Wake Forest Athletics
Five Deacs Receive All-America Honors from Collegiate Baseball
6/1/2023 4:41:00 PM | Baseball
Rhett Lowder (first team), Josh Hartle (second team), Nick Kurtz (third team), Sean Sullivan (third team) and Brock Wilken (third team) received national recognition for their efforts during Wake Forest’s historic 2023 regular season.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Five Deacs received All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball for their efforts during Wake Forest's historic 2023 regular season, as announced by the publication on Thursday.
Rhett Lowder (first team), Josh Hartle (second team), Nick Kurtz (third team), Sean Sullivan (third team) and Brock Wilken (third team) represented the Demon Deacons on the national lists as Wake Forest's five honorees were the most in the nation.
After becoming the third unanimous All-American in program history a year ago, Lowder reeled in the seventh All-America accolade of his career.
For Hartle, Kurtz, Sullivan and Wilken, this marked the first All-America honor of their careers. Both Kurtz and Wilken received Freshman All-America accolades after stellar freshman seasons in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Collegiate Baseball All-American Demon Deacons
Rhett Lowder (first team), Josh Hartle (second team), Nick Kurtz (third team), Sean Sullivan (third team) and Brock Wilken (third team) represented the Demon Deacons on the national lists as Wake Forest's five honorees were the most in the nation.
After becoming the third unanimous All-American in program history a year ago, Lowder reeled in the seventh All-America accolade of his career.
For Hartle, Kurtz, Sullivan and Wilken, this marked the first All-America honor of their careers. Both Kurtz and Wilken received Freshman All-America accolades after stellar freshman seasons in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Collegiate Baseball All-American Demon Deacons
- Rhett Lowder (First Team)
- For the second year in a row, Lowder was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, as announced by the league on Monday afternoon.
- After becoming the first Demon Deacon ever to receive the award last season, Lowder is just the second pitcher in conference history to garner back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors (Danny Hultzen, 2010-11).
- Lowder heads into the NCAA Tournament as the nation's leader in wins (13), while leading the ACC in ERA (1.69), innings pitched (952) and strikeouts (114). In ACC play, Lowder finished the regular season leading the conference in those same categories.
- Lowder blanked a conference opponent four times this season (Miami, Louisville, BC and Florida State). The Albemarle, N.C. native has been awarded ACC Pitcher of the Week three times after such performances.
- 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.
- Lowder's 13 victories this season is tied for second in program history. Additionally, the righthander has posted the most victories in a two-year period ever by a Demon Deacon hurler. His next victory will tie the program record set by Kyle Sleeth in 2002 (14).
- Wake Forest Single Season Wins
- 1. Kyle Sleeth 2002 14
- 2. Rhett Lowder 2023 13
- Mike MacDougal1999 13
- John Hendricks 1998 13
- 5.Scott Siemon 1999 12
- 6. Rhett Lowder 2022 11
- Scott Siemon 2000 11
- Moe Bauer 1950 11
- Wake Forest Single Season Wins
- Over the course of his career, Lowder has won 28 games, which is tied for the fourth most in program history and tied for the among active players 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
- Wake Forest Career Wins
- Lowder's 114 strikeouts this season is good for fourth in Wake Forest 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) after striking out six against Pitt last Thursday.
- 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
- Wake Forest Single Season Strikeouts
- Additionally, Lowder (297 career strikeouts) is in sole possession of the third-most strikeouts by a Demon Deacon ever. This mark is good for fourth 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
- Wake Forest Career Strikeouts
- Josh Hartle (Second Team)
- Josh Hartle has accumulated a 9-2 record with a 2.63 ERA through 85.2 innings to go along with 111 strikeouts, a new career high which ranks second in the ACC. The lefthander has allowed just 25 earned runs and has only walked 16 batters.
- Currently, Hartle is the ACC leader in walks-per-nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio while ranking in the top 10 in every other category.
- Hartle has allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his 15 starts this year.
- Hartle has struck out at least 10 batters in three starts this season and has walked more than one batter in just two of his outings. In each of his first three appearances, Hartle either set or tied his previous career-high strikeout mark.
- Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Hartle is currently tied for sixth on Wake Forest's single strikeout list.
- 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. Josh Hartle 2023 111
- Parker Dunshee 2017 111
- John Hendricks 1998 111
- Wake Forest Single Season Strikeouts
- Against Clemson, Hartle earned the sixth win of his sophomore season on Saturday, tossing a season-high tying seven innings of one run baseball. Hartle punched out eight batters while conceding just five hits and one walk. Hartle notched four-straight scoreless frames on the mound to end his start and keep Clemson's offense at bay. Hartle stranded a pair in scoring position with a strikeout and groundout in the fourth before tossing back-to-back 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and sixth innings as the lefthander retired eight-straight batters.
- Against Miami, Hartle tallied nine strikeouts over 6.0 innings to earn his fifth win of the year. The sophomore from King, N.C. allowed six baserunners (four hits and two walks) in the contest, holding the Miami offense to just one run. In his final inning of work, Hartle recorded his eighth strikeout of the contest which set his career high in strikeouts for a season (55) before punching out the final batter of his outing.
- Against Cornell, Hartle posted the best outing of his career, fanning a career-high 12 batters in a career-high tying seven innings.
- The Sunday prior, Hartle fanned a then-career high 11 batters in six innings while allowing no earned runs and no walks for his second victory of 2023. Hartle struckout multiple batters in his last four innings, highlighted by a trio of punchouts in the fourth and sixth.
- Hartle became just the second pitcher in Wake Forest history to make 14 starts as a freshman in 2022 as well as the sixth Deac in program history to earn seven victories of the season (second most on the 2022 squad).
- Sean Sullivan (Third Team)
- Sean Sullivan has made an immediate impact in the Old Gold and Black, registering a 2.75 ERA in 59.0 innings to go along with 94 strikeouts, 18 earned runs and 18 walks allowed. Additionally, opponents are batting just .167 against the lefthander.
- For his efforts to open the season, Sullivan received back-to-back ACC Pitcher and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors to open the season.
- Sullivan made his first appearance since May 6 in Wake Forest's final game of the 2023 ACC Baseball Championships, retiring the first seven batters he faced. Overall, Sullivan pitched 2.2 innings with a trio of punchouts.
- Sullivan earned his third win of the 2023 season, tossing seven innings while striking out a career-high tying 11 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
- Behind another electric outing from Sullivan, Wake Forest defeated Mount St. Mary's 18-2 in the opening game of the second weekend. Sullivan retired the first 16 batters of the game and had a perfect game through 5.1 innings. Overall, Sullivan punched out 11 and allowed just one baserunner in his six hitless innings of work.
- Sullivan impressed in his Demon Deacon debut in Wake Forest's 8-1 victory against Illinois on Saturday as the Andover, Mass. native struck out 10 batters while allowing just two hits and one walk in four scoreless innings to earn the save.
- Sullivan tallied at least two strikeouts in all four innings, highlighted by his trio of punchouts in the seventh and ninth. Additionally, Sullivan didn't allow more than one base runner in all four relief frames.
- Sullivan and Rhett Lowder combined for 20 strikeouts in the game, the most strikeouts by a Wake Forest Saturday in almost two years (Coastal Carolina-Feb. 23, 2021).
- Nick Kurtz (Third Team)
- After one of the greatest seasons by a Wake Forest freshman in school history, Nick Kurtz has impressed during his sophomore season.
- Kurtz leads the ACC in walks per game, home runs per game, on-base percentage, runs per game and slugging percentage.
- Currently, Kurtz ranks in the top 15 among Division 1 players in career on-base percentage (fourth) and slugging percentage (sixth).
- Kurtz launched a pair of home runs in Wake Forest's win against Notre Dame in Durham, marking his fourth multi-home run game of the 2023 season (sixth of his career). The two blasts helped the sophomore move into a tie for the fourth-most home runs by a Demon Deacon in a single season.
- 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
- Wake Forest Single Season Home Runs
- Since returning to Wake Forest's lineup on April 16, Kurtz has posted team bests in average (.419), runs (30), hits (31), home runs (13), RBIs (33), walks (28), slugging percentage (.986) and on-base percentage (.594).
- Kurtz received his second ACC Player of the Week honor on April 24 for his performance during Wake Forest's 3-1 week, leading Wake Forest at the plate in with team highs in batting average (.583), home runs (three), RBIs (13), walks (nine), runs scored (eight), slugging percentage (1.417) and on-base percentage (.762).
- In Wake Forest's run-rule win over No. 5 Coastal Carolina, Kurtz launched a grand slam to extend the Demon Deacon lead to 9-1.
- The sophomore was vital in Wake Forest's seventh ACC series win of the season against Pitt, leading the team with a .600 average, two home runs, 11 RBIs, a 1.300 slugging percentage and a .750 on-base percentage.
- On Saturday, April 22, Kurtz tallied nine RBIs with a three-run home run, two-RBI double and a pair of two-RBI singles.
- Kurtz's nine RBIs are tied for the second-most runs driven in by a Wake Forest batter ever:
- Chris Lanzilli (2019), Gavin Sheets (2017), Warren Sawkiw (1990) and Paul Reinisch (1989) as the only Deacs to drive in nine or more runs in a game.
- Kurtz earned the first ACC Player of the Week honors of his career after leading Wake Forest at the plate in its perfect 4-0 opening weekend with a team-high tying .500 batting average to go along with a team-high tying six hits, team-high tying four home runs, team-best 10 RBIs and team-best eight runs scored. Additionally, Kurtz led the team with a 1.500 slugging percentage, seven walks and .684 on-base percentage.
- Kurtz registered the 100th hit of his career in the series finale at Louisville on Sunday.
- Brock Wilken (Third Team)
- Wilken made history against Coastal Carolina as the Valrico, Fla. native broke Wake Forest's career home run record with his 59th collegiate long fly in the third inning. Wilken broke a 20-year record set by Jamie D'Antona in 2003.
- Wilken broke the single-season program record for home runs in the bottom of the seventh in Wake Forest's regular season finale on May 20 with his 25th long fly of the season. Wilken is currently third in the nation (first in the ACC) in long flies after hitting a pair in the ACC Championships. Additionally, Wilken has hit the most career long flies among active players in Division I baseball.
- 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
- Wake Forest Single Season Home Runs
- Wilken is now chasing the ACC career home run record. The Valrico, Fla. native is now two HRs away from tying the conference's top mark:
- 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
- ACC Career Home Run Leaders
- Wilken has posted a .351 batting average with 71 hits, 14 doubles, 74 RBIs, 59 walks, 74 runs scored (the most in the ACC) and a .832 slugging percentage.
Players Mentioned
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