Wake Forest University
Florida State
Wake Forest Opens ACC Play with Home Series Against No. 8 Florida State
3/10/2022 3:46:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs begin their conference slate with a 12-1 record, including a perfect 12-0 mark inside David F. Couch Ballpark.
Game Notes | Watch (Friday) | Live Stats (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Stats (Sunday)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.- The Wake Forest baseball team opens their Atlantic Coast Conference slate with a three-game weekend series against the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles inside David F. Couch Ballpark on March 11-13.
The Demon Deacons are a perfect 12-0 in home games this season. They have outscored their opponents 148-37 in those outings.
Overall, Wake Forest has outscored their opponents 151-41 to open the new campaign with a team batting average of .360 with a .471 on-base percentage and team ERA of just 2.61.
The Demon Deacons head into the weekend with 164 base hits, tying for the nation's lead. Additionally, Wake Forest ranks second in runs (151), home runs (28), on-base percentage (.471) and batting average (.360) while also tallying the third-most walks in the country (93).
Originally slated for a 6 p.m. start, the series opener on Friday will now begin at 3 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network. Saturday and Sunday's contests will begin at 1 p.m. and will air live on the Regional Sports Networks.
Fans can tune into an audio streaming broadcast through the Wake Forest Athletics app for all three games.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeBaseball) for all in-game updates and information.
Tickets and Promotions
With ticket demand at an all-time high this season, avoid the lines and purchase your tickets in advance at GoDeacs.com/tickets.
Admission starts at only $5 for general admission access, while reserved seats are available for as low as $10 for adults and $8 for youth. A limited number of other premium options are also available and can be purchased online. Fans may upgrade their experience by purchasing single-game access to the All-American Club for only $15 per ticket.
Promotions
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Friday - Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Women in Athletics at WF
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Saturday - Military Appreciation
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Sunday - Kids Day at The Couch/Alumni Weekend
Last Time Out
Behind another impressive team effort, the Wake Forest baseball team got back in the win column Wednesday night, defeating George Mason, 14-2, at David F. Couch Ballpark.
After the Wake Forest bats were held down in the first two frames, the Deacs started to come alive with a pair of runs as the bottom of the lineup set the tone for the Demon Deacons.
Nick Kurtz and Chris Katz singled to lead off the inning. They would later come around to score on a single by Tommy Hawke and a SAC fly from Brock Wilken. The Deacs led the rest of the way from that point, netting multiple runs in each of the next four innings.
On the mound, Reed Mascolo earned his first victory of the season, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing just two runs. The combination of Gabe Golob, Brennen Oxford, Jacob Grzbinski, Eric Adler and Seth Keener closed out the game with no runs allowed on just two hits.
Opponent & Series history
The Deacs and Seminoles have faced off 126 times prior to this year's three-game series, with the first-ever meeting coming in 1962.
Last season, Wake Forest claimed the ACC series in Tallahassee with a pair of wins at Dick Howser Stadium. After falling 2-1 in the series opener, the Deacs responded with a 8-7 win on Saturday before clinching the set with a 12-10 victory in the finale.
The Deacs tied the series with the Seminoles after a battle throughout for the majority of the contest as the lead changed five times and the teams combined for five home runs. The Seminoles took a 7-6 lead after their third homer of the day in the fifth. Undaunted, the Deacs immediately responded by plating the winning pair of runs in the sixth inning thanks to a Lucas Costello RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Pierce Bennett with the bases loaded.
On Sunday, The Deacs claimed the rubber match against the nationally-ranked Seminoles thanks to their best offensive performance of the season, posting a season-high in runs. Additionally, their 13 hits tied for their second-highest mark of the season and hit three home runs for just the second time in 2021.
Brock Wilken posted the best performance of his young career back in his home state, lifting the Deacs to the Saturday victory with a pair of home runs and six RBIs.
The last time Wake Forest hosted the Seminoles was in 2018 when the Deacs claimed the series 2-1 with back-to-back wins.
Offense Among Nation's Best
Wake Forest has one of the top offenses in the entire nation as the Deacs have 164 base hits, tying for the nation's lead. Additionally, Wake Forest ranks second in runs (151), second in home runs (28), on-base percentage (.471), batting average (.360) while also tallying the third-most walks in the country (93).
| Category | National | ACC |
| Hits | 1 | 1 |
| Home Runs | 2 | 1 |
| On-Base Percentage | 2 | 1 |
| Batting Average | 2 | 2 |
| Walks | 3 | 1 |
| Scoring | 3 | 2 |
| Slugging Percentage | 3 | 2 |
| Doubles | 18 | 1 |
| Sacrifice Flies | 19 | 4 |
Nine Demon Deacons have notched at least 10 base hits this season:
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18 - Adam Cecere and Brendan Tinsman
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17 - Jake Reinisch, Pierce Bennett, Michael Turconi and Brock Wilken
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16 - Nick Kurtz
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12 - Danny Corona
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11 - Chris Katz
The Demon Deacon offense got off to a historic start as the 2022 team became just the second squad in program history to register at least 20 runs multiple times during the opening four games of a season, matching the 1951 squad that represented the United States at the 1951 Pan-American Games.
1951 (67 Runs)
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Argentina: 29 runs
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Brazil: 23 runs
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Columbia: 8 runs
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Nicaragua: 8 runs
2022 (63 runs)
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Lafayette (Feb. 18): 25 runs
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Georgetown (Feb. 19): 9 runs
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VCU (Feb. 20): 6 runs
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UNC-Greensboro: 23 runs
Defense and Pitching Thriving Early
On the mound, Wake Forest's starting pitchers have accounted for 58.8 percent of the team's innings (67 out of 114). Additionally, the Deacs' starters have tallied 56.3 percent of the team's overall strikeouts (72-of-128).
Rhett Lowder and Josh Hartle have dealt in their first three starts of the season as the duo holds a perfect 6-0 record. Lowder has fanned a team-high 25 batters (third in the ACC). Hartle has allowed a team-low two runs in 17.2 innings as the freshman holds the lowest ERA of pitchers with more than 10 innings tossed.
The Demon Deacons have been able to rely on their bullpen as seven relievers have given up two or less runs:
Overall, the Deacs have only conceded 33 earned runs through 13 games (2.54 per game) and have held every opponent to less than five runs to open the season.
Through the first four games, the Deacs gave up just 11 runs, the fewest number of runs the Deacs have allowed in the first four games in head coach Tom Walter's tenure.
Seven Wake Forest arms have held opponents to a sub-.100 batting average (at least five innings minimum):
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Eric Adler - .154 in 7.1 innings
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Josh Hartle - .169 in 11.2 innings
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Derek Crum - .172 in 9.1 innings
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Gabe Golob - .174 in 7.1 innings
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Reed Mascolo - .171 in 11.1 innings
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Rhett Lowder - .180 in 11.1 innings
Home Sweet Home
Wake Forest is off to a perfect 12-0 start inside the friendly confines of David F. Couch Ballpark, outscoring their opponents 148-37 in those outings.
At home, the Deacs are batting .377 while holding opponents to an average of .197.
Wake Forest has smashed 28 home runs while allowing just six long flies.
Patience at Plate Paying Dividends
Wake Forest has been patient at the plate over the opening 13 games of the season as the Deacs have been walked 93 times, the most in the ACC and the third most in the entire nation.
The Deacs have been walked at least 10 times in four games this season. In each of those contests, Wake Forest has notched double-digit hits, while scoring double-digit runs in three of the four instances.
| Opponent | Hits | Walks | Runs |
| Lafayette | 18 | 13 | 25 |
| Georgetown | 12 | 13 | 9 |
| UNCG | 21 | 10 | 23 |
| George Mason | 14 | 10 | 14 |
2022 Season Opens In Historic Fashion
The Deacs got off to one of the best starts in program history with an 11-0 record, the first time since 1961 Wake Forest has won their first 11 games. Wake Forest headed into Tuesday's game as one of five unbeaten teams in Division I. The Deacs best starts to begin a season:
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11-0: 2022, 1961, 1949
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12-0: 1949
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13-0: 1949
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14-0: 1949
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15-0: 1949
Wake Forest's 11-straight wins marked the longest winning streak overall since the Deacs won 15 in a row during the 2012 season. Wake Forest became the second team in the nation to reach 11 wins.
On Deck
Wake Forest returns to the diamond for their fifth midweek game of the season on Tuesday, March 15 at 5 p.m. as the Deacs welcome Western Carolina to David F. Couch Ballpark. The game can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons will then travel to Atlanta for their first conference road series against Georgia Tech on March 18-20 at Russ Chandler Stadium.
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