Wake Forest University
46-9
Pittsburgh
24-31
Top-Seeded Wake Forest Advances with 10-2 Win Over Pitt
5/25/2023 2:10:00 PM | Baseball
Behind a strong performance from back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder, the Deacs opened postseason play with a win over the No. 12 seed Panthers to advance to the semifinals of the ACC Championship.
DURHAM, N.C. – The top-seeded Wake Forest baseball team opened postseason competition with a 10-2 victory over 12th-seeded Pitt in the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship on Thursday inside Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The win helped the Demon Deacons (46-8, 22-7 ACC) claim its pool and secure a spot in the tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m. on ACC Network against the winner of tonight's 7 p.m. matchup between ninth-seeded NC State and third-seeded Miami.
Additionally, Wake Forest became the first No. 1 seed to successfully advance out of pool play since the ACC switched to its current championship format in 2017.
After setting program records for regular season wins (45), conference wins (22) and conference series wins (10), the Demon Deacons are now just one victory away from tying the program record for total wins.
Offensively, junior Brock Wilken continued to add to his legacy, reaching base five times with three hits, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Wilken finished a triple shy of the cycle as his day was highlighted by his 66th career home run. The Valrico, Fla. native is now three home runs away from tying the ACC record for career home runs and he continues to add to his single-season program record with 26 big flies this year.
Junior Bennett Lee and sophomore Danny Corona also left the yard in the Deacs opening game of the ACC Tournament. All but one Wake Forest player had a hit as the Demon Deacons tallied 16 hits collectively. Pierce Bennett, Lee and Wilken led the hitting effort with three knocks each.
The Demon Deacons were led on the mound by a strong performance from back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder. Lowder finished with a final line of 7.0 innings pitched, six strikeouts, three hits, one earned run.
After a couple of early knocks from the Panthers, Lowder settled in, not allowing a hit after the second inning. Additionally, the Albemarle, N.C. native retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced to conclude his outing.
Lowder continues to lead the nation in wins with his 13th of the season and is just the fourth player in program history to reach the 13-win mark in a single season. The Deacs now move to 15-0 when Lowder starts this season.
He turned the ball over to the pen with sophomore Michael Massey and junior Cam Minacci punching the Deacs ticket to the ACC Tournament Semifinals. The duo allowed just one run and one hit combined.
How It Happened
- Tommy Hawke set the table for the Demon Deacons with a five-pitch walk to open the ball game.
- Lucas Costello took advantage of the early baserunner, drilling a double off the top of the left center wall as Hawke came all the way around from first to score the first run of the game.
- After Nick Kurtz and Brock Wilken reached base on a walk and single, Justin Johnson battled back from a 0-2 count to work it full before nearly unloading the bases. He sent a 3-2 fastball deep to center field for a sac fly to score Costello.
- Pierce Bennett with runners at first and second sent a base hit through the right side to score Kurtz from second, putting the Deacs up 3-0 in the first frame.
- Taking a three-run lead into the bottom of the first, Lowder limited the damage of a leadoff double, allowing just one run to keep the Wake Forest lead going into the second.
- Lowder struck out a batter for the opening out of the frame, which moved the junior into a tie for seventh in program history in single season strikeouts (109).
- For the second-straight inning, the first runner reached base in the form of a Bennett Lee single.
- Two batters later, Hawke reached the base path for the second time with a single to left.
- Both runners advanced to second and third, but the Deacs were not able to materialize a run.
- Two batters later, Hawke reached the base path for the second time with a single to left.
- After allowing an early double in the second, Lowder shutdown the Pitt order with three strikeouts in the inning with the final two being looking.
- In the top of the third, Wilken continued to move himself closer to ACC history with a leadoff home run on a center-cut pitch, going the opposite way. This pushed the Wake Forest lead to 4-1.
- His 66th homer of his career moved him three away from tying the ACC record.
- Danny Corona coaxed a walk giving Lee a runner on for a blast to left centerfield, continuing to build on the lead.
- Behind two longballs, Lowder took a 6-1 edge into the bottom of the third.
- Lowder only needed 10 pitches to get through the inning 1-2-3.
- After nothing was doing for the Demon Deacons in the top of the fourth, Lowder allowed the first two to reach but did not allow a runner to score.
- After a mound visit, Lowder struck out Funk on three pitches and then got Acal to ground into an inning-ending double play with Wilken touching third and then throwing it over to Kurtz for the 5-3 GDP.
- Wilken continued his hot bat with a leadoff double to right center gap.
- Johnson moved him over to third with a flyout to right, setting up a Bennett RBI. The Wake Forest right fielder sprayed an 0-1 breaking ball to right, scoring the Deacs' seventh run of the game.
- Lee was hit by a pitch and one batter later Houston kept the line moving with an infield single to load the bases.
- Wake Forest left the bases loaded but increased their lead again.
- Toeing the rubber with a six-run advantage in the bottom of the fifth, Lowder was again efficient, throwing just eight pitches to get out of the inning with groundouts to second, third and first.
- Kurtz continued to put the pressure on in the sixth, laying down a drag bunt to reach first with one out.
- Wilken reached base for the fourth time in the game after he was hit by a pitch but the Deacs were unable to get anyone across.
- Once again, Lowder worked his magic after a leadoff baserunner. He got the next Pitt batter to fly out and then got an inning-ending double play.
- The Deacs were held scoreless in the seventh, but Lowder continued to deal, going 1-2-3 to end his afternoon.
- Lowder finished with a final line of 7.0 innings pitched, six strikeouts, three hits, one earned run.
- After a couple of early knocks from the Panthers, Lowder settled in, not allowing a hit after the second inning.
- Lowder finished with a final line of 7.0 innings pitched, six strikeouts, three hits, one earned run.
- After two Deacs reached base including Wilken for the fifth time in the game, Wake Forest was not able to push another run across.
- Lowder turned the ball over to Michael Massey in the bottom of the eighth and the righthander allowed the second run of the game, but settled in.
- He got the next two batters to ground out and a third to fly out to right.
- The Demon Deacons tacked on some more insurance in the top of the ninth.
- Bennett reached base on a leadoff bunt.
- One pitch later, Corona unloaded on the first pitch, sending it over the right field wall. This increased the Wake Forest lead to 9-2.
- For the 24th time this season, the Demon Deacons reached double-digit runs as Hawke single to right field to score Marek Houston.
- In the bottom of the ninth, All-ACC performer Cam Minacci came in to close out the game.
- After an opening walk, Wilken turned his second double play of the game as he quickly caught a liner and tossed it over to first to erase the early runner.
- Minacci closed out the game with a strikeout swinging, clinching the 10-2 win and advancing the Deacs to the semifinal round of the ACC Tournament.
"That was a great team win. Every time Rhett Lowder takes the mound, we feel really good about our chances. Rhett didn't have his changeup today and for him to go out there without his best pitch and give us seven innings and only give up one run was outstanding. He gave up that one run through the first seven hitters and just kind of settled in. He got a few big double play balls and does what Rhett does. Again, he didn't have his best stuff but we'll take seven innings and one run all day long.
"Offensively, our at-bats were really good early on. I felt really good about our at-bats in the first three innings. We got a little complacent, but give Nash credit. He's really good and threw three really good innings against us. He's a really good arm in this league. He kind of stung us there for a little bit and I was glad we were able to extend our lead a little bit."
Standout Stats
The win helped the Demon Deacons claim its pool and secure a spot in the tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m. on ACC Network against the winner of tonight's 7 p.m. matchup between ninth-seeded NC State and third-seeded Miami.
This secured Wake Forest's first semifinal appearance since 2016. Additionally, this marked the Demon Deacons' first win ever over the Panthers in the conference tournament.
Additionally, Wake Forest became the first No. 1 seed to successfully advance out of pool play since the ACC switched to its current championship format in 2017.
After setting program records for regular season wins (45), conference wins (22) and conference series wins (10), the Demon Deacons are now just one victory away from tying the program record for total wins.
Wake Forest Baseball 40-Win Seasons
- 2002 - 47 overall wins (42 regular season, five postseason)
- 1999 - 47 overall wins (39 regular season, eight postseason)
- 2023- 46 overall wins (45 regular season, one postseason)
- 2001- 44 overall wins (37 regular season, seven postseason)
- 2017 - 43 overall wins (38 regular season wins, five postseason)
- 1998- 43 overall wins (36 regular season, seven postseason)
- 2000 - 42 overall wins, (38 regular season, three postseason)
- 2022 - 41 overall wins (39 regular season, two postseason)
ACC Regular Season Championships
- 2023
- 1963
- 1962
- 1955
Wake Forest Fastest to 40 Wins
- 2023: 46 games
- 2002: 49 games
- 1999: 53 games
- 2001: 55 games
- 2022: 58 games
- 2017: 58 games
- 2000: 59 games
- 1998: 61 games
In The Spotlight
Two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder earned his nation-leading 13th win of 2023 and the 28th victory of his career after finishing with a final line of 7.0 innings pitched, six strikeouts, three hits, one earned run.
After a couple of early knocks from the Panthers, Lowder settled in, not allowing a hit after the second inning. Additionally, the Albemarle, N.C. native retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced to conclude his outing.
Lowder is the only pitcher in the nation with a perfect 13-0 record this season.
Additionally, Lowder is now tied for second in single-season wins by a Wake Forest pitcher and has now posted the most victories in a two-year period ever by a Demon Deacon hurler.
Wake Forest Single Season Wins
1. Kyle Sleeth 2002 14
2. Rhett Lowder 2023 13
Mike MacDougal1999 13
John Hendricks 1998 13
4. Scott Siemon 1999 12
5. Rhett Lowder 2022 11
Scott Siemon 2000 11
Moe Bauer 1950 11
Lowder's 114 strikeouts this season moves him into the fourth in single-season history, passing Kyle Sleeth (2002; 113), Parker Dunshee (2017; 111), John Hendricks (1998; 111), Mark Seaver (1996; 109) and Ryan Cusick (2021; 108) Thursday afternoon with six punchouts.
Wake Forest Single Season Strikeouts
1. Mike Buddie 1992 138
2. Griffin Roberts 2018 130
3. Mike MacDougal 1999 117
4. Rhett Lowder 2023 114
5. Kyle Sleeth 2002 113
6. Parker Dunshee 2017 111
John Hendricks 1998 111
8. Mark Seaver 1996 109
9. Ryan Cusick 2021 108
10. Bret Wagner 1994 107
Lowder is now tied for fourth in career wins by a Wake Forest pitcher. Additionally, the righthander's 28 wins are the most victories among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
Wake Forest Career Wins
1. John Hendricks (1996-99)- 34
2. Kyle Sleeth (2001-03)- 31
3. Frank Humber (1986-89)- 29
4. Rhett Lowder (2021-Pres.)- 28
Parker Dunshee (2014-17)- 28
6. Scott Siemon (1998-01)- 25
Mike MacDougal (1997-99)- 25
Additionally, with six strikeouts tonight, Lowder moved up in the career strikeout rankings by a Demon Deacon ever. This mark is good for third among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
Wake Forest Career Strikeouts
1. Parker Dunshee 2014-17 330
2. John Hendricks1996-99 312
3. Rhett Lowder 2021-Pres. 297
4. Mike MacDougal1997-99 288
5. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 277
6. Kyle Sleeth 2001-03 271
7. Frank Humber 1986-89 266
8. Ross Atkins 1992-95 250
9. Dave Bush 1999-02 249
10. Tim Cooney 2010-12 235
Mike Buddie 1990-92 235
This season, the two-time reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year has accumulated a 1.69 ERA in 95.2 innings to go along with a career-high 114 strikeouts.
After becoming the first Demon Deacon ever to receive the award last season, Lowder became just the second pitcher in conference history to garner back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors (Danny Hultzen, 2010-11) on Monday.
Lowder finished the regular season as the conference's leader in ERA (1.73), wins (12), innings pitched (88.2) and strikeouts (108). In ACC play, Lowder also led the conference in those same categories.
Dating back to last season, Lowder has allowed three earned runs or less in 29 of his last 31 starts and has gone at least six innings in 28 starts.
Brock Wilken launched his 26th home run of the season and the 66th home run of his career in the top of the third inning. The Valrico, Fla. native is now three home runs away from tying the conference record for career homers.
ACC Career Home Run Leaders
1. Anthony Maisano, GaT/WF* (1986-90)- 69
J.D. Drew, Florida State (1995-97)- 69
3. Brock Wilken, Wake Forest (2021-Pres)- 66
4. Pat Clougherty, NC State (1991-94)- 61
Wilken owns the Wake Forest career home run record, Wake Forest single-season home run record and is tied for the most home runs by a Wake Forest freshman ever.
On Deck
Wake Forest concludes pool play on Friday, May 26 at 7 p.m. against eighth-seeded Notre Dame at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on ACC Network.
The Deacs claimed its pool and secured a spot in the tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m. on ACC Network against the winner of tonight's 7 p.m. matchup between ninth-seeded NC State and third-seeded Miami.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lowder, Rhett (13-0)
L: EVANS, Logan (5-3)
Batting:
2B: Costello, Lucas 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1
HR: Wilken, Brock 1 ; Corona, Danny 1 ; Lee, Bennett 1
RBI: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Costello, Lucas 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1 ; Johnson, Justin 1 ; Bennett, Pierce 2 ; Corona, Danny 2 ; Lee, Bennett 2
SF: Johnson, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Costello, Lucas 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Wilken, Brock 2 ; Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Corona, Danny 2 ; Lee, Bennett 1 ; Houston, Marek 1
SB: Hawke, Tommy 1
HBP: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1 ; Lee, Bennett 1
Batting:
2B: DUFF, Sky 1 ; MARTINEZ, Noah 1 ; ACAL, Justin 1
HR: POPA, Dom 1
RBI: MARTINEZ, Noah 1 ; POPA, Dom 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DUFF, Sky 1 ; POPA, Dom 1
HBP: MELENDEZ, Jayden 1
