Wake Forest University
47-10
Miami
40-18
Top-Seeded Wake Forest ACC Tournament Run Ends in Semifinals
5/27/2023 4:28:00 PM | Baseball
The No. 1 Demon Deacons will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday afternoon to learn their NCAA Tournament schedule.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The top-seeded Wake Forest baseball team's ACC Tournament run ended in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon against fourth-seeded Miami, 7-2, at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
After setting program records for regular season wins (45), conference wins (22) and conference series wins (10), the two victories in the ACC Tournament helped Wake Forest (47-10, 22-7 ACC) tie the program record for total wins at 47 total for the year.
The No. 1 nationally-ranked Deacs 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 going a perfect 2-0 in the opening games of the tournament against eighth-seeded Notre Dame and 12th-seeded Pitt.
For the second-straight day, sophomore Nick Kurtz had a strong showing at the plate, reaching base four times in five at-bats with a double, single, walk and hit by pitch. Over the course of the tournament, he reached base in eight-of-12 at-bats with a pair of home runs coming in Friday night's victory over Notre Dame.
Brock Wilken was equally as impressive, reaching base in eight-of-15 at-bats including a pair of home runs which helped him reach 67 for his career, two away from the ACC all-time record. Additionally, his 27 homers this season is a program record and he is four home runs away from tying the ACC single-season record of 31 set by J.D. Drew in 1997.
How It Happened
- Sean Sullivan made his first start since the Boston College series on May 6.
- In the first, Sullivan made quick work of the Canes, getting a pair of flyouts to left and then striking out the final batter to set them down, 1-2-3.
- Sullivan only needed eight pitches to get out of the first.
- Nick Kurtz became the first baserunner of the game when he reached after getting hit by a pitch.
- Brock Wilken followed that up a walk to put two runners on, but a fly out ended the scoring opportunity.
- Sullivan continued to look strong, retiring the first three batters with a flyout, groundout and a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning.
- Through two innings, Sullivan sat at just 15 pitches thrown.
- Bennett Lee singled with two outs in the bottom of the second, continuing his strong ACC Tournament at the plate.
- He advanced to second on a wild pitch.
- Two pitches later, Marek Houston walked to put two runners on, but Wake Forest was unable to push the first run across of the game after an inning-ending groundout.
- Sullivan induced the opening two outs of the top of the third inning before turning the ball over to Josh Hartle, who was making his first relief appearance of his collegiate career.
- The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead on a bases-loaded single up the middle.
- Trailing by two going into the bottom of the third, Kurtz and Wilken quickly reached base on a walk and single, respectively.
- This forced a pitching change from Miami.
- Justin Johnson was hit on the first pitch to load the bases
- The next batter Bennett drove in the first Deacs' run on a groundout with Wilken and Johnson advancing into scoring position.
- With Hartle set for his first full inning of work in the top of the fourth, he allowed an opening hit but the runner went no further as he got a strikeout and two groundouts to keep the deficit at one run.
- The Deacs were able to get a runner on with Hawke via a walk, but the score remained 2-1 going into the fifth.
- Back-to-back strikeouts started Hartle's next inning on the mound and then he forced a groundout to the shortstop, going 1-2-3.
- He had retired six-consecutive batters at this point in the outing.
- Johnson nearly left the yard but was robbed of a game-tying home run to end the fifth.
- The Hurricanes added on to their lead in the top of the sixth, pushing their advantage to 3-1.
- With Danny Corona coming up second in the bottom of the sixth, he worked a walk.
- That was followed the very next pitch by a lining single to left by Lee.
- Houston drove in Corona on a fielder's choice, making it a 3-2 game going into the seventh.
- Miami had a three-run inning to extend its lead to four runs.
- In the bottom of the seventh, the first two runners singled in Costello and Kurtz.
- Unfortunately, the Deacs were unable to push a run across.
- Coming on for the eighth, Camdeb Minacci put up a zero in the run column, only allowing one runner to reach base.
- Leading off the bottom of the inning, Bennett lined a single to right.
- Lee reached base two batters later on a four-pitch walk.
- Going into the ninth, Wake Forest trailed 6-2.
- Michael Massey took over on the mound.
- Miami tacked on one final run.
- Despite a Kurtz double, the Deacs were unable to score in the ninth, falling in the semifinal of the ACC Tournament, 7-2.
Words from Walter
"Give credit to Miami. They played a good ball game today. They had five RBIs with two outs today and we didn't. We had chances. We had runners on base the whole game and just couldn't get that big hit. They made some great defensive plays. Brock smokes a ball. Pierce smokes a ball. Justin Johnson smokes a couple balls. Our balls found gloves and their balls didn't. I hated taking Josh Hartle out of that start and getting him out of rhythm, but the weather forecast didn't look good and I never would have forgiven myself if we came here and Sean Sullivan didn't pitch. That's why we flipped those in case we got pulled off the field early. It kind of distributed the routine of the whole day and that one is on me. The number one priority was getting ready for next weekend. We got through this thing injury free, which is a good thing. We'll be ready to go and playing our best baseball come Friday."
Standout Stats
After setting program records for regular season wins (45), conference wins (22) and conference series wins (10), Wake Forest is tied for the most wins in program record with 47 victories this season.
Wake Forest Baseball 40-Win Seasons
- 2023- 47 overall wins (45 regular season, two postseason)
- 2002 - 47 overall wins (42 regular season, five postseason)
- 1999 - 47 overall wins (39 regular season, eight 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)
The No. 1 nationally-ranked Deacs 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 going a perfect 2-0 in the opening games of the tournament against eighth-seeded Notre Dame and 12th-seeded Pitt.
Thanks to its 7-3 win last Saturday over the Seminoles, Wake Forest clinched the program's first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title since 1963, its ninth ACC series win and set a new program record for ACC victories.
ACC Regular Season Championships
- 2023
- 1963
- 1962
- 1955
This year's squad became the fastest team in program history and the first team in the nation this year to reach the 40-win mark with its 14-4 win against UNC Greensboro on May 9.
Wake Forest Fastest to 40 Wins
- 2023: 47 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
Over the course of the tournament, the No. 3 and No. 4 in the order of Nick Kurtz and Brock Wilken provided plenty of offense for the Deacs. Over the course of the tournament, he reached base in eight-of-12 at-bats with a pair of home runs coming in Friday night's victory over Notre Dame.
Brock Wilken was equally as impressive, reaching base in eight-of-15 at-bats including a pair of home runs.
On Friday night, Kurtz got Wake Forest on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the top of the first, his 22nd long fly of the season.
With the fifth-inning blast against Notre Dame, Kurtz moved into fourth on Wake Forest's all-time single season home run list.
Wake Forest Single Season Home Runs
1. Brock Wilken 2023 27
2. Brendan Tinsman 2022 24
Billy Masse 1988 24
4. Nick Kurtz 2023 23
Brock Wilken 2022 23
Brock Wilken launched his 27th home run of the season and the 67th home run of his career in the bottom of the eighth inning against Notre Dame. The Valrico, Fla. native is now two 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)- 67
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. He goes into the NCAA Tournament just four home runs away from the ACC single-season record of 31 home runs set by J.D. Drew in 1997.
On Deck
The field of 64 for the 2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament will be announced on Monday, May 29 at Noon on ESPN2.
The 64 teams will be placed in 16 different four-team regions, with teams seeded one through four to compete in a double-elimination format.
Games then start with regionals and continue on to super regionals before the College World Series begins Friday, June 16 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
A complete schedule can be found below:
2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament Schedule
- Regional Site Announcements: Approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 28
- Selection show: Noon ET on Monday, May 29 on ESPN2
- Regionals: Friday-Monday, June 2-5
- Super Regionals: Friday June 9- Monday, June 12
- CWS opening celebration day: Thursday, June 15
- First day of MCWS games — Friday, June 16
- MCWS Finals — Start Saturday, June 24 (best out of 3)
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Alejandro Rosario (4-6)
L: Sullivan, Sean (5-3)
Batting:
2B: Zach Levenson 1
HR: Yohandy Morales 2
RBI: Edgardo Villegas 1 ; Yohandy Morales 4 ; Blake Cyr 2
Base Running:
RUNS: CJ Kayfus 2 ; Yohandy Morales 3 ; Dominic Pitelli 1 ; Jacoby Long 1
Batting:
2B: Kurtz, Nick 1
RBI: Bennett, Pierce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Corona, Danny 1
HBP: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Justin 1
