App State Baseball Rolls Past NC A&T 9-3

Mountaineers' pitching and offense shine in season-opening victory

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Appalachian State baseball opened its 2026 season with a dominant 9-3 win over North Carolina A&T on Friday. Pitchers Tanner Nolan and Nick DiRito combined for 13 strikeouts without a walk, while the offense blasted three home runs to power the Mountaineers to victory.

Why it matters

This win marks a strong start to the season for App State, which is looking to build on its success from last year. The Mountaineers' pitching and power hitting performance against NC A&T suggests they have the talent to compete at a high level in 2026.

The details

Nolan struck out six batters over five innings, allowing just one run on a solo home run. The App State offense then erupted for three runs in the third inning, including a two-run homer from Drew DuPont and a solo shot from Ethan Puig. The Mountaineers added three more runs in the sixth and seventh innings to pull away, with Puig, Steven Smith, and Riley Luft all contributing RBIs.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • App State and NC A&T will rematch on Saturday, February 22, 2026 at 1 p.m. in Hickory, North Carolina.

The players

Tanner Nolan

The left-handed starting pitcher from Deptford, New Jersey struck out six batters over five innings of work.

Nick DiRito

The relief pitcher recorded a career-high seven strikeouts over the final four innings to secure the win for App State.

Ethan Puig

The App State hitter went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, and three RBIs.

Drew DuPont

The Mountaineers' outfielder hit a two-run home run in the third inning to give App State an early lead.

Steven Smith

The App State player hit a two-run single in the seventh inning to cap the scoring for the Mountaineers.

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What’s next

App State and NC A&T will rematch on Saturday, February 22, 2026 at 1 p.m. in Hickory, North Carolina.

The takeaway

App State's dominant pitching performance and power hitting display in the season opener suggest the Mountaineers have the talent to be a force in college baseball this year.