Pack9 continues 2027 roster build with more transfers

PirateWolfMon, July 20, 2026 at 2:29 PM UTC·4 min read

After taking a sizeable hit by losing seven players to the MLB Draft and another (JR RHP Heath Andrews) to an undrafted free agent deal after the draft, NC State had an open spot on their 34-man limit for the 2027 roster. They filled that spot… with three players. Hey, spring roster limits sound like a 2027 problem to me.

Outfielder Connor Clark will be joining the Wolfpack as a senior after spending his first three years at DII University of Texas at Tyler. A three-year starter for the Patriots with 137 career starts under his belt, Clark helped lead the program to back-to-back DII College World Series appearances in 2025 and 2026. The 5’10, 180 lbs righty was a Lone Star Conference 3rd Team selection 2025 and a 2nd Team selection in 2026.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

For his career, Clark his .336/.466/.490, 25 2B, 15 HR, 16.0 BB%, 12.1 K%, 56-69 SB, including a mark this past year of .356/.484/.516, 12 2B, 8 HR, 15.7 BB%, 8.9 K%, 36-43 SB. Interestingly, he had reverse splits in 2026, batting .380/.500/585 with a 15.1 BB% and 8.3 K% against right-handed pitchers while hitting .280/.438/.300 with a 15.4 BB% and 10.8 K% against left-handed pitchers. There’s some pull-side power coupled with an all-fields approach, and the Sherman, TX, native clearly has the eye and bat control which indicates he can successfully move up to the DI level.

Defensively, Clark played exclusively in centerfield over the last two years for the Patriots, while playing mostly left field as a freshman in 2024. In his summer league experiences he’s played almost evenly across all three outfield positions. He profiles more as a left field or center field defender, although the obvious hole in the Wolfpack outfield right now resides in right field. It will be interesting to see how the Wolfpack coaching staff decides to deploy him.

Auburn transfer RHP Justice De Jong is a 6’3, 220 lbs Brooklyn, NY, native who will be a sophomore for the Wolfpack in 2027. He appeared in just six games as a freshman for the Tigers in 2026, posting a line of 0-0, 10.12 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4.0 BB%, 20.0 K%. De Jong got rocked from late March to early April over three consecutive appearances against Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Jacksonville State. Obviously that’s a very small sample size against really good competition, but the walk and strikeout numbers are solid which is the best indicator there. Even better for De Jong has been his summer performance in the Cape Cod League where across six outings he’s posted a line of 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 6.0 BB%, 32.0 K% for the Chatham Anglers, a roster which also features future NC State teammates Rett Johnson, Collins Black, and Mikey Ragusa.

De Jong is on the younger side and won’t turn 20 until after the 2027 season. Despite that, he was a highly regarded prep player as a two-way prospect as a RHP and corner infielder who originally was committed to Duke before flipping to Auburn. He’s a high-3/4 slot guy with a heater that can run in the mid-90’s, while also throwing a changeup and curveball. It’s the latter pitch that’s his true out pitch. He was a Top 100 national prospect in his high school class and ranked last year by D1 Baseball as the 64th best high schooler to make it to a college campus. There is a lot of upside in De Jong, the most of all State’s incoming transfer arms.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

Coming to Raleigh after two years at UNC-Pembroke, RHP Harrison Holbrook will be a junior next year for the Wolfpack. Holbrook is a Wilkesboro native with a huge 6’7, 245 lbs frame. He’s a project play for pitching coach Clint Chrysler, hoping to coax more from that frame than what he’s shown to date. Holbrook has appeared in 18 career games for the Braves, making 5 starts and posting an overall line of 1-0, 6.49 ERA, 26.1 IP, 15.9 BB%, 14.4 K%. In 2026, he posted a line of 0-0, 3.24 ERA, 16.2 IP, 17.1 BB%, 12.2 K% over 10 appearances (3 starts).

This summer for the Statesville Owls of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, Holbrook has gone 3-0, 0.59 ERA, 15.1 IP, 8.1 BB%, 48.4 K%. Granted, competition in the SCBL isn’t on par with the ACC, but maybe Chris Hart and Chrysler are on to something here. With a frame that large and a mid-90’s fastball coupled with a mid-80’s breaking ball from a low 3/4 arm slot, Holbrook is a dart throw well worth taking.