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Freshman 3B Ryder Woodson continues postseason heroics to power NC State past Stetson, into regional final

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman06/01/25fleischman_noah
Ryder Woodson
(Photo credit: NC State Athletics)

During NC State coach Elliott Avent’s in-game interview against Stetson on Sunday afternoon, he joked that some players on his roster didn’t know that they might have to play two games to keep their season alive. 

If Wolfpack freshman third baseman Ryder Woodson was one of those players, then he knows he has another game to play now.

The Naples, Fla., native powered NC State past Stetson 17-12 in Sunday’s first elimination game with two homers, including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth, to avenge Friday’s blowout loss to the Hatters. 

The Wolfpack will square off with No. 4 Auburn on Sunday night inside the Tigers’ Plainsman Park. NC State has now advanced to a regional final in three of its last four NCAA Tournament appearances under Avent. 

Woodson, who hadn’t had more than two at-bats in a single game since he had four against Wright State on March 7 before this weekend, continued his breakout postseason debut. He went 2-for-5 with a double and home run with three RBI on Saturday before exploding for a career-best effort against the Hatters. 

At 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, Woodson doesn’t seem to be a premier power hitter, but he made himself comfortable in his first high-leverage opportunities of his collegiate career. Although his solo home run in the seventh seemed like it would make the final score more respectable, Woodson’s next at-bat proved to be even bigger. 

Woodson walked into the box with the bases loaded in the eighth and the Wolfpack down by two. He turned on a 1-0 fastball and sent it high towards the Tigers’ 37-foot-tall green monster in left, where it just cleared the yellow paint on the top for his first-career grand slam. 

It needed a video review, but once the umpires confirmed it did leave the yard, Woodson made the 90-foot trot home with one of the widest grins in all of college baseball. That long ball helped turn the tide for the Wolfpack, which sparked a 10-run eighth inning — the team’s most runs scored in a single frame this season — to secure the victory. 

Woodson paced the Pack’s offense with a 3-for-5 showing with two home runs and five RBI, while freshman designated hitter Brandon Novy added three hits, including an inside-the-park home run, with four RBI. Additionally, junior outfielder Josh Hogue and senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio added three hits each.

In all, the Wolfpack’s hitters struck out just twice, while every batter in the order posted at least one hit. The team’s 5-9 hitters — DeCriscio, second baseman Luke Nixon, Novy, outfielder Brayden Fraasman and Woodson — combined to go 12-for-24 with two doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI and 13 runs scored.

While NC State was able to storm back to avoid elimination, it seemed as if the Wolfpack was doomed after sophomore right-hander Jacob Dudan gave up four runs in just ⅓ of an inning in the fifth. That allowed Stetson to appear to take control of the game with a three-run advantage after a single, triple and wild pitch allowed the Hatters to score. 

Dudan’s ⅓ of an inning appearance marked his third such outing of the year, but the other two came within his first four trips to the mound of the year — ⅓ of an inning with two runs on two hits against Fordham on Feb. 15 and ⅓ of a frame with three runs on two hits against Canisius on March 1. 

While Dudan’s early season woes reappeared, NC State’s offense was able to pick him up to keep its season alive. Junior reliever Andrew Shaffner ate 3 ⅓ innings after Dudan’s rocky outing to earn the win with three strikeouts and just one walk.

Now, the Wolfpack will look to continue that momentum in its next elimination game against No. 4 Auburn.

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