Wake Forest University
NC State
Wake Forest Closes Out Regular Season with ACC Series at NC State
5/18/2022 5:13:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs travel to Raleigh for a Big Four series to end the 2022 regular season.
Game Notes | Stream (Thursday) | Live Stats (Thursday) | Stream (Friday) | Live Stats (Friday) | Stream (Saturday) | Live Stats (Saturday)
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team closes out the 2022 regular season with a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at NC State on Thursday, May 19-Saturday, May 21.
The Demon Deacons (36-16-1, 12-14-1 ACC) look to finish the last week of the season strong against the Wolfpack (33-17, 14-12 ACC) following a dominant 18-4 victory in its non-conference finale at Appalachian State on Tuesday, May 17.
With the midweek win, Wake Forest finished the regular season campaign tied for the highest non-conference winning percentage in the entire nation with a 24-2 record. Additionally, the 24 wins are most by a Demon Deacon squad since 2017.
Overall, the Deacs have increased their win total by 16 games from last season (36 wins to 20 wins), which is tied for largest year-to-year turnaround in program history (1954-1955, 29 wins to 13 wins).
The series opener on Thursday inside Doak Field is set for 6:30 p.m. Game two will also begin at 6:30 p.m. before the series finale on Saturday is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. All three games can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Fans can tune into an audio streaming broadcast through the Wake Forest Athletics app for all three games and can follow the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeBaseball) for all in-game updates and information.
Last Time Out
The Wake Forest baseball team capped off non-conference play with a 18-4 victory over Appalachian State on Tuesday night at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
The Demon Deacons jumped out early for the second-straight game, scoring nine runs through the first four innings while allowing just one run and two hits from Reed Mascolo and Seth Keener on the mound.
After being held off the scoreboard in the fifth inning, Wake Forest pushed across two runs in the sixth before erupting for seven runs in the seventh to increase their lead to 18-3. This marked their 22nd inning this season with at least five runs.
Pierce Bennett (two-run), Brendan Tinsman (solo) and Brock Wilken (solo) all fired home runs in the first inning before Michael Turconi notched a two-out, two-run double in the second.
After a fielding error allowed Adam Cecere to score from first in the top of the third, Turconi blasted a two-run home run. Cecere fired Wake Forest's fifth home run of the game to cap off Wake Forest's seven-run seventh.
Overall on the mound, Wake Forest utilized six pitchers and allowed just four runs (one of which came after the aforementioned seven-run seventh) and tallied a combined nine strikeouts and just four hits allowed. Sophomore Keener (5-1) earned the victory after throwing two solid innings in the fourth and fifth frames.
Opponent & Series History
Wake Forest and NC State are longtime Big Four rivals and have faced off 188 times prior to this year's series.
Overall, the Deacs trail the all-time series 125-63
Last season, Wake Forest defeated NC State, 14-11, in the first-ever Fight Against Pediatric Cancer Game at David F. Couch Ballpark on May 1.
The Wake Forest baseball program raised over nine-thousand dollars for Brenner Children's Hospital as the program auctioned special-edition, game-worn light yellow jerseys to match the pediatric cancer ribbon to support the cause.
Top Notes
-
Head coach Tom Walter, the second-winningest coach in program history, won his 350th game at the helm of the Wake Forest baseball program with the 16-11 series finale victory against Duke on Sunday.
-
Wake Forest's 36 wins are tied with Louisville for the most in the ACC's Atlantic division and ranks third overall in the conference.
-
With the midweek win at App State, Wake Forest finished the regular season campaign tied for the highest non-conference winning percentage in the entire nation with a 24-2 record. Additionally, the 24 wins are most by a Demon Deacon squad since 2017.
-
The Deacs have increased their win total by 16 games from last season (36 wins to 20 wins), which is tied for largest year-to-year turnaround in program history (1954-1955, 29 wins to 13 wins).
-
The Demon Deacon offense has been firing on all cylinders this season, ranking as one of the top offenses in the entire nation. Wake Forest ranks in the top 10 nationally in all offensive categories while ranking in the top three in the conference across the board, highlighted by an ACC best in on-base percentage, scoring, hits, runs, home runs, average and walks.
-
On the mound, Wake Forest's starting pitchers have combined for 238.1 innings with 232 strikeouts and just 121 earned runs allowed.
-
The Demon Deacons have been walked 334 times this year, the most by any Wake Forest squad in program history.
-
Wake Forest's five home runs in its midweek finale increased their season total to 101 home runs, the second most in program history. The Deacs now are six home runs away from setting another program record this season (106, 2017).
-
Twelve Deacs have hit a long fly this season, led by Brendan Tinsman with 20. Additionally, Wake Forest is one of three teams in the ACC with five players with at least 10 home runs
-
Wake Forest utilized six pitchers and allowed just four runs in its non-conference finale and tallied a combined nine strikeouts and just four hits allowed. Keener (5-1) earned the victory after throwing two solid innings in the fourth and fifth frames
-
The bullpen trio of Camden Minacci, Gabe Golob and Crawford Wade have made at least 20 appearances each and have held the opposition to an average below .220:
-
Camden Minacci: .194 (38 innings)
-
Crawford Wade: .207 (30.0 innings)
-
Gabe Golob: .221 (41.0 innings).
-
-
Jake Reinisch was named Co-Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.Reinisch earned the first weekly ACC accolade of his career after leading Wake Forest in nearly every offensive category this past week.
-
The Clifton Park, N.Y. native posted a .533 batting average with team highs in hits (eight), home runs (two), RBIs (five), runs scored (six), doubles (two) and slugging percentage (1.067) over four games.
-
-
With their first-inning home runs, Brendan Tinsman and Brock Wilken moved up on Wake Forest's single season home run list as the duo has set a new career high in home runs this season.
-
Tinsman's career-high 20 home runs are tied for fifth all time, while Wilken's career high 18 long flies are tied for 10th.
-
-
Rhett Lowder became one of 14 pitchers in Wake Forest history to earn nine wins or more in a season as the sophomore went six innings (five scoreless), striking out a career-high tying 11 batters while allowing just two runs and conceding just one walk against Louisville.
-
The Albemarle, N.C. native is tied for the ACC lead in wins (nine), ranks second in ERA and third in strikeouts. He is the only pitcher in the ACC to rank in the top three in each of those categories.
-
-
Pierce Bennett has been productive at the plate over his last eight games he has appeared in, leading the team with a .633 batting average, 19 hits 19 RBIs, five doubles, four home runs, 1.200 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage.
-
Bennett has driven in a run in the last eight games he has played in.
-
-
Freshman Nick Kurtz has strung together a stellar freshman campaign, tallying a .335 batting average with 58 hits to go along with 12 doubles and 12 home runs.
-
In addition to sitting in the top 10 for home runs by a freshman, Kurtz also ranks in the top-10 in runs scored (tied for second) and walks (third) by a freshman in program history.
-
-
Camden Minacci has been one of the most relied upon arms coming out of the Wake Forest bullpen. In 38.0 innings, the sophomore has struck out 52 batters while only allowing six earned runs.
-
Minacci's career-high strikeout number ranks second on the team, while he sports the lowest ERA (1.42) on the squad.
-
Minacci has also tallied five saves, the sixth-most in the ACC, highlighted by slamming the door in three-straight games against Elon (April 6), Duke (April 8) and Duke (April 9).
-
-
Brendan Tinsman has posted a career year in his fourth season in the Old Gold and Black, posting career highs in hits (73), doubles (13), home runs (20), RBIs (57) and slugging percentage (.699).
-
Tinsman is fourth in the ACC and 10th in the country in long flies.
-
Tinsman's next home run will move him into a tie for second all-time in Wake Forest history.
-
-
Michael Turconi has put together a career year as the shortstop has posted career bests in hits (65), home runs (13), walks (38), triples (4), RBIs (60), slugging (.587), average (.313), on-base (.421) and stolen bases (5).
-
In Wake Forest's midweek finale, Turconi blasted a home run with two doubles for a total of six RBIs, tying a career high.
-
On Deck
The seeding for the 2022 ACC Tournament will be set following the conclusion of this weekend's slate of conference games. The conference tournament is set to take place on Tuesday, May 24-Sunday, May 29 at Truist Field in Charlotte.
Pool play games will be broadcasted on the Regional Sports Networks and ACC Network Extra. Semifinal matchups will be live on ACC Network before the championship is set for a ESPN2 broadcast.
Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com, @WakeBaseball on social media for postseason schedule, news and information following Saturday's series finale against the Wolfpack.
2022 ACC Tournament Schedule
-
Pool Play
-
Tuesday, May 24-Friday, May 27
-
11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
-
Regional Sports Network and ACC Network Extra
-
-
-
Semifinals
-
Saturday, May 28
-
1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
-
ACC Network
-
-
-
Championship
-
Sunday, May 29
-
Noon
-
ESPN2
-
-
For more information on the 2022 ACC Tournament, click here. For tickets, click here.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
