Deacon Sports Xtra: Rhett Lowder Returns to Open The Gate
12/4/2023 10:07:00 AM | Baseball
First Round MLB Draft Pick Rhett Lowder returned to Winston-Salem to Open The Gate in Football’s win over Pittsburgh.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – As arguably the most-decorated Wake Forest Baseball player ever, pitcher Rhett Lowder was often on the receiving end of a call from coach Tom Walter with news of his newest accolade.
All-American honors, 2023 ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year and ACC Pitcher of the Year spring immediately to mind.
"Typically, when he calls me, it's some pretty good news," Lowder quipped.
But it was a little something special when Walter called in early July to tell Lowder he'd won the Anthony J. McKevlin Award, which is presented annually to the ACC's top male athlete, joining an exclusive list of Demon Deacons that includes just Tim Duncan (1997), Randolph Childress (1995), Brian Piccolo (1965), Len Chappell (1962) and Dickie Hemric (1955).
"That was so awesome," Lowder said. "I was super shocked when Coach Walter called me and told me that I had won that. I still get chills talking about it right now. I'm super honored. I didn't even know if I was going to be able to play in the ACC coming out of high school and then being able to turn that around and then win that award.
"It's truly an honor and that's probably one of my favorite awards that I've gotten to this point."
In terms of being in the category of Wake Forest legends like Duncan and Chappell, Lowder believes he still has a long way to go.
"I don't know," he said. "I think I have some work to do to get to the level they are, but just even being in the conversation with the impact those guys had on the university, it's awesome. And I hope that even to some people,they see all the work that we did as a team to collectively bring Wake Forest Baseball back — I think that's one of the biggest compliments you can get."
Just three days after being named the top ACC male athlete for the 2022-23 season across all sports, Lowder was selected seventh in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He spent time in Arizona and Dayton as the season wrapped up, but didn't pitch given the heavy innings he'd tossed all the way through the College World Series. The timing of his trajectory toward the majors is still uncertain.
"Conversations are very vague and they're far and few in between," Lowder said. "Even when they tell you you're coming up, they tell you maybe 12 hours before you got to be there. We sat down after the draft and there's a vague baseline plan. And I think I have a chance if everything goes correctly to move pretty fast in this organization and make a pretty big impact at the highest level soon. But I don't know if I were to put a date on it, there's no way I could be able to do it, and I don't even know where I would start.
"So it's really just all just about getting me in the best possible position to help this team get to the playoffs, whenever that may be. So it depends on me. My development depends on the team's level, everything. So it's hard for me to say a specific time point, but I think I have a good opportunity to make an impact."
The Reds finished 82-80 last season with a young exciting roster featuring the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene and TJ Friedl.
"It's awesome," Lowder said about his new team. "I've been around the team a couple times and outside of Joey Votto this past year when I went up there, and he's not sadly not going to be there, but everyone else made it felt like college. The oldest guy was like 26. It was a lot of 24-25 year olds, obviously a little bit older than college, but nothing crazy. It's a very young dugout and very young team and it's super exciting to be a part of that. And it's not like I'm looked down upon for being the 21-year old when I was walking around those guys."
Most of his time around the club was spent building relationships with members of the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff.
"Mostly my interactions were with the pitchers that weren't pitching," Lowder said. "I met Hunter Green and Nick Lodolo. They were in Arizona when I got drafted, so I got to know them pretty well. I caught up with Andrew Abbott for a while, another ACC kid from Virginia who pitched against us my freshman year. I didn't get to see (former Demon Deacon outfielder) Stu Fairchild because he was playing that night, but I've talked to him a couple times."
Lowder returned to Wake Forest for Homecoming Weekend and was selected to Open the Gate as the Football Deacs took the field at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium for the victory over Pitt.
"It was awesome," Lowder said. "Especially coming back for homecoming weekend. It was a good crowd. We brought home the win, so it was kind of just like the dream weekend to come back. It was a little bit nerve wracking going out on the field, I'm not going to lie. It was awesome for all the support coming back and I loved it. Anytime I can come back and talk to the fans and meet new people is just amazing."
After winning back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Year awards, while setting program records in wins (15) and strikeouts (143) last season, Lowder was in the strange position of 'coming back' to Wake Forest after just wrapping up his play for the Deacs just a handful of months ago.
"I don't know if it's fully sunk in, but it's definitely a little bit different," he said. "You don't have a place to come back with all the group of guys that you live with for the past three years. But it's still a good time and it still feels like home — it doesn't feel much different, but just the interactions are a little bit more personal."
All-American honors, 2023 ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year and ACC Pitcher of the Year spring immediately to mind.
"Typically, when he calls me, it's some pretty good news," Lowder quipped.
But it was a little something special when Walter called in early July to tell Lowder he'd won the Anthony J. McKevlin Award, which is presented annually to the ACC's top male athlete, joining an exclusive list of Demon Deacons that includes just Tim Duncan (1997), Randolph Childress (1995), Brian Piccolo (1965), Len Chappell (1962) and Dickie Hemric (1955).
"That was so awesome," Lowder said. "I was super shocked when Coach Walter called me and told me that I had won that. I still get chills talking about it right now. I'm super honored. I didn't even know if I was going to be able to play in the ACC coming out of high school and then being able to turn that around and then win that award.
"It's truly an honor and that's probably one of my favorite awards that I've gotten to this point."
In terms of being in the category of Wake Forest legends like Duncan and Chappell, Lowder believes he still has a long way to go.
"I don't know," he said. "I think I have some work to do to get to the level they are, but just even being in the conversation with the impact those guys had on the university, it's awesome. And I hope that even to some people,they see all the work that we did as a team to collectively bring Wake Forest Baseball back — I think that's one of the biggest compliments you can get."
Just three days after being named the top ACC male athlete for the 2022-23 season across all sports, Lowder was selected seventh in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He spent time in Arizona and Dayton as the season wrapped up, but didn't pitch given the heavy innings he'd tossed all the way through the College World Series. The timing of his trajectory toward the majors is still uncertain.
"Conversations are very vague and they're far and few in between," Lowder said. "Even when they tell you you're coming up, they tell you maybe 12 hours before you got to be there. We sat down after the draft and there's a vague baseline plan. And I think I have a chance if everything goes correctly to move pretty fast in this organization and make a pretty big impact at the highest level soon. But I don't know if I were to put a date on it, there's no way I could be able to do it, and I don't even know where I would start.
"So it's really just all just about getting me in the best possible position to help this team get to the playoffs, whenever that may be. So it depends on me. My development depends on the team's level, everything. So it's hard for me to say a specific time point, but I think I have a good opportunity to make an impact."
The Reds finished 82-80 last season with a young exciting roster featuring the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene and TJ Friedl.
"It's awesome," Lowder said about his new team. "I've been around the team a couple times and outside of Joey Votto this past year when I went up there, and he's not sadly not going to be there, but everyone else made it felt like college. The oldest guy was like 26. It was a lot of 24-25 year olds, obviously a little bit older than college, but nothing crazy. It's a very young dugout and very young team and it's super exciting to be a part of that. And it's not like I'm looked down upon for being the 21-year old when I was walking around those guys."
Most of his time around the club was spent building relationships with members of the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff.
"Mostly my interactions were with the pitchers that weren't pitching," Lowder said. "I met Hunter Green and Nick Lodolo. They were in Arizona when I got drafted, so I got to know them pretty well. I caught up with Andrew Abbott for a while, another ACC kid from Virginia who pitched against us my freshman year. I didn't get to see (former Demon Deacon outfielder) Stu Fairchild because he was playing that night, but I've talked to him a couple times."
Lowder returned to Wake Forest for Homecoming Weekend and was selected to Open the Gate as the Football Deacs took the field at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium for the victory over Pitt.
"It was awesome," Lowder said. "Especially coming back for homecoming weekend. It was a good crowd. We brought home the win, so it was kind of just like the dream weekend to come back. It was a little bit nerve wracking going out on the field, I'm not going to lie. It was awesome for all the support coming back and I loved it. Anytime I can come back and talk to the fans and meet new people is just amazing."
After winning back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Year awards, while setting program records in wins (15) and strikeouts (143) last season, Lowder was in the strange position of 'coming back' to Wake Forest after just wrapping up his play for the Deacs just a handful of months ago.
"I don't know if it's fully sunk in, but it's definitely a little bit different," he said. "You don't have a place to come back with all the group of guys that you live with for the past three years. But it's still a good time and it still feels like home — it doesn't feel much different, but just the interactions are a little bit more personal."
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballFootball Media Availability (10/22/25)
Wednesday, October 22
Football Media Availability (10/21/25)
Tuesday, October 21
Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert Weekly Press Conference (10/20/2025)
Monday, October 20
Wake Forest Postgame Press Conference vs. Virginia Tech (Oct. 4, 2025)
Monday, October 20