Hollis Fanning commits to NC State baseball

NC State baseball has made its fifth addition via the transfer portal and third potential pickup to the pitching staff. Tennessee junior righthander Hollis Fanning has committed to the Wolfpack.

Fanning posted impressive stats in limited opportunities out of the bullpen while helping Tennessee reach the College World Series in 2023. In 15 appearances, which included one start, Fanning allowed 12 hits over 14.1 innings and had just 3 walks while striking out 24 batters. That equated to a 1.26 earned run average (ERA). He pitched twice in the NCAA Tournament, giving up 1 run and 2 hits over 1.1 innings.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Fanning had 9 career appearances before this year that lasted 6.0 innings. This summer, Fanning is pitching for Kingsport in the Appalachian League and in a pair of starts has gone 11.0 innings with just 4 hits allowed. He’s walked a pair and struck out 15 while surrendering 2 unearned runs, but he has also hit a trio of batters.

Interestingly, per his official bio on the Tennessee website, Fanning is completely blind in his left eye.

Fanning joins UNC Wilmington righty Brett Banks and Division III hurler Shane Van Dam from Courtland.

Van Dam was once named to the D3Basball.com National Team of the Week in May, part of a season during which the 6-foot-5, 200-pounder from Cranford, N.J., went 2-1 on the mound with a 3.07 earned run average (ERA) in 15 appearances, including a trio of starts. Van Dam also had three saves.

In 29.1 innings of work, Van Dam allowed just 16 hits while fanning an impressive 43. That is an average of over 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. He also gave up only one home runs and walked 13 batters.

Van Dam was a two-sport star at Cranford High and also was on the Courtland High football roster as a quarterback.

Banks, a Garner, N.C., native, had 8 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.

Banks, as is Hollis Fanning, is eligible for the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft that starts Sunday and concludes Tuesday, and Banks is considered a good bet to get selected in the middle rounds.

The transfer portal window for college baseball opened on May 30 and remains open for 45 days until July 13.

This past week, outfielder Dominic Pilolli became the latest from the NC State baseball team to exit via the portal. After being a regular in the lineup in 2022, Pilolli saw his playing time dip significantly in a crowded outfield this past spring.

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