From the Quad
4/10/2023 9:23:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
How 'bout those Easter Sunday Deacs?! Following rainouts on Friday and Saturday, our No. 2-ranked baseball squad finally took the field at David F. Couch Ballpark yesterday and downed the NC State Wolfpack in a doubleheader sweep!
Meanwhile, men's tennis captured a senior day victory over Virginia Tech, and down in Augusta, Ga., 2019 Wake Forest graduate and men's golf alum Cameron Young surged up the leaderboard with a final round 68 to finish in seventh place securing his spot in the 2024 edition of the Masters!
Today's edition of From the Quad includes lots of championship updates for our spring sports. However, let's begin with all the details for our spring football game coming this Saturday!
Fun & Excitement for All at Football Spring Game on Saturday at Truist Field
Saturday afternoon Coach Clawson and our football staff provide a first look at our 2023 football team, so make your plans now to join Deacon Nation for this FREE event inside Truist Field featuring fun for the whole family. Unique giveaways, inflatables and games for kids will be located above the Hill behind the Bob McCreary Videoboard Honoring the Class of 1961. Immediately after the game, fans are welcomed down to check out the new Truist Field turf and get autographs and pictures with Demon Deacons players. The game will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
For an additional fun element at the Spring Game, Wake Forest Athletics will be auditioning a few of our finalists for our open public address announcer role. If you have any feedback on who you liked the best, email our fan experience office (wfsports@wfu.edu).
While this will be our first taste of ACC football in Winston-Salem since our resounding win over Syracuse last November, it's never too early to look ahead and start planning for the fall! Tickets for Opening Night at Truist Field on Thursday night, August 31, are available for just $15 and four-pack tickets begin at an initial price of $49 for a limited time only. The purchase of a four-pack ticket package includes a FREE Joel Coliseum lot parking pass while supplies last. Opening Night is also Wake Forest faculty and staff appreciation night!
Remember, with all six home games this year expected to be sellouts, the best way to secure your seats is through season tickets! For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Top-Ranked Diamond Deacs Continue Winning Ways
With yesterday's wins, the Deacs sit in first place in the ACC with a 12-2 league mark, while the 28-4 overall record means Coach Tom Walter's squad is off to the best Wake Forest start since 1949 - when Gene Hooks Field's namesake wore the Old Gold & Black. With that, Dr. Hooks continues to be a regular attendee at home games!
These win totals include sweeps over the Wolfpack yesterday, No. 17 Miami and at Clemson. The balanced Deacon side includes a pitching staff with three weekend starters recently named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and a group that leads the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts-per-nine innings and ERA, while ranking first in the ACC and top-two nationally in every other category. Meanwhile offensively, Wake Forest has been on a tear leading the ACC in walks, on-base percentage, runs and scoring. Overall, our Diamond Deacs are outscoring opponents by a 296-97 mark.
The Demon Deacons wore lavender batting practice jerseys on Sunday (as covered in the Winston-Salem Journal) and fans had the opportunity to bid on the special-edition, game-worn jerseys with all the proceeds benefiting the Epilepsy Alliance of North Carolina. This cause truly embodies the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University and we are proud of the baseball program's support of Brenner Children's Hospital and this important cause.
Additionally, Skip Foreman at the Winston-Salem Journal wrote an insightful and memorable article this weekend about the history of "Easter Monday" baseball games between the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack. If you're curious to learn more, this series is chronicled in a book written by Tim Peeler – "The Easter Monday Baseball Game: North Carolina State and Wake Forest on the Diamond, 1899-1956," which provides detailed accounts of the series, including the prose of the day by newspapers covering the game.
Time for Goal No. 4 - Win (ACC) Championships!
The Demon Deacons are "home" in the Triad for our first championship opportunity of the spring. Coach Kim Lewellen's No. 1-ranked Demon Deacons golf squad tees off Thursday in Greensboro at the Sedgefield Country Club looking to defend its title from a season ago and win the program's eighth overall league championship! It has been a banner season thus far with a program-record five regular season titles (ANNIKA Intercollegiate, Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate, UCF Challenge, Nexus Collegiate, Valspar August Invitational). Individually, senior Rachel Kuehn, who was recently named the ACC Golfer of the month for March, has led the Deacs with a pair of individual medalist performances at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup and the Valspar Augusta Invitational.
Follow live scoring of the tournament here or on social media (@WakeWGolf). Fans are welcome to attend all four days of competition this weekend (Thursday-Sunday) for FREE at historic Sedgefield - site of the founding of the ACC in 1953 and the home to the PGA's Wyndham Open.
Next week (April 21-24), our men's squad will look to defend its 2022 ACC Title at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. The Demon Deacons are coming off a runner-up finish at the Calusa Cup, which featured four of the top-five teams in the nation. Overall for the spring, Coach Jerry Haas' team captured a team crown at the Battle at Briar's Creek back in Feb., while senior Mark Power and junior Michael Brennan have claimed individual titles at the Battle at Briar's Creek and the Southwestern Invitational, respectively.
The event at Pinehurst is FREE for all fans to attend and live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com. Be on the lookout for CCNC resident and Demon Deacons legend Webb Simpson!
Augusta National = DEACTOWN
Speaking of golf, three current Demon Deacons competed at the Augusta National Women's Amatuer two weeks ago. Veteran Emilia Migliaccio made the cut for the second time. Emilia, who has already earned her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest in communication, was one of just three players in the field that has competed in all four installments of the ANWA. Additionally, Rachel and Carolina Chacarra both competed for the third time.
And, did you see that incredible eagle putt Cameron Young had on No. 13 yesterday afternoon in the final round of the Masters?!
Final Regular Season Action Awaits Tennis Programs; ACC Tournament Next Week
Just over a week ago, Coach Jeff Wyshner and our No. 24-ranked women's tennis program honored two outstanding seniors, Anna Brylin and Maddie Lynch. Click here for a complete recap of their stellar careers in the Old Gold & Black. Our final regular season tuneup ahead of ACC Tournament (April 19-23) in Cary, N.C. is this weekend on the Jim Leighton Courts as the Deacs host Virginia Tech on Friday at 5 p.m. and Virginia (12 p.m.) and North Carolina A&T (4 p.m.) on Sunday.
Meanwhile, our No. 19 men's team honored Jurabek Karimov, Melios Efstathiou and Juan Lopez de Azcona with a ceremony yesterday ahead of their victory over the Hokies at Leighton Courts. Our Demon Deacons have had an extremely competitive spring season that featured top-30 ranked wins over VCU, Auburn and Tennessee. The Deacs will spend this weekend on the road at NC State (Friday) and Boston College (Sunday) prior to competing in the league tournament next week in Cary.
Deacon Club Accelerating to Another Historic Finish for Year
Deacon fans have been seizing the opportunity to invest in targeted initiatives enhancing the World Class Student-Athlete Experience for our 400-plus Demon Deacons on our beautiful Reynolda Campus. With less than two months remaining until the May 31 membership deadline, Deacon Club Annual Fund Giving is in range of another record breaking year! I am inspired to see so many donors making strategic investments to create competitive advantages for Wake Forest student-athletes and coaches.
In the past month alone, Deacon Club gifts have allowed our women's soccer team the opportunity to travel internationally to Spain and our field hockey team the excitement to compete this fall on newly replaced turf at Kentner Stadium - not to mention our February Scholarship Celebration that connected our student-athletes with those endowed donors who are providing life-changing opportunities through a Wake Forest scholarship.
There is a spot for every Deacon fan on this "team behind our teams". For more info visit Deacon Club website today! Additionally, click here for information on the Forever Deacs initiative!
Welcome to Wake Forest EVP/CFO Jacqueline A. Travisano!
We are excited to welcome Jacqueline Travisano, Ed.D., MBA, CPA, as Wake Forest's next executive vice president and chief financial officer. I really enjoyed engaging with Jackie during the interview process and I'm excited that she brings Power Five and ACC experience from her current post at Miami. As Wake Forest's executive vice president, Travisano will play a key role in advancing the University's strategic priorities and identifying and allocating resources to support Wake Forest's academic mission. Join me in congratulating President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. for this excellent choice to succeed retiring EVP & CEO Hof Milam, who has devotedly served Wake Forest since 2010.
Wake 'N Shake Epitomizes Pro Humanitate Motto of Wake Forest
Each spring, Wake Forest students stay awake and on their feet for 12-straight hours for the Wake 'N Shake Dance Marathon benefitting the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. A few weeks ago on Saturday, March 25, this annual event raised nearly $250,000. The incredible participation across our community, included an annual visit from Coach Dave Clawson and our football team!
Exciting Soccer and Track & Field Events Await Wake Forest, Winston-Salem Community
Head men's soccer coach Bobby Muuss and director of track & field / cross country John Hayes have two unique events set for the coming weeks which not only provide a great student-athlete experience but also bring Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and the Triad Communities,
First, our men's soccer program is bringing together 10 premier programs at Spry Stadium this Sunday as Wake Forest will host the 2023 Spring Soccer Cup Finals. Along with 2019 NCAA Champions Georgetown and 2021 NCAA Champions Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Duke, NC State, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Pitt will participate in the Spring Soccer Cup. Tickets for the event are available for purchase here and all seating is general admission. Seating on the Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill is free.
Additionally thanks to the leadership and foresight of Coach Hayes, whose team is coming off some solid performances this past weekend at Duke, we're set to host our first track meet at Kentner Stadium since 2018, where 18 teams will be competing on Friday, April 21.
Events begin at 9 a.m. and will go throughout the entire day. Our track and field alumni will be tailgating on the hill and they will be participating in a one mile race during the event! Meanwhile, our entire student body can get involved and sign up to run in the 4x100m student relay race! Students can get involved through the link in the previous sentence and our fan experience staff will be placing posters with QR codes to sign up for this 4x100m race throughout campus over the next week for ease of signing up as well.
Admission for this event is FREE and there will be games and unique fan experiences throughout the day. With many record-breaking times expected by our student-athletes, a truly fun atmosphere awaits all of us on our Reynolda Campus next Friday!
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
As always, continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
How 'bout those Easter Sunday Deacs?! Following rainouts on Friday and Saturday, our No. 2-ranked baseball squad finally took the field at David F. Couch Ballpark yesterday and downed the NC State Wolfpack in a doubleheader sweep!
Meanwhile, men's tennis captured a senior day victory over Virginia Tech, and down in Augusta, Ga., 2019 Wake Forest graduate and men's golf alum Cameron Young surged up the leaderboard with a final round 68 to finish in seventh place securing his spot in the 2024 edition of the Masters!
Today's edition of From the Quad includes lots of championship updates for our spring sports. However, let's begin with all the details for our spring football game coming this Saturday!
Fun & Excitement for All at Football Spring Game on Saturday at Truist Field
Saturday afternoon Coach Clawson and our football staff provide a first look at our 2023 football team, so make your plans now to join Deacon Nation for this FREE event inside Truist Field featuring fun for the whole family. Unique giveaways, inflatables and games for kids will be located above the Hill behind the Bob McCreary Videoboard Honoring the Class of 1961. Immediately after the game, fans are welcomed down to check out the new Truist Field turf and get autographs and pictures with Demon Deacons players. The game will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
For an additional fun element at the Spring Game, Wake Forest Athletics will be auditioning a few of our finalists for our open public address announcer role. If you have any feedback on who you liked the best, email our fan experience office (wfsports@wfu.edu).
While this will be our first taste of ACC football in Winston-Salem since our resounding win over Syracuse last November, it's never too early to look ahead and start planning for the fall! Tickets for Opening Night at Truist Field on Thursday night, August 31, are available for just $15 and four-pack tickets begin at an initial price of $49 for a limited time only. The purchase of a four-pack ticket package includes a FREE Joel Coliseum lot parking pass while supplies last. Opening Night is also Wake Forest faculty and staff appreciation night!
Remember, with all six home games this year expected to be sellouts, the best way to secure your seats is through season tickets! For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Top-Ranked Diamond Deacs Continue Winning Ways
With yesterday's wins, the Deacs sit in first place in the ACC with a 12-2 league mark, while the 28-4 overall record means Coach Tom Walter's squad is off to the best Wake Forest start since 1949 - when Gene Hooks Field's namesake wore the Old Gold & Black. With that, Dr. Hooks continues to be a regular attendee at home games!
These win totals include sweeps over the Wolfpack yesterday, No. 17 Miami and at Clemson. The balanced Deacon side includes a pitching staff with three weekend starters recently named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and a group that leads the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts-per-nine innings and ERA, while ranking first in the ACC and top-two nationally in every other category. Meanwhile offensively, Wake Forest has been on a tear leading the ACC in walks, on-base percentage, runs and scoring. Overall, our Diamond Deacs are outscoring opponents by a 296-97 mark.
The Demon Deacons wore lavender batting practice jerseys on Sunday (as covered in the Winston-Salem Journal) and fans had the opportunity to bid on the special-edition, game-worn jerseys with all the proceeds benefiting the Epilepsy Alliance of North Carolina. This cause truly embodies the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University and we are proud of the baseball program's support of Brenner Children's Hospital and this important cause.
Additionally, Skip Foreman at the Winston-Salem Journal wrote an insightful and memorable article this weekend about the history of "Easter Monday" baseball games between the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack. If you're curious to learn more, this series is chronicled in a book written by Tim Peeler – "The Easter Monday Baseball Game: North Carolina State and Wake Forest on the Diamond, 1899-1956," which provides detailed accounts of the series, including the prose of the day by newspapers covering the game.
Time for Goal No. 4 - Win (ACC) Championships!
The Demon Deacons are "home" in the Triad for our first championship opportunity of the spring. Coach Kim Lewellen's No. 1-ranked Demon Deacons golf squad tees off Thursday in Greensboro at the Sedgefield Country Club looking to defend its title from a season ago and win the program's eighth overall league championship! It has been a banner season thus far with a program-record five regular season titles (ANNIKA Intercollegiate, Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate, UCF Challenge, Nexus Collegiate, Valspar August Invitational). Individually, senior Rachel Kuehn, who was recently named the ACC Golfer of the month for March, has led the Deacs with a pair of individual medalist performances at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup and the Valspar Augusta Invitational.
Follow live scoring of the tournament here or on social media (@WakeWGolf). Fans are welcome to attend all four days of competition this weekend (Thursday-Sunday) for FREE at historic Sedgefield - site of the founding of the ACC in 1953 and the home to the PGA's Wyndham Open.
Next week (April 21-24), our men's squad will look to defend its 2022 ACC Title at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. The Demon Deacons are coming off a runner-up finish at the Calusa Cup, which featured four of the top-five teams in the nation. Overall for the spring, Coach Jerry Haas' team captured a team crown at the Battle at Briar's Creek back in Feb., while senior Mark Power and junior Michael Brennan have claimed individual titles at the Battle at Briar's Creek and the Southwestern Invitational, respectively.
The event at Pinehurst is FREE for all fans to attend and live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com. Be on the lookout for CCNC resident and Demon Deacons legend Webb Simpson!
Augusta National = DEACTOWN
Speaking of golf, three current Demon Deacons competed at the Augusta National Women's Amatuer two weeks ago. Veteran Emilia Migliaccio made the cut for the second time. Emilia, who has already earned her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest in communication, was one of just three players in the field that has competed in all four installments of the ANWA. Additionally, Rachel and Carolina Chacarra both competed for the third time.
And, did you see that incredible eagle putt Cameron Young had on No. 13 yesterday afternoon in the final round of the Masters?!
Final Regular Season Action Awaits Tennis Programs; ACC Tournament Next Week
Just over a week ago, Coach Jeff Wyshner and our No. 24-ranked women's tennis program honored two outstanding seniors, Anna Brylin and Maddie Lynch. Click here for a complete recap of their stellar careers in the Old Gold & Black. Our final regular season tuneup ahead of ACC Tournament (April 19-23) in Cary, N.C. is this weekend on the Jim Leighton Courts as the Deacs host Virginia Tech on Friday at 5 p.m. and Virginia (12 p.m.) and North Carolina A&T (4 p.m.) on Sunday.
Meanwhile, our No. 19 men's team honored Jurabek Karimov, Melios Efstathiou and Juan Lopez de Azcona with a ceremony yesterday ahead of their victory over the Hokies at Leighton Courts. Our Demon Deacons have had an extremely competitive spring season that featured top-30 ranked wins over VCU, Auburn and Tennessee. The Deacs will spend this weekend on the road at NC State (Friday) and Boston College (Sunday) prior to competing in the league tournament next week in Cary.
Deacon Club Accelerating to Another Historic Finish for Year
Deacon fans have been seizing the opportunity to invest in targeted initiatives enhancing the World Class Student-Athlete Experience for our 400-plus Demon Deacons on our beautiful Reynolda Campus. With less than two months remaining until the May 31 membership deadline, Deacon Club Annual Fund Giving is in range of another record breaking year! I am inspired to see so many donors making strategic investments to create competitive advantages for Wake Forest student-athletes and coaches.
In the past month alone, Deacon Club gifts have allowed our women's soccer team the opportunity to travel internationally to Spain and our field hockey team the excitement to compete this fall on newly replaced turf at Kentner Stadium - not to mention our February Scholarship Celebration that connected our student-athletes with those endowed donors who are providing life-changing opportunities through a Wake Forest scholarship.
There is a spot for every Deacon fan on this "team behind our teams". For more info visit Deacon Club website today! Additionally, click here for information on the Forever Deacs initiative!
Welcome to Wake Forest EVP/CFO Jacqueline A. Travisano!
We are excited to welcome Jacqueline Travisano, Ed.D., MBA, CPA, as Wake Forest's next executive vice president and chief financial officer. I really enjoyed engaging with Jackie during the interview process and I'm excited that she brings Power Five and ACC experience from her current post at Miami. As Wake Forest's executive vice president, Travisano will play a key role in advancing the University's strategic priorities and identifying and allocating resources to support Wake Forest's academic mission. Join me in congratulating President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. for this excellent choice to succeed retiring EVP & CEO Hof Milam, who has devotedly served Wake Forest since 2010.
Wake 'N Shake Epitomizes Pro Humanitate Motto of Wake Forest
Each spring, Wake Forest students stay awake and on their feet for 12-straight hours for the Wake 'N Shake Dance Marathon benefitting the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. A few weeks ago on Saturday, March 25, this annual event raised nearly $250,000. The incredible participation across our community, included an annual visit from Coach Dave Clawson and our football team!
Exciting Soccer and Track & Field Events Await Wake Forest, Winston-Salem Community
Head men's soccer coach Bobby Muuss and director of track & field / cross country John Hayes have two unique events set for the coming weeks which not only provide a great student-athlete experience but also bring Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and the Triad Communities,
First, our men's soccer program is bringing together 10 premier programs at Spry Stadium this Sunday as Wake Forest will host the 2023 Spring Soccer Cup Finals. Along with 2019 NCAA Champions Georgetown and 2021 NCAA Champions Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Duke, NC State, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Pitt will participate in the Spring Soccer Cup. Tickets for the event are available for purchase here and all seating is general admission. Seating on the Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill is free.
Additionally thanks to the leadership and foresight of Coach Hayes, whose team is coming off some solid performances this past weekend at Duke, we're set to host our first track meet at Kentner Stadium since 2018, where 18 teams will be competing on Friday, April 21.
Events begin at 9 a.m. and will go throughout the entire day. Our track and field alumni will be tailgating on the hill and they will be participating in a one mile race during the event! Meanwhile, our entire student body can get involved and sign up to run in the 4x100m student relay race! Students can get involved through the link in the previous sentence and our fan experience staff will be placing posters with QR codes to sign up for this 4x100m race throughout campus over the next week for ease of signing up as well.
Admission for this event is FREE and there will be games and unique fan experiences throughout the day. With many record-breaking times expected by our student-athletes, a truly fun atmosphere awaits all of us on our Reynolda Campus next Friday!
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Read this Deacon Sports Xtra feature story on how a friendship formed between the spouses of two Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famers, Samantha Cronin and Tacey Hesmer, brought a children's picture book to life.
- On the heels of the Final Four just over a week ago, here's a special story from Gilbert McCregor from the Sporting News on the impact the legendary Billy Packer had in recruiting Black players, like 1971 ACC Player of the Year Charlie Davis, to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com on Tuesday as we will be unveiling our renovated Athletics website! This comes after a lot of hard work and soliciting feedback from student-athletes, coaches and all valued constituents.
As always, continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Golf
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Golf
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Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10