GET TO KNOW: Christian Serrano

NC State class of 2026 baseball commit Christian Serrano recently spoke with Inside Pack Sports. The younger brother of former Wolfpack star Eli Serrano III is familiar with NCSU, and many expect him to make a name for himself on the diamond for the Pack. 

Get to know Christian Serrano as he braces for his final year of high school before attending NC State.

Could you tell me about your family’s athletic background?

My mom played basketball at Stetson, where my dad played baseball. Obviously, my brother played at NC State. My uncle, Greg Patton, played at George Washington, and then the Red Sox drafted him, I believe, way back in the day.

When did you become aware of baseball?

Honestly, ever since I was like three or four, we always played baseball. I played soccer too growing up, played basketball, but baseball was always a dream. It has always been my dream to be a big leaguer, playing baseball throughout my life.

At what point did you see that there was a separation between you and the other kids playing baseball?

During Little League, I was good. Once we got to the big field, I was not the best because I was a little undersized. I really did not hit a growth spurt until 13, and it was little league, but I played up throughout travel ball until last year, when I played with my class, and then this year I played with my class. My dad always forced me to play up just because I was originally supposed to be a 2025, but I reclassified during COVID to be 26. I played up with my normal age and everything.

Then last year, which is when I decided to play with my 26 class, the class I reclassified to. Last year and this year I played with my class, but when I was in little league, I was a baller, man. I was really good.

When did the college coaches start to find you?

I committed to the end of eighth grade, the summer going into freshman year. Funny enough, I only got one call before Clint and Coach Hart called me. It was Virginia Tech. I knew I did not want to go there after that call.

Coach Clint and Coach Hart called me together, I believe, on the first night of Eli's high school draft year. They called me, they offered me, and I took it right away. Honestly, that's where I wanted to go my whole life. It was NC State.

Is that when you become aware of NC State? Was it when they contacted your brother, or did you know of them before that?

My dad caught Coach Clint in college at Stetson, so he always had that relationship. When Eli committed there, I was like, ‘All right, I'm gonna follow his steps and try to go there too.’ I got good enough and they offered me, so I committed to State.

You obviously had an affinity for NC State as you were doing this. You saw Eli, his experience at NC State, his dealings with folks there, what was that like, watching it off to the side?

I went to most of Eli’s games during his freshman and sophomore years, and sitting in the stands really did not help me because I wanted to play.

<laugh>

Eli told me stories all the time, and I am thinking, ‘Dang, I want to be out there.’ It helps me, honestly, that he played there. It gives me a good idea of what I am going into. It is a very, very good spot that I am going to go into. Which is the experience they have going to Omaha, which is one of the main things. They win a bunch of games.

The coaches at NC State seem to have a lot of confidence in you and think you will do well at NC State.

It means a bunch. It means that I have a spot where I can go in, and the coaches are going to give me a hundred percent of their effort to get me better, and their thinking that I can be as good as Eli says a lot because he's pretty good.

His style of game is different than mine, for sure. He's an outfielder, a left-handed hitter who hits for power, I'd say. I'm more of an infielder. I like to play defense. I like the home runs too, honestly, 

What do you think about the developmental skills of NC State? To see guys in a situation like your brother, where was your brother at when he got there, as opposed to where he was when he left? Did you see a massive improvement?

I saw a lot of improvement swing-wise, defensively wise, because his freshman year, he played first base, he had never played first base before that, and he was one of the best first basemen. Then he went to the outfield, and he honestly made one of the best plays I've seen in my life against Georgia.

The development is gonna be 10 times better now that the facility's getting built. That thing is huge.

You're in high school, you are in travel ball, how is it going?

Uh, we actually, I (recently) finished up my last event. It was East Coast Pro. Summer Bowl-wise, I played for Keynes National. We were a pretty solid team. Some of the most, we had the best player in the country on our team. 

Playing around guys like that makes me better, just because their work ethic and how they go about the game gives me a whole perspective of how this is what I need to do to get better. All this, all that, and just being around guys that want to win, it just shows you that it takes a team to win, not just one single person.

What drives you to want to compete against, or with, the best players?

Honestly, just my dad pushing me and my brother, and then the competition of having an older brother.  That just brings out the mentality of wanting to win, wanting to be better than people. 

Where is the growth potential for you between now and graduation from high school?

I want to gain some weight just so I can maintain hitting throughout a long season, stuff like that.

Defensively, just being able to get better at what I do at shortstop, so I can play shortstop there and they can trust me there, because I'm a little taller, and it's hard for the taller person to be a shortstop. I just want to be able to go into college ready, physically, mentally, all of that.

Does NC State's legacy at shortstop mean anything to guys like you when you're looking at schools or looking at things like that?

Yes. Trea Turner is one of the best shortstops in the league right now. Looking up to guys like him, you always want to leave your name in a category with his.

Talking to (Butterworth) last year, he changed my perspective on shortstop, watching him play and talking to him, knowing him. It was a good talk with him. He's killing it in Double-A right now.

Is there a number-figure or place in the MLB Draft that could get you to immediately sign to play pro ball and skip college?

I haven't really thought about that yet. I'll probably start thinking about that more as the high school season comes, but it's gonna have to be life-changing money to pull me away from State. Just because I trust them so much like Eli did, and the experience. Eli's experience with State was probably something he wouldn't trade because he got to go to Omaha. He got to play in a super regional. He got to do all that fun stuff.

He got to be around guys who are his lifelong friends now, and a coach like Elliot Avent. He loves that guy to death. All of his coaches, everything, so it's going to take something to pull me away from stake for sure.

You have basically been committed to NC State for your entire high school career. What would it be like to take the field for the Wolfpack?

It's gonna mean a lot. Watching Eli play there just makes me want to get on that field more and play in front of all the amazing fans NC State has. The most loyal fans for sure.

I honestly think our recruiting class is pretty good. We are gonna be pretty good when we get on that field.

Do you think in the context of winning titles at NC State?

That is the goal for sure. With all the guys we're going to have there, there's gonna be a lot of returners, and then the way that the coaches handle the portal is just amazing. They get a lot of sneaky guys that turn out to be really good.

I think they pick the right players and they develop them as best as they can, and that's what makes them winners. The way they are coached, they're coached well, and they find ways to win games. I honestly think when I get there and the rest of the 2026 class gets there, we are going to be pretty, pretty good.

You have mentioned it somewhat already, but tell me about your relationship with NC State’s assistant coaches.

Clint is the coach I talked to the most, just because my dad caught him. That is really the main reason that Eli went to State, just because of the relationship, and then Eli fell in love with the coaches. Coach Clint means a lot to me and my family, as do all the coaches.

Coach Chris is one of my favorites. I've known him for about four years now, ever since my brother was committed. He knows how to make someone hit, and so does Coach Bo.

I like watching him run from the dugout to third. It's not the prettiest run <laugh>, but he is definitely one of the top coaches in the country.

Chris Hart has got that Terry Francona jacket he always wears on the field. He never just wears his uniform.

Never.

Tell me about Elliott Avent.

Coach Avent, the first time I met him was on Eli's official visit. Ever since then, he has always remembered me, talked to me, and he's just probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

He actually sent me a text, I think it was after their Omaha banquet, when they had to get their rings. It was a walk-up song that he said I should use. We were talking at the banquet about walk-up songs. I said I like Hispanic music, and he sent me a song. It was actually pretty cool.

What have your interactions with NC State fans been like?

The fans are just probably some of the best fans in the country, probably the best fans in the country. I have met a bunch of them just going to the games. They have recognized me.

Justin Cooke always says, ‘What's up?’ Yeah. Every time I see him, he says, ‘What's up, Christian?’ He is a super fan for sure, but all the fans always show out. For one random Tuesday game, there could be a thousand fans there, and then the weekend games in the ACC are packed out.

If you could speak directly to Justin and all the other NC State fans, what would you want to say to them?

That they're gonna get a winner, a guy who works hard, is a good teammate, and a good person to represent NC State.