Amidst the exciting backdrop of Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon’s 2023 declaration regarding his desire and efforts to bring a Major League Baseball expansion franchise to Raleigh, professional baseball fans can spend October enjoying more than a dozen North Carolina high school and college products now competing in the MLB playoffs.

Perhaps the most famous example is former NC State shortstop Trea Turner, who is now in the third season of his 11-year, $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Turner, 32, is in his 11th year at the MLB level and also has represented Team USA in international competition. He helped the Washington Nationals to the World Series title in 2019, and more recently he has been an All-MLB honoree (2021, 2022) and an All-Star Game selection (2021, 2022, 2024). He also has led the National League in batting average twice (2021, 2025) and in stolen bases twice (2018, 2021).

The 13th overall pick in the 2014 MLB amateur draft, Turner played three seasons (2012-14) for long-time Wolfpack baseball coach Elliott Avent at NC State, posting a school-record 57 stolen bases as a freshman and earning All-ACC honors all three years. The Pack posted one of the best seasons in program history during Turner’s time in Raleigh, finishing 50-16 and advancing to the College World Series in 2013.

When Turner helped the Nationals to the 2019 MLB championship, he became just the fourth Wolfpack baseball product to earn a World Series ring, joining second baseman Jimmy Brown (1942 St. Louis Cardinals), relief pitcher Tim Stoddard (1983 Baltimore Orioles) and third baseman Tracy Woodson (1988 Dodgers). The 6-foot-7 Stoddard, who helped the Wolfpack to three straight ACC baseball titles from 1973-75, also was a key member of the Pack’s 1974 NCAA championship basketball team under coach Norm Sloan.

Turner has remained close to NC State in the decade-plus since his jump to professional baseball. In 2023, he and his wife Kristen, a former Wolfpack gymnast, made a $1 million pledge to the university’s athletic program that will benefit both the baseball and gymnastics teams.

“We couldn’t have enjoyed our time at NC State more and are very proud to say we are Wolfpack alumni,” Turner said. “Kristen and I are humbled and honored to be able to give back and make a difference for the university.”

There are 18 Division One baseball programs in North Carolina, and six of them are represented in this year’s baseball playoffs: East Carolina (three), Elon (one), Gardner-Webb (two), NC State (two), UNC (two) and Wake Forest (two).

A pair of Division Two programs in the Bold North State, Belmont Abbey and Lenoir-Rhyne, also have one player each competing in this year’s postseason.

In addition, five products of North Carolina high school programs are in the playoffs, including Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, who played at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva before his college career at Florida State. A 2025 MLB All-Star, Raleigh led the major leagues in home runs (60) and the American League in runs batted in (125) during the regular season.

Please see below for the entire postseason list.

2025 MLB Playoff Participants
(NC-Based Programs)

Belmont Abbey/D2 (1)

Emilio Pagan, RP, Cincinnati

East Carolina (3)

Jeff Hoffman, RP, Toronto
Gavin Williams*, SP, Cleveland
Trey Yesavage, SP, Toronto

Elon (1)

George Kirby, SP, Seattle

Gardner-Webb (2)

Mason Miller, RP, San Diego
Emilio Pagan, RP, Cincinnati

Lenoir-Rhyne/D2 (1)

Justin Dean, CF, LA Dodgers

North Carolina (2)

Michael Busch, 1B, Chicago Cubs
Brendon Little, RP, Toronto

NC State (2)

Carlos Rodon*, SP, NY Yankees
Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia

Wake Forest (2)

Chase Burns, RP, Cincinnati
Gavin Sheets, LF, San Diego

*-also listed below (both high school and college in NC)

NOTE: North Carolina’s other D1 baseball programs are at Appalachian State, Campbell, Charlotte, Davidson, Duke, High Point, North Carolina A&T, Queens, UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington and Western Carolina.

2025 MLB Playoff Participants
(North Carolina High Schools)

Zack Littell, SP, Cincinnati (Eastern Alamance HS, Mebane)
Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle (Smoky Mountain HS, Sylva)
Carlos Rodon, SP, NY Yankees (Holly Springs HS, Holly Springs)
Gavin Williams, SP, Cleveland (Cape Fear HS, Fayetteville)
Weston Wilson, INF/OF, Philadelphia (Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point)

BELOW: NC State basketball legend Chris Corchiani is a life-long fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, a close friend of Avent and Turner, and a huge supporter of Wolfpack athletics. We discussed Turner and the Phillies during Corchiani’s 2023 appearance on the David Glenn Show, which he joined while visiting Avent at NC State.