game 2 is just as important as Game 1 and the opponent is much better in game 2. Not to mention if I am going to have a heavier bullpen game I want it on Friday and not Saturday. Those Friday night guys much better positioned to come back on Sunday.
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matracey
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 12:00p
The opponent is much better in game 2 IF two exact outcomes occur. Auburn and State both win or both lose. There is no guarantee of either happening.

Who knows that could be the plan with Nance? Start him but only for a couple innings and then you can bring him back on Sunday
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ICW Wolf
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In reply to matracey • 12:07p
matracey said:
The opponent is much better in game 2 IF two exact outcomes occur. Auburn and State both win or both lose. There is no guarantee of either happening.

Who knows that could be the plan with Nance? Start him but only for a couple innings and then you can bring him back on Sunday


Go with the flow rather than have an opinion. I am going to guess if they started Heath you would be talking completely different.

Again we are gonna beat Auburn twice without Namce? I sure hope so but based on what we have seen that seems a seiiis stretch. We will need this regional to devolve into chaos at this point I would say. Go Milwaukee.
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matracey
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 12:22p
Attack the poster and put words in others mouths instead of just having a civil discussion about the topic. Classic
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BigLefty24
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1:06p
If you lose game one OR game two, you have to go 4-1 to win the regional. So really, the argument is moot. Whatever rotation gives you the best chance to go 2-0 is the rotation you go with.
@BigLefty24

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ICW Wolf
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In reply to BigLefty24 • 1:09p
BigLefty24 said:
If you lose game one OR game two, you have to go 4-1 to win the regional. So really, the argument is moot. Whatever rotation gives you the best chance to go 2-0 is the rotation you go with.


Correct. We can use our best guy against number 4 team in country or we can use him against UCF.
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Wolfer79
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In reply to BigLefty24 • 1:11p
BigLefty24 said:
If you lose game one OR game two, you have to go 4-1 to win the regional. So really, the argument is moot. Whatever rotation gives you the best chance to go 2-0 is the rotation you go with.


That was kind of what I understood

Lose game 1 or 2, need to win 2 Sunday and 2 Monday

Win games 1 and 2, win 1 game on either Sunday or Monday. One game each day.

It has been done, but is more difficult path
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Ncsu1050
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In reply to ICW Wolf • 1:17p
ICW Wolf said:
BigLefty24 said:
If you lose game one OR game two, you have to go 4-1 to win the regional. So really, the argument is moot. Whatever rotation gives you the best chance to go 2-0 is the rotation you go with.


Correct. We can use our best guy against number 4 team in country or we can use him against UCF.


Your take is fair, but you also have to beat ucf to get to that point, and lately Andrew's and the bullpen haven't shown they can get you there
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BSR2016
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1:18p
Auburn down 4-0 in the first
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ICW Wolf
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In reply to Ncsu1050 • 1:22p
Ncsu1050 said:
ICW Wolf said:
BigLefty24 said:
If you lose game one OR game two, you have to go 4-1 to win the regional. So really, the argument is moot. Whatever rotation gives you the best chance to go 2-0 is the rotation you go with.


Correct. We can use our best guy against number 4 team in country or we can use him against UCF.


Your take is fair, but you also have to beat ucf to get to that point, and lately Andrew's and the bullpen haven't shown they can get you there


Part of what makes baseball the greatest game there is. Fun debates. I am done with it. Let's go win 3 games.
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Borowolf10
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1:25p
Go Milwaukee go!
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SportManagementEngineer
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1:29p
Milwaukee up 5-0 over Auburn in the second...
Twitter: @JJwith2Jays
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CLTWolf
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1:29p
make that 5-0



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SportManagementEngineer
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1:42p
Elsewhere in the tournament:
Georgia Tech with batting practice against UIC, 17-2
ECU and Tennessee tied at 1 in the 6th
Wake leads Kentucky 3-1 in the 6th
Twitter: @JJwith2Jays
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Wolfpack91
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In reply to CLTWolf • 1:48p
CLTWolf said:
make that 5-0




Let's go Panthers
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pack2010
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1:51p
6-0 Milwaukee, bottom 3.

Tenn/ECU is a very entertaining high level game
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matracey
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1:56p
Lots of game left but if Milwaukee hangs on then it's a no brainer for Nance tonight. Then maybe you can try and get cute and go Andrews tomorrow and save Coop for Sunday
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metcalfmafia
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1:57p
Squeeze Play really is the best.
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