OF Josh Hogue bounces back to spark No. 16 NC State’s series-leveling win at No. 4 UNC

CHAPEL HILL — It seemed as if NC State freshman reliever Anderson Nance was going to cruise through the eighth. He induced back-to-back groundouts to open the frame with the Wolfpack clinging to a two-run lead at North Carolina.

The Tar Heels sent pinch-hitter Sam Angelo to the plate, who hit a high pop up to left field. It looked routine from afar, but as the ball came tumbling back to Earth, it started to fade back towards center. As junior outfielder Josh Hogue gave chase, he ended up over running it by a step, allowing Angelo to reach on a double. 

From then on, it appeared UNC had all the momentum as it tied the game with back-to-back RBI singles. The raucous crowd of 4,152 inside Boshamer Stadium believed that their beloved Tar Heels were bound to clinch a series win over the Wolfpack. 

But instead of hanging his head from the game-altering dropped pop up, Hogue returned to the batter’s box with a clear focus. He sent a slow grounder back up the middle to score sophomore first baseman Chris McHugh from second. 

Hogue’s run-scoring base knock sparked a three-run ninth that No. 16 NC State was able to hold onto with an 8-5 win at No. 4 UNC on Friday night. The rubber match is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

NC State coach Elliott Avent, who is in his 29th season as the Wolfpack’s skipper, was impressed with how Hogue was able to pick himself up from the miscue in left. 

“That’s who he is,” Avent said of Hogue, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. “He’s a competitor. He felt bad. The game’s not that easy when you say, ‘I’ll get a hit,’ but he’s a good hitter. He’s one of the best hitters in the country. … I’m really happy for him.”

Hogue has been a reliable hitter all season for the Wolfpack as he is hitting a career-best .315 with 43 RBI, 16 doubles and 10 home runs. Although he has proven to be one of the Pack’s top batters all season, Hogue’s resilience is equally as impressive. 

And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. 

Hogue put together a promising 2024 campaign through the first 37 games as an everyday outfielder, splitting time in the corners. But just when it seemed he was hitting his stride at the plate for an eventual College World Series squad, Hogue broke his leg in an outfield collision. 

That freak injury derailed Hogue’s first year in Raleigh after he transferred in from Santa Fe College. Although that was the case, he attacked his rehab with a drive to get back onto the field as soon as possible. And as it turned out, Hogue impressed everyone around the Wolfpack baseball program as he returned to NC State’s lineup on opening day against Fordham. 

So when Hogue was able to pull through just moments after he could have felt as if he let UNC back into the game that NC State needed to win to keep its NCAA Tournament hosting chances alive, Avent wasn’t surprised. 

“It’s how much confidence he has in himself as a player and a hitter,” Avent said. “It says who he is. Look what he went through last year with that injury and coming back from it. He’ll never go through anything worse than that.”

While Hogue’s bounce back was visible in two momentum-swinging plays, the response by NC State as a team shined through in the middle game of the rivalry series. The Pack had just three base runners in the first three innings in the opener on Thursday, which it matched in the first alone 24 hours later. 

The Wolfpack offense scored first and set the tone for the rest of the night, while its pitching staff was able to keep the Tar Heels at bay for much of the night. 

Junior left-hander Dominic Fritton was “the best I’ve ever seen,” Avent quipped after his 6.1 innings with two runs on seven hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Nance earned the win, while junior righty Andrew Shaffner shut the door with a clean ninth to earn his seventh save of the year. 

Now, the Wolfpack has a chance to earn its second top-five series win in the last month as it leveled the weekend. Avent, who praised Hogue’s ability to respond, was moved by his squad’s late-inning fireworks. 

“This says a lot about our guys tonight,” Avent said. “They’ve done stuff like this all year when I go, ‘Wow, this team has grown so much.’”