Brandon Butterworth commits to NC State baseball
NC State baseball continues to rebuild its lineup after some losses via graduation, the transfer portal and likely the MLB Draft. The latest pickup is Western Carolina sophomore second baseman Brandon Butterworth.
Butterworth announced his “new beginnings” on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.
This past season, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Monroe, N.C., had a .301 batting average with five homers, seven triples and 10 doubles among his 66 hits in 219 at-bats. Butterworth drew 21 walks for a .370 on-base percentage and also stole seven bases.
As a freshman in 2022, he batted .296 with a .375 on-base percentage with six doubles among his 21 hits in 71 plate appearances, and he stole nine bases.
NC State has an opening at second base after sophomore starter Payton Green transferred following the season. He has since announced he will be enrolling at Georgia Tech. Green hit .274 at the plate last season with 10 homers and 12 doubles and swiped nine bases.
Brandon Butterworth Joins Two Other Portal Commits
Butterworth becomes the third offseason transfer portal addition announced thus far for NC State baseball.
Wichita State everyday first baseman Garrett Pennington, who can also play outfield, confirmed his commitment on social media to the Wolfpack.
Pennington hit .307 with 15 homers and 12 doubles in 225 at bats last season, driving in 55 runs and scoring 47 times for Wichita State. He hit a pair of grand slams during the year.
He was also 11 for 14 on stolen bases.
Prior to joining Wichita State and then announcing a transfer to NC State, Pennington was a Division II All-American at Central Missouri after he hit .397 with 11 homers and 23 doubles in 2022 for the Mules. The year before, he batted .354 with six homers and seven doubles for a Central Missouri squad that reached the Division II World Series championship game.
It is possible that Butterworth and Pennington will be the new right side of the infield for NC State baseball, although promising freshman Eli Serrano III, who can also play outfield, started at first base last year.
Earlier in June, NC State baseball landed a verbal commitment from UNC Wilmington transfer and Garner native Brett Banks.
Banks had eight saves for UNCW, helping the Seahawks win the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and reach the NCAA Tournament. Banks posted a 3.99 earned run average (ERA) in 38.1 innings, allowing 31 hits and 21 walks but impressively striking out 44.
Both Pennington and Banks are eligible for the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft in July. Banks is considered a good bet to get selected in the middle rounds.
