Hemric is excited for future

Luke Hemric is excited to finally be joining the Wolfpack. 

With freshmen baseball players moving in, the NC State portion of Hemric’s baseball journey is beginning in earnest. 

Hemric was no slouch in high school. The lefty finished 18-5 overall in three seasons of varsity play at Apex Friendship High School, including a gaudy 8-0 record and stunning 0.30 ERA during his senior season in 2025. 

For his efforts, Hemric earned the Apex Friendship Male Athlete of the Year (2024-25), was named Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-Conference First Team, along with earning NCBCA 4A First Team All-State honors. 

With the MLB Draft coming up in July, there is still a touch of murkiness as to where Hemric will be in 2026. The dream of being a Wolfpacker could potentially be usurped if he goes high enough in the draft. 

Until that is sorted, Hemric is delighted to be getting ready for the Pack.  Inside Pack Sports recently caught up with Hemric before the freshmen moved on to campus. The Apex-native gave thoughtful, insightful, and expansive answers in regards to his career, expectations, and some of his future plans. 

IPS: Give me your overall assessment of your senior season from a team perspective.

HEMRIC: My junior year was nice, but we did not make it as far as we wanted to. We lost in the first round of the playoffs, but this year it was a lot better. We were 22-7, I think. We won the conference and the conference tournament, and I had the best year of my high school career, for sure.

Everything this past year was significantly better, and it was a testament to the work I did in the offseason. We played well and made it to the second round of the playoffs. We lost to Ashley, who was a state runner-up last year. That was a tough game. We lost in 10 innings, but overall, it was a great year and fun.

I am glad that it went out like that. You want to go out on top, but winning the conference for the first time in school history and winning the conference tournament, which was a threepeat for us, so we went out with a bang. I think I did too.

IPS: You have spoken on it a little, but going into this season, what was your goal, individually and collectively?

HEMRIC: Coming off my junior year, it was disappointing on my end. I know I didn't pitch as well as I could have. My numbers were down. I was not in the best spot, and I was really working hard. I was thinking about not playing basketball in my senior year, but I ended up playing. I think it paid off and made me a bigger competitor.

Some of my goals were, I was just trying to win conference pitcher of the year, first team all-conference, and be all-state, and maybe win the pitcher of the year in the state. Every single time I was in the weight room, or every time I was out throwing, all I could think about was just putting in the work to get to where I needed to be and get to these goals.

Going into my first game, I threw versus Holly Springs, and I was coming off the flu. We had just lost in the third round of basketball playoffs two days before, so my body was a little tired. It was the first time on the mound. It was a night game, a crazy environment, in a rivalry-type game, and I gave up one run in the first inning. I did not give up another run in conference play the rest of the year. The only other run that I gave up that was earned was to Asheville for a spring break tournament, and I gave up a home run to this kid for a solo shot, but those are the only two runs I gave up all year.

I feel like every outing, no matter who we played, if it was the worst team of the conference or the best team, I had the same approach and know that if I didn't bring it that day, that that team on the other end wants to beat me just as bad and they're going to beat me, so I matured in a way to go over scouting reports and look at the other team's tendencies and see who are their best hitters, how try to attack them, and it paid off.,

I had one of the best years in our conference’s history on the mound, and just my stats, it was a great year overall. Team-wise, we knew we had a good team coming into this year. We were deep with senior leadership, but our one Achilles heel last year was that our fielding was not good. We made a lot of errors. In the offseason workouts, I know that our coach was adamant about making sure our fielders were making the plays, and I feel like that is why we were successful. We had maybe 10 errors all year. In high school, which is rare to have.

We were all around super solid. The middle infield was really good. Corners were good. The outfield was phenomenal, and that was just a testament to the team's work. It showed, winning the conference, winning the conference tournament, the little run we made at the end of the state playoffs, it was a testament to the whole body and teamwork that we put in.

But I am moving on now to bigger and better things.

IPS: Did you convey that to Clint Chrysler? Did you two talk about your struggles in your junior season?

HEMRIC: After my junior year, we were talking, I was telling him about how I did not think I was at my best, and part of it was our errors. I think I threw like 46 or 47 innings in the entire body of work, and we had like 24 errors behind me. It was like every other inning, there was an error, and that is tough on you as a pitcher. You gotta throw more pitches, you gotta feel like all the pressure is on you to strike guys out.

I've been talking to him after this season, during the season I told him I'm proud of myself of how I've grown and matured in a way to where the body of work that I put in and the effort I gave every outing, no matter who we played, and how it showed on the field.

As a junior, coming off a pretty good sophomore year, there was a little bit of an ego there because I thought I could just show up and win no matter what. No matter who we were playing, some teams came out there and they showed me.

In my junior year, we played Cary High, which is one of the bottom teams in my conference. I did not think too much of it. They put up seven runs on me in two innings. That was just me being immature going into that game and not preparing in the way I needed to.

When we played Cary this year, I honed in on making sure that I was going over scouting reports, looking at who their hitters are, and knowing that if I'm not on my game, they'll make me pay. I threw four shutout innings, gave up one hit, and struck out eight or nine.

Stuff like that, going over the reports. That is a maturity thing because, as a junior, I just thought showing up was enough. That is completely wrong.

IPS: Did Chrysler help with that?

HEMRIC: He did. He reassured me to know that when errors happen behind you, you cannot control that. Or when an umpire misses a call, you can't control that. You just gotta focus on what you can control. And I always tell myself when something bad does happen, How are you going to bounce back? If you give up a single or double, or your teammate makes a big error, are you going to be there to pick them up, or are you going to let them down?

I am always the one who is going to go right up to him and be like, ‘Hey, you are good, and the next ball is coming right back to you. You just make the play.’

Just like Clint reassured, letting me know that there is stuff you cannot control, and there is nothing to worry about. I just need to do my best and throw my best stuff out there, and they put it in play. I can trust the eight guys with me. They are going to make a play.

IPS: How reassuring was it that NC State seemed to stick with you in the harder times?

HEMRIC: Right after my junior year, they made the roster shift, the switch with the NCAA. I was thinking like, well, now I've got to put in the work. I got to grind. I have a short amount of time to prove to the coaching staff that I belong here.

I was topping like 87, 88 miles an hour. That is not good enough. Going into the summer, right before summer started, I clicked. I hit 90 and 91. I started to play well.

I got invited to the Team USA 18U team trials. That was a lot of fun. I pitched well there and faced guys who are probably going to be first-rounders. I did not give up a single hit and three innings and struck out six. It is a mindset thing as well, knowing that when you put in the body of work, when you put in that work and you see the results come out, it is reassuring.

Before that junior year, I was working before the season, but what I was not doing was listening to my body. When my body was tired, I would not listen to it. I would think I need to go harder or push myself, but if you are tired, there is no reason to do that because you are going to burn yourself out.

I feel like my junior year, I was a bit burnt out because it was my first year playing varsity basketball in the winter, so that is a big step in conditioning. It is okay to give your body a break because you need it.

IPS: Can you use your high school experience to make you better at NC State?

HEMRIC: A hundred percent. I was voted team captain my junior and senior year on the baseball field, and all you have to say is, ‘Hey guys, it is the same game we have been playing our whole life. There is no reason to overthink it.’

Let’s say we go into a tough environment on the road in an ACC series and we drop a couple of games, you have to say, ‘Hey, we lost Friday and Saturday. Let's just get this game on Sunday.’ We are going to lose this series, but if we can get this game, we can start a new winning streak. It is just the little things like that which can make a difference. I can be a vocal leader, step up, and know if guys need reassurance, I will be there for them.

IPS: How confident is the incoming class?

HEMRIC: We move in for our summer start program soon. I think our recruiting class this year is one of the deepest it has been. I feel like this is a first-class recruiting class, but the roster changes, so we had to make cuts. We originally had 12 or 13 guys, and now we only have eight. There are a lot of guys throughout our whole class who are getting MLB looks, including me. It is just how deep we are, and we have solid guys up and down the recruiting class.

You know how the rankings get nowadays, a lot of them, it is just for publicity. You will see guys that you might not know, but by the time the spring rolls around, they are studs. I feel like this year and even years past, like the 23s and 24s, they have been great. They have been contributing a lot.

IPS: Where do you think you stand in the upcoming draft, and what will it take for you to sign professionally?

HEMRIC: It is something my family and I have discussed a lot. I have an advisor right now who helps as well. He does most of the work with the scouts and all that.

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I have gone to some workouts for some teams. Recently, I was at the San Francisco Giants workout. That was in North Carolina. You do those even if you do not want to go to the draft and do not want to sign. You do those things to build connections because by the time you are a junior, you are going to be getting ready to go. You want to know who's coming to watch your games. It's going to be the same guys in this area. You build connections for those.

Financially wise and rounds-wise, it is just hard to put a number on yourself, on your body of work, and how well you think you are. It is just something you discuss for a while.

I have talked to Clint a bunch about this. He has come out to some of my games this year. One of the games he came out to, I think there were 16 or 17 pro scouts there, multiple from teams. Some guys have multiple, their crosschecker will be there and their area scout, but it is just something you want to keep them in the loop about, because they do not want to just be shocked.

I am keeping them in the loop about all this. Clint and Coach Hart are going to come over to my house to discuss all of that. Discuss your signability, kind of where you are at, where your head's at for this.

I feel like they are going to be Team Hemric. From the start, they have always been worrying about what is best for me. They have always given me great advice on what to do to get better, and I feel like that will continue to show throughout this whole process.

IPS: Assuming you do not sign, what is wearing the NC State uniform going to feel like for you?  

HEMRIC: It is going to feel great. It is what you have worked for, especially being committed as a sophomore. A lot of guys can just sit back and think they are good. I was not good as a sophomore. I was projectable, and that is why they got me, because they trusted that I would put the work in, and they trusted I would be the guy that I am today.

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I still have plenty of room to grow. I'm nowhere near my potential. I am nowhere near as good as I can be, but I am in the right direction. When you go to NC State and you put that uniform on, it is a different feeling. I remember at my official visit just being in that uniform, in the pants, taking those pictures, it felt great.

There are a lot of little kids out there who look up to that and who wish they could be in your position. You have to take a step back and look at like how blessed you are, how you can put that work in, see it all come down and be successful, because there are kids all around here who have the same dream as you, but they do not get to experience it.

That is something that I will be happy about when I get there. I get in my locker. I get all the gear, just being there and working out. If spring rolls around and I am with NC State, which is probably the plan, I will be there in red and white and on the mound, all those fans behind me, and backing me up. That's something I've been looking forward to since I was a little kid.

IPS: What do you plan on majoring in?

HEMRIC: Business and finance, and I think a minor in sports management. I have had good grades. I finished high school with a 4.1 GPA. I have been keeping up with my grades, for sure.

IPS: Is the growth potential for you from now to next season and beyond?

HEMRIC: It is hard because when you are that young, you think you can just flip the switch and the next day you are going to be throwing 90 miles an hour. As a sophomore, I was topping out at maybe 85 miles an hour. NC State and North Carolina both came up to the same game at the same time and offered me after that. It is something to be proud of.

If you show up on campus, throwing 85 miles an hour, they are going to tell you to pack your bags. You really must understand that that body of work is going to take a while. They offered you as a sophomore because they think you will be good by the time your senior year rolls around. I have put in the work for sure.

My junior year, I was mid-to-upper eighties, and this year, at the Giants workout, I was up to 94. I was 92, 90 to 93, topped at 94. Putting in that work and seeing the results, knowing that it is not going to happen in one week. It is not going to happen in one month. You must look at it year by year because that is where the results are going to be. The one thing I have done is trust in the work that I have done, knowing that if I did not have a good day at the weight room, it was okay. Maybe if I took it a little bit lighter because my body was tired. It is okay.

IPS: Why did you pick NC State?

HEMRIC: I have always grown up a State fan. That is where I feel like I am from. I bleed red. When (NC State and UNC) both offered me, Carolina was just in the background. They offered me and told me, ‘Call us back when you want to take it.’ NC State offered, they wanted to make a relationship, build a relationship, and make sure I was comfortable with making the right decision.

I will tell you now, you know how they made the roster change, right, with the NCAA? NC State cut guys in the summer and in the fall, so they let guys get seen. They let guys who are gonna be seniors get seen by other schools, give them an opportunity to play somewhere else.

IPS: Tell me about Elliott Avent and Clint Chrysler.

HEMRIC: As a player, Avent is a player's coach. He is going to always have your back, especially through the media, the fans. If stuff is not going your way, he will always take the blame on himself, and he will always make sure that he has his players’ backs. That is something you want as a player for sure. There is a lot of pressure on these college athletes nowadays, especially when things are not going their way. Social media fans send you messages that you do not want to see, and stuff like that. You've got to be blind to all that. Avent is a player's coach.

Coach Chrysler, that is my guy. We are super, super close. I have known him for almost two and a half years now. He has come to a lot of my high school games. He has been showing interest in me since day one. We have a great relationship.

What you want to see is that they also have a great relationship with your family. That is, all three of the coaches have great relationships with your families. My family's nice as well, so I mean it does help, but knowing that we have a nice relationship with our family, on our official visit, it was just class hospitality. They were feeding us nicely. We went on the football field for the pre-game. They gave us a hotel stay even though we are right around the corner. It was exactly what you wanted, knowing that you are making the right decision to go home.

IPS: As your Wolfpack adventure nears its potential beginning, what would you like to say to NC State fans?

HEMRIC: I am just super thankful and happy to be with the Pack. I know this is home, and I know I have the best fans in the nation behind me. I grew up watching NC State baseball games as a little kid. I know what it is like going to those games, and I know it is like being a fan. I cannot wait to put on that jersey in the red and white and be able to pitch and compete and win some ball games for the Pack9.

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