There are reasons to be optimistic about NC State baseball’s pitching going forward to the 2022 season, there are many (many) questions potentially facing the lineup.

Here’s a look at how that may play out.

If you use senior day as a cue, at least five of the nine regular players who dominated the lineup in 2021 may be planning to be elsewhere:

• Rightfielder Devonte Brown

• Leftfielder Jonny Butler

• Third baseman Vojtech Mensik

• First baseman Austin Murr

• Designated hitter Terrell Tatum

Brown, Butler, Murr and Tatum are all in the fourth year of post-high school baseball and listed as juniors, with Tatum and Brown spending all that time in Raleigh and Butler and Murr the past two seasons after stops at junior colleges.

Furthermore, freshman shortstop Jose Torres, sophomore catcher Luca Tresh and sophomore centerfielder Tyler McDonough are all draft eligible. Each rank among the top 250 prospects in July’s MLB Draft, according to MLB.com. Given that the lowest ranked of the trio is McDonough at 110, that would project all three to easily be top-five round picks overall.

Players drafted that high out of college rarely return to the collegiate game.

Hence it is entirely possible, based on senior day festivities and draft rankings, that the lone returning player from the lineup could be junior second baseman J.T. Jarrett, a strong glove with an impressive .991 fielding percentage and only two errors who hit a respectable .251 this season with a homer, 11 doubles and 23 runs batted in.

Not a lot. Freshman pitcher Sam Highfill was actually an accomplished hitter for Apex (N.C.) High before arriving at NC State and showed some of his skill with the bat by going 3 for 4 in the final game of the year at the College World Series in Omaha.

Could Highfill be in line for an expanded role as a designated hitter or in the field on days he is not pitching?

Freshman Noah Soles was a highly touted recruit in the 2019 class, and he turned down a chance to go pro after he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 19th round. Soles was off to a good start as a rookie before COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season, going 9 of 15 at the plate with a pair of doubles and five RBI.

In limited games in 2021, Soles though went 6 of 29 (.207 average) and struck out 10 times.

Freshman infielder Carson Falsken was part of the famous Pack13 against Vanderbilt in the final game, and the speedy athlete legged out a bunt single, his third hit of the year in 15 at bats spread across 10 games. In high school, Falsken set a single season record in southern California with 26 stolen bases.

Another freshman infielder that came to Raleigh with high expectations was Eddie Eisert, but he went 0 for 9 at the plate with a couple of walks. He did score each time he drew a base on balls.

The only other players to get at bats this year was second-year freshman infielder DeAngelo Giles (1 for 12) and redshirt junior catcher Danny Carnazzo (1 for 13). The latter was considered a prized junior college pickup when he inked with the Wolfpack.

One-time ECU signee Trey Truitt enrolled at NC State in the fall but did not play, and former Pitt commit Bryce Behmer at catcher also did not see the field in 2021.

Two prospects that NC State has signed are highly unlikely to make it to campus. Shortstop Khalil Watson from Wake Forest, N.C., has risen to No. 4 on MLB.com’s list of top draft prospects and is a good bet to be taken top 10 overall.

Third baseman Tommy White, who plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is also on MLB.com’s rankings, checking in at No. 103.

Two more prospects highly regarded players are considered elite could be better bets to come to Raleigh. MLB.com has Cary, N.C., shortstop Payton Green at No. 156 in its rankings, but it noted that Green is “considered a tough sign who could wind up at North Carolina State.”

The other is catcher/corner infielder Jacob Cozart from High Point, N.C.,. who Perfect Game USA gave a 10 grade, which is considered “potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect.”

NC State has a potential instant impact transfer coming in with an addition of former Penn shortstop Josh Hood, but Hood also has the potential to be drafted this year. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in the Ivy League in 2019 after he batted .331 with eight homers and 42 RBI.

Junior college outfielder Trendon Craig had a big season at the plate for Louisburg (N.C.) College, hitting .420 in 143 at bats with 14 homers and 11 doubles while also stealing 28 bases. He had an amazing on-base percentage of .546 and slugging percentage of .790.

NC State is also bringing in Brady Lavoie from Palomar College. He hit .327 as a freshman in 52 at bats before COVID-19 canceled the remainder of that 2020 season and the 2021 campaign. Lavoie can play outfield or first base.

——

• Talk about it inside The Wolves' Den

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker

• Like us on Facebook