Deacs to Face Wolfpack in ACC Baseball Championship
5/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 24, 2012
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Wake Forest Game Notes (PDF)
| NC State Game Notes (PDF)
By Steven Wright, Wake Forest Media Relations (@SIDeacons)
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Seventh-seeded Wake Forest will look to even its 2012 ACC Baseball Championship record tonight, as the Demon Deacons will face No. 3 seed NC State at 7 p.m. at NewBridge Bank Park.
Tonight's game will be broadcast on Fox Sports South and will also be streamed live on ESPN3. Mike Hogewood and Nick Belmonte will have the call. The game can also be heard on 98.1 WBRF and online at WakeForestSports.com
Wake Forest dropped its tournament opener last night to No. 2 seed North Carolina 6-0. The Deacs got a superb effort on the mound from junior Tim Cooney who struck out 10 batters in 7.2 innings of work. The 10-strikeout performance was the third time this season he had reached double figures and the fifth time of his career.
Sophomore Jack Fischer will get the start tonight and will look to continue a string of solid starts. Since being inserted into the starting rotation on April 28 at Boston College, Fischer has made three starts and posted a 2.18 ERA in 20.2 innings. He has earned the win in his last two starts by pitching 7.0 innings at Miami and helping Wake Forest clinch a spot in the ACC Baseball Championship with 7.2 innings of scoreless baseball against Clemson.
Fischer will be squaring off against the ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Pitcher of the Year in NC State's Carlos Rodon. The big lefty is unbeaten on the year with a 9-0 record and has a stingy 1.59 ERA in 96.0 innings of action. He has also struck out 114 batters, walked just 34 and held opponents to a .184 batting average.
NC State is also hitting .295 as a team, led by shortstop Chris Diaz (.374) and third baseman Trea Turner (.343). Turner also leads the league with a remarkable 54 stolen bases on 58 attempts.
The Demon Deacons are hitting. 262 on the year and have three guys hitting above .290. Pat Blair leads the way with a .296 average, while Carlos Lopez and Evan Stephens are both hitting .292. Mac Williamson, who was a First Team All-ACC selection, leads the ACC with 17 home runs and is the Wake Forest team leader with 52 RBIs.
NC State swept the season series with Wake Forest in Raleigh, defeating the Deacs 9-5, 6-2 and 5-4.
Wake Forest will finish pool play tomorrow against No. 6 seed Miami at 7 p.m. at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C.
