NC State's Andrew Wiggins makes the most of rare start in blowout win

Wiggins' 3-run homer highlights Wolfpack's offensive depth in 17-4 victory over Sacred Heart

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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NC State coach Elliott Avent decided to insert little-used outfielder Andrew Wiggins into the lineup against Sacred Heart after regular starter Brayden Fraasman struggled early. Wiggins made the most of his opportunity, hitting a 3-run home run and driving in 4 runs to help the Wolfpack cruise to a 17-4 victory. The win highlighted the offensive depth of the NC State roster, which has seen 11 different players record multi-RBI games over the past 3 games.

Why it matters

NC State has a deep roster with many talented hitters, but that has made it challenging for coach Avent to find consistent playing time for everyone. Wiggins' performance shows that the Wolfpack have options to turn to off the bench when needed, which could pay dividends as the season progresses and the competition level increases.

The details

With regular right fielder Brayden Fraasman struggling, Avent inserted the lightly-used Andrew Wiggins into the lineup. Wiggins made the most of his chance, hitting a 388-foot 3-run home run in his second at-bat to put the exclamation point on NC State's 17-4 win. Wiggins finished the game 1-for-3 with 4 RBIs, despite not having started since the first two games of the season.

  • Wiggins hit his 3-run homer in the 3rd inning.
  • The Wolfpack have scored 62 total runs in their last 3 games, the team's second-most in such a stretch.

The players

Elliott Avent

The head coach of the NC State baseball team.

Brayden Fraasman

The regular starting right fielder for NC State.

Andrew Wiggins

A junior outfielder for NC State who transferred from Indiana, where he was a career .282 hitter with 8 doubles, a triple, 7 home runs and 39 RBIs over 2 seasons.

Luke Nixon

The junior second baseman for NC State who went 1-for-3 with a double and 3 RBIs in the game.

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What they’re saying

“He can play. I mean, we've got a lot of guys who can play. … I got him in there, and Wiggins responded, which you've got to do.”

— Elliott Avent, Head Coach (on3.com)

“If you just mentally check out when you go to the field, it's like you're a void there, you're not helping anyone else. Just having good spirits, so if I'm not in the lineup, it's helping my teammates. And if I have my opportunity, then try to help the team by doing well.”

— Andrew Wiggins (on3.com)

“I think it tells a lot about Wiggins' character. He's been a great teammate in the dugout, cheering us on, no matter what. And then he came out ready to play in the [third] inning when it's freezing and raining outside, and does his job. I think he deserves that.”

— Luke Nixon, Junior Second Baseman (on3.com)

What’s next

The Wolfpack will look to continue their hot offensive stretch when they host No. 9 Coastal Carolina on Tuesday afternoon.

The takeaway

NC State's deep roster and offensive firepower has made it challenging for coach Avent to find consistent playing time for all of his talented hitters. However, Wiggins' performance shows that the Wolfpack have options to turn to off the bench, which could pay dividends as the season progresses and the competition level increases.