Wake Forest University
Miami
Wake Forest Returns to Diamond for Road Series Versus No. 5 Miami
3/11/2021 1:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs hit the road for the first time in 2021 against the nationally-ranked Hurricanes.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Wake Forest returns to the diamond for their first Atlantic Coast Conference road series against the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes on March 12-14 in Coral Gables, Fla. after a 12-day layoff.
The Deacs (3-4, 1-2 ACC) will look to get back into rhythm against the hosting Hurricanes (6-4 3-3 ACC) as the team hasn't taken the field since Feb. 28 against Notre Dame at The Couch.
The trio of games will be shown entirely on ACC Network Extra, with Friday's series opener slated for a 7:00 p.m. first pitch. The teams will head right back into action the following day at 6:00 p.m. before wrapping up the three-game set at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeBaseball) for all in-game updates and information.
K's All Around
The Deacs' pitching staff was one of the best in the nation at making batters miss to begin the 2021 campaign. Through March 2, Wake Forest led the ACC with 99 strikeouts, which was also good for second-most in the nation. Currently, Wake Forest holds an average of 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings, good for the best in the conference and the fourth-most in the NCAA
In two starts, Ryan Cusick has powered the ball through the opposition. The sophomore has fanned 21 strikeouts through 11.1 innings, good for second in the conference and fourth in the nation (March 2).
Led by Rhett Lowder's career-best 10 strikeouts, Wake Forest fanned a record-setting number of batters in their game versus Coastal Carolina on Feb. 23. Overall, the Deacs struck out 20 batters in 12 innings, the most by a Wake Forest pitching staff since at least 1999. Through March 2, the 20 strikeouts stood as the third-highest total in a game this season.
100-Hit Club
Wake Forest is just one of two teams in the nation with four active players that have tallied at least 100 hits during their collegiate careers:
- Bobby Seymour- 174
- Chris Lanzilli- 155
- Michael Ludowig- 113
- Shane Muntz- 110
Seymour is set to become the 28th player in Wake Forest history to join the 200-Hit club as the junior is just 26 base hits away from the mark.
Jake Mueller (2016-19) was the last Deac to reach the mark with 203 base hits.
Michael Turconi is currently 15 hits from joining the crew, as the sophomore has recorded 85 hits through 74 career games.
Finding His Groove
Michael Turconi has been consistent as the No. 2 hitter in Wake Forest's lineup to begin 2021. He leads the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.414), hits (12), doubles (3) and is tied with seven RBIs.
Heading into this weekend's series, the Beaver Falls, Pa. native holds a six-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 14-straight games.
Last Time Out
In their last game on Feb. 28, the Deacs fell by a final score of 10-0 in the series finale of their ACC-opening series with Notre Dame.
Wake Forest sprinkled in four hits across the contest. Additionally, the Deacs had five baserunners thanks to a quartet of walks and one hit-by-pitch.
A trio of Demon Deacon relievers (Reese Robinson, Reed Mascolo and JD Everett) combined to give up zero earned runs across the final four innings of play. The trio struck out five Fighting Irish batters, part of 14 total Ks racked up by Wake Forest's pitching staff.
Hurricanes Preview
Miami enters the series on a three-game winning streak, taking down No. 25 FAU in a midweek matchup on Tuesday, 11-2. The Hurricanes had a statement series to open the season, taking two of three games from the Florida Gators. They've since split the two ACC series that followed, going 1-2 at home against Virginia Tech and 2-1 on the road at NC State.
The Hurricanes are led at the plate by Freshman infielder Yohandy Morales. The Miami native currently sports a .357/.404/.667 slash line with three home runs and 11 RBIs through 10 starts. Sophomore outfielder Jordan Lala has shown speed on the basepaths early, swiping four bases in five attempts through 10 starts.
On the mound, Saturday starter Alejandro Rosario has fared the best on the starting staff through three weekend series. The freshman righty sports a 2.81 ERA across 16.0 innings, striking out 16 batters while walking just five. Ace Daniel Federman, however, has struggled at the start of the season. The junior right-handed pitchers has a 8.01 ERA and has taken the loss in two of his three starts, giving up five home runs across just 13.1 innings.
Opponent & Series History
The Deacs and the Hurricanes have faced off 48 times prior to this weekend's series, with Wake Forest facing a 36-12 deficit. The first matchup between the two programs came in 1987, as the Hurricanes posted a 8-1 victory.
Over the last 10 meetings, the two teams have picked up five wins apiece. In their last game on May 13 at The Couch, the Deacs recorded a 9-7 victory in their 2019 home finale. Bobby Seymour (2-for-4, walk), Shane Muntz (2-for-3, two walks) and Michael Ludowig (3-for-4, walk) each reached base at least three times and had two RBIs apiece.
On Deck
The Deacs will settle back into their home confines for four-straight games, beginning with a midweek matchup with Charlotte on March 16. The Deacs will play host to Georgia Tech on March 19-21 for their third ACC series of the season.
Following the homestand, Wake Forest will be back on the road for a midweek contest at Elon and a three-game conference set in the sunshine state against Florida State on March 26-28.
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