Deacons Hit the Road for Two Midweek Games

April 23, 2002

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Wake Forest vs. Charlotte, Virginia Tech

Dates: April 23 / April 24
Site: Kannapolis, N.C. / Blacksburg, Va.
Radio: Tuesday - charlotte49ers.com
Live Stats: WakeForestSports.com

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday / 6:35 / Fieldcrest-Cannon Stadium
WF: #34 Tim Morley, Fr., LHP (3-2, 5.33 ERA)
CHA: TBA

Wednesday / 3:00 / English Field

WF: #16 Brian Bach, Fr., RHP (4-1, 7.36 ERA)
VT: TBA

Deacons Step out of Conference, Hit the Road to Face Charlotte, Virginia Tech

Wake Forest (33-6, 14-3 ACC), winners of its last nine, travels to Kannapolis to play Charlotte on Tuesday before heading to Blacksburg on Wednesday for a rematch with Virginia Tech.
The Deacons were scheduled to host the 49ers on March 26, but were rained out at Hooks Stadium.
Last Wednesday, Wake Forest squandered a late lead against Virginia Tech but Ryan Johnson's chopper through a drawn-in infield provided the Deacons the game-winning run in a 6-5 thriller.
Wake Forest will spend most of the remaining regular season schedule on the road, playing ten of the final 13 games away from Hooks Stadium.

Wake Forest-Charlotte: Series History

The Deacons won two of three from the 49ers in 2001, winning in Winston-Salem and splitting a a doubleheader in the Queen City. Wake Forest leads the all-time series 22-18-1 since 1954. George Greer is 16-12-1 against Charlotte since coming to Wake Forest in 1988.
Tuesday's game is in Kannapolis where WFU won the NCAA District III playoffs in 1949.

Wake Forest-Virginia Tech: Series History

The Deacs have won seven straight in the series, including last Wednesday's 6-5 win.
That victory gave Wake Forest a narrow 22-21 lead in the all-time series.

The Bombs Bursting in Air...

Eight different Deacons launched 13 home runs over the weekend against Maryland, racking up 52 runs, the most by a Deacons team in a three-game ACC series since the league adopted the format in 1990. It shattered the old record of 42, set in 1990 against the Terps.

Blue Named Co-ACC Player of the Week

Junior second baseman Nick Blue picked up ACC Player of the Week recognition after hitting an amazing .750 (12-for-16) with a home run, seven RBI, nine runs and seven stolen bases. He had a pair of four hit games against Maryland and swiped four bases on Friday, the most by a Deacon in a single game since 1988.

Tearing Up the ACC

Wake Forest has won ten straight ACC series since March of 2001, the longest such streak in school history. The previous high was four. Since dropping three games at Florida State last year, the Deacons captured series victories over Georgia Tech (twice), NC State (twice), Virginia (twice), Maryland (twice), UNC and Florida State.
That is the longest active streak in the ACC. Clemson has won six series in a row.

These Guys Need Nametags

One of the most interesting things to consider about this Wake Forest team is despite the losses of five All-ACC selections from last year and seven position starters plus its top starting pitcher, 16 newcomers have quickly filled those shoes.
Amazingly, no one in the 2002 opening day lineup was in the same place in 2001. In fact, only Nick Blue and Jamie D'Antona was holdovers from last season and both were playing new positions.

To Be the Best, You Have to Beat the Best

One of the reasons for Wake Forest's meteoric rise in the national polls is the growing list of victories over ranked opponents.
The Deacons are 5-2 against teams ranked in the top ten and 7-3 against teams ranked in the top 25. Moreover, Wake Forest has played 14 games against teams with an RPI rating in the top 25, with a 9-5 record. Of Wake Forest's six losses, all have come against teams with an RPI of 35 or better.

Demon Deacons Break into the Top Three

A perfect 5-0 week combined with series losses by Alabama and Stanford pushed Wake Forest to its highest ranking ever, number three in the Baseball America and Baseball Weekly polls. The Deacs are one of three ACC teams in the top eight and one of five teams in the top 25.

Greer Picks Up Career Win #650

On April 16 against High Point, head coach George Greer earned career victory number 650.
Greer, the fifth winningest coach in ACC history, has 548 wins in 14-plus seasons at Wake Forest. Here is a historical perspective on what Greer has accomplished at Wake Forest.

Before Greer        Since 1988     89       Seasons       14+      4      NCAA Berths     4      4      ACC Titles      3      3     10-wins in ACC   11      3     30-win seasons   14

(Complete Greer bio on page eight)

On Deck: The Long and Winding Road

Following the midweek games with Charlotte and Virginia Tech, the third-ranked Deacons meet up with top-ranked Clemson for a weekend series in Death Valley in a battle for ACC supremacy in the national spotlight.
Following the Clemson series, Wake Forest will play two home non-conference games midweek before taking a 10-day break for finals.
In all, the Deacons play ten of their final 13 regular season games on the road.
Between April 23 and May 19, the Demon Deacons will travel 1,867 miles via bus before flying to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the ACC Tournament.

Sleeth Makes Push for All-ACC

At 8-0, nobody in the ACC has a better record than Kyle Sleeth. He continues to make his case for All-ACC honors.
The Friday starter in every series for the Deacons this year, Sleeth has made 11 starts. In each of those appearances, the sophomore from Westminster, Colo., has gone at least six innings.
Last Friday against Maryland, Sleeth fired a complete game six-hit shutout with nine strikeouts. He did not let a runner into scoring position until the eighth inning.
Sleeth is tied for third in the league in wins (8), second in strikeouts (70) and fifth in ERA (2.99). With those numbers, Sleeth should receive consideration for All-American.
After a Freshman All-America campaign in 2001 and an All-Star season for Cotuit in the Cape League this past summer, Sleeth is a premier pitcher in the premier league in the country.
Sleeth has defeated three ranked teams -- Nebraska, Florida State and North Carolina.
In its season preview, Baseball America identified Sleeth as the seventh-best sophomore nationally.
The biggest improvement for Sleeth since last year has been his control. He has improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 1.8 to 2.9.
Sleeth earned the ACC Player of the Week award on Feb. 18 after leading Wake past No. 8 Nebraska and fanning a career-high ten batters at Davidson.
At New Orleans on March 9, Sleeth carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before a 67-minute rain delay. He eventually lost the perfect game but did combine for a shutout of the Privateers, allowing just three hits in eight innings with seven K's.
In one and a half seasons as a Demon Deacon, Sleeth has a career record of 18-3. Last season, he lead the team with 10 wins and defeated four NCAA Tournament teams.

D'Antona Continues Torrid Pace

After a fast start, sophomore third baseman Jamie D'Antona is showing no signs of slowing down.
The preseason All-American continues to drive in runs at a record-breaking pace and now has Jon Palmieri's single season RBI record in his sights.
Palmieri had 93 RBI in 1999. Through 39 games, D'Antona has driven in 61, an average of 1.56 per game.
He helped his total over the weekend by belting four home runs against Maryland to bring his season home run mark to 14.
Of those 14 home runs, nine have come against ACC competition. D'Antona has homered against three nationally ranked teams including North Carolina (three times), Florida State and Nebraska.
D'Antona, who moved across the diamond to his natural position of third base before the season, ranks second in the ACC in runs batted in and fifth in home runs.

D'Antona Named National Hitter of the Week by NCBWA

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the period ending April 7th.
Wake Forest sophomore third baseman Jamie D'Antona shared the Hitter of the Week award.
D'Antona, a sophomore from Trumbull, Conn., led the Demon Deacons to a 3-1 week that included a pair of wins over No. 12 North Carolina. He hit safely in each game, going 7-for-15 (.467) on the week, reaching base 10 times in 18 plate appearances for a .556 on-base percentage. D'Antona scored seven times, smashed four home runs and drove in nine runs. Twice, he drove in the game-winning run, including in the series-opener against North Carolina.

Dave Bush: Chasing History

Dave Bush, recognized by Baseball America as the nation's top senior and best overall closer, made a lot of Deacon fans happy when he passed on Tampa Bay's contract offer to return for his senior year.
The native of Devon, Pa., was the fourth-round choice of the Devil Rays in June but couldn't come to terms with the team, opting to return to the Deacons for his final season.
Bush, who originally came to Wake Forest as a catcher, has been showered with accolades since his dominating pitching performance against Clemson in the 1999 ACC Championship game. He is a two-time Cape Cod League All-Star, a third-team All-American last year and is already Wake Forest's all-time leader in appearances and saves.
Bush has an outside shot at becoming the NCAA's all-time leader in appearances. The current leader is Stetson's Tom Hickox who made 151 appearances between 1988-91. Bush came into the season with 102, needing 50 to become the new NCAA leader. To put that in perspective, he had 41 as a junior.
Bush could also become the ACC's all-time saves and appearances leader this year. He needs eight saves and 12 appearances to catch UNC's Thad Chrismon, the all-time leader in both categories.
To give an idea of Bush's value of the team, consider that the Deacons are 64-0 when leading after seven innings over the last two seasons.

Greer Begins 15th Season At Wake Forest

For the last 14 seasons, George Greer has built the Wake Forest baseball program into a consistent winner. In recent years, Greer has molded the Demon Deacons into a power in the country's toughest conference, the ACC.
By capturing the 2001 ACC Championship, Greer and Wake Forest earned its third league title in four years. No other current coach in the league has won three rings.
Greer's accomplishments at Wake Forest have been numerous. The year 2001 was a banner year for the program but especially for Greer. During the course of the season, he picked up career win number 600 and also his 500th win as the Wake Forest skipper.
As a team last year, the Deacons won 44 games, the second-most in Wake history and earned a fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth.
Greer's complete bio available on page eight.

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