NC State adds RHP Aiden Kitchings to Baseball’s 2026 freshman class

The son of former NC State football assistant coach, Des, was previously a Missouri commit

NC State baseball made a late addition to the 2026 freshman class with RHP Aiden Kitchings flipping from Missouri to the Wolfpack earlier today. Kitchings is the son of former NC State football assistant coach Des Kitchings.

The 6’5, 250 pound righty from Rabun Gap-Nachoochee HS in Georgia took part in the MLB Draft Combine earlier, and has been a member of the MLB Develops programming. He reportedly throws in the low-to-mid-90’s, topping out at 97 mph.

He didn’t hit those numbers at the combine, but did throw an 88 mph sinker at 2227 rpm with 14.2 inches of induced vertical break (IVB) and 11.9 inches of horizontal break (HB). That’s some really good arm-side run he’s putting on the fastball there. He also had an 80.4 mph slider at 2247 rpm with 11.1 inch IVB and -3.9 inch HB, a 73.7 mph curveball at 2175 rpm with 5.2 inch IVB and -16.3 inch HB, and an 80.3 mph changeup at 1791 rpm with 10.1 inch IVB and 16.4 inch HB.

That’s a solid four-pitch mix to start with, and he has a frame that can deliver some extra velo with added work.

It probably wasn’t a hard sell to flip Kitchings from Missouri given his familiarity with NC State athletics after his dad spent eight years as an assistant football coach with the Wolfpack. It also probably didn’t hurt that Missouri is coming off a horrid year, going 16-39 overall with a 3-27 SEC record.

This addition puts NC State’s known 2026 roster as of today at the roster limit of 34, although this move is likely a preemptive move to roster attrition via July’s MLB Draft. Kitchings’ involvement in the MLB Draft Combine certainly puts him on the draft radar, but he’s unlikely to be selected and should end up on campus for the Wolfpack.