Wake Forest Athletics
Delivering in the Clutch
6/18/2023 4:42:00 PM | Baseball
After missing on the first swing, sophomore Danny Corona recentered and delivered the game-winning single up the middle in game one.
After chasing a fastball high to make it 0-1 with two runners in scoring position, sophomore Danny Corona recentered his focus with the help of assistant coach Bill Cilento before delivering the biggest hit in his college career.
Recenter and reset. This was something Corona had to do earlier in the season when he found himself off the lineup card.
With Adam Cecere going down to injury against Elon on March 21, Corona had a new opportunity to make a difference for the Demon Deacons as he was inserted back into the lineup by head coach Tom Walter.
"It's kind of an interesting case study because Danny spent a better part of the year kind of maybe feeling a little sorry for himself, quite honestly," Walter said. "Once he got past that and just got back to work-- because we know he can hit. We knew our best lineup would be with him in it."
Over the last two months, Corona has not only been a piece in this explosive lineup, but a difference maker that has delivered when the Deacs needed him the most. Although only having one at-bat against Wofford on April 29, something clicked. At this point during the season, Corona was at a season-low .215 batting average.
"As soon as he really made that mental flip, he's been our guy," Walter said.
Since that point in the last 18 games, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native and Baylor School product has had a hit in 16 games. Over that stretch he has collected 26 total hits, batting .426 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs.
He has been even better in NCAA Tournament play, having a hit in all five games he has played, collecting nine hits, six home runs and an eye-popping 19 RBIs. The latter two leading the entire NCAA Tournament field.
During the first game of the Super Regional, Corona provided the key at-bat that the Deacs needed. After potentially striking out on a check swing with the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Corona refocused and took the 1-2 fastball over the right field fence to put the Deacs up for good against No. 16 Alabama.
It put the Deacs one game away from Omaha.
The Omaha moment Sunday for Corona came when the Demon Deacons needed it the most, trailing 2-1 entering the eighth inning.
Earlier in the game Wake Forest had multiple chances to tie the game, but there was something about this situation that felt like it had to be it for the Deacs to come out victorious in their first Men's College World Series game since capturing it all in 1955.
Due up in the bottom of the eighth, Nick Kurtz, Brock Wilken and Justin Johnson, a core that had bolstered the lineup for much of the season.
Kurtz got on via a walk on four pitches and Wilken worked a loaded count walk to put two on for Johnson. The Winston-Salem Regional MVP was unselfish, laying down a bunt to put two runners in scoring position.
Up stepped Corona who to this point had a strikeout and grounded out twice. That was before the weather delay. The delay which lasted an hour and 15 minutes provided the perfect opportunity to reset and refocus.
"We got to get loose, play some card games and play some hacky sack," Corona said. "We got the music bumping. It got us right."
With Kurtz on third and Wilken on second, Corona chased the first pitch of the at-bat that was high. Stepping back in, assistant coach and third base coach Bill Cilento called a timeout at third to speak with Corona.
"It was a great timeout by Billy Cilento, kind of pulled Danny down there, kind of calmed the moment down, get him back on top half of the ball and get him in the middle of the field there," Walter said.
Corona communicated to Cilento what his approach was going into the at-bat and specifically the first pitch. Cilento provided some key advice that came up huge later in the at-bat.
"Earlier in the at-bat when I chased out of the zone, I was looking for something up," Corona said. "I told Billy that. He told me with that pitcher I should be looking down. So once I saw it go down in the zone, I was just looking for something to drive up the middle."
After the timeout, Corona took a fastball that was off the outside corner of the plate.
The next pitch was in the lower half of the zone on the outside of the plate just like Cilento had told Corona to look for.
Corona delivered, rocketing a ground ball up the middle of the infield, just past the glove of the pitcher and into center field, scoring Kurtz and Wilken.
"Danny Corona, what can I say about his at-bat, other than just clutch in that situation?" Walter said.
It was a moment that was set up by those in front of him and when his time came Corona delivered.
"I told our team at the end, if we break it down to the smallest level, they got two guys on, they got a bunt down and a base hit," Stanford head coach David Esquer. "They executed in order to win that ball game. You've got to give them credit for doing that."
In a microcosm his entire season, Corona was not only ready for the opportunity in front of him, but thankful for the trust and chance that the team gave him in the bottom of the eighth in Omaha.
"He came up to me and thanked me for leaving him in against that lefty," Walter said. "I was like, man, we wanted you in there; I wouldn't want anyone else in there. You're our guy right now and you earned that at-bat. Proud of him."
Recenter and reset. This was something Corona had to do earlier in the season when he found himself off the lineup card.
With Adam Cecere going down to injury against Elon on March 21, Corona had a new opportunity to make a difference for the Demon Deacons as he was inserted back into the lineup by head coach Tom Walter.
"It's kind of an interesting case study because Danny spent a better part of the year kind of maybe feeling a little sorry for himself, quite honestly," Walter said. "Once he got past that and just got back to work-- because we know he can hit. We knew our best lineup would be with him in it."
Over the last two months, Corona has not only been a piece in this explosive lineup, but a difference maker that has delivered when the Deacs needed him the most. Although only having one at-bat against Wofford on April 29, something clicked. At this point during the season, Corona was at a season-low .215 batting average.
"As soon as he really made that mental flip, he's been our guy," Walter said.
Since that point in the last 18 games, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native and Baylor School product has had a hit in 16 games. Over that stretch he has collected 26 total hits, batting .426 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs.
He has been even better in NCAA Tournament play, having a hit in all five games he has played, collecting nine hits, six home runs and an eye-popping 19 RBIs. The latter two leading the entire NCAA Tournament field.
During the first game of the Super Regional, Corona provided the key at-bat that the Deacs needed. After potentially striking out on a check swing with the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Corona refocused and took the 1-2 fastball over the right field fence to put the Deacs up for good against No. 16 Alabama.
It put the Deacs one game away from Omaha.
The Omaha moment Sunday for Corona came when the Demon Deacons needed it the most, trailing 2-1 entering the eighth inning.
Earlier in the game Wake Forest had multiple chances to tie the game, but there was something about this situation that felt like it had to be it for the Deacs to come out victorious in their first Men's College World Series game since capturing it all in 1955.
Due up in the bottom of the eighth, Nick Kurtz, Brock Wilken and Justin Johnson, a core that had bolstered the lineup for much of the season.
Kurtz got on via a walk on four pitches and Wilken worked a loaded count walk to put two on for Johnson. The Winston-Salem Regional MVP was unselfish, laying down a bunt to put two runners in scoring position.
Up stepped Corona who to this point had a strikeout and grounded out twice. That was before the weather delay. The delay which lasted an hour and 15 minutes provided the perfect opportunity to reset and refocus.
"We got to get loose, play some card games and play some hacky sack," Corona said. "We got the music bumping. It got us right."
With Kurtz on third and Wilken on second, Corona chased the first pitch of the at-bat that was high. Stepping back in, assistant coach and third base coach Bill Cilento called a timeout at third to speak with Corona.
"It was a great timeout by Billy Cilento, kind of pulled Danny down there, kind of calmed the moment down, get him back on top half of the ball and get him in the middle of the field there," Walter said.
Corona communicated to Cilento what his approach was going into the at-bat and specifically the first pitch. Cilento provided some key advice that came up huge later in the at-bat.
"Earlier in the at-bat when I chased out of the zone, I was looking for something up," Corona said. "I told Billy that. He told me with that pitcher I should be looking down. So once I saw it go down in the zone, I was just looking for something to drive up the middle."
After the timeout, Corona took a fastball that was off the outside corner of the plate.
The next pitch was in the lower half of the zone on the outside of the plate just like Cilento had told Corona to look for.
Corona delivered, rocketing a ground ball up the middle of the infield, just past the glove of the pitcher and into center field, scoring Kurtz and Wilken.
Corona time in the clutch ⚡️@DC7Jr 🎩 pic.twitter.com/RVJM5ruog3
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) June 18, 2023
"Danny Corona, what can I say about his at-bat, other than just clutch in that situation?" Walter said.
It was a moment that was set up by those in front of him and when his time came Corona delivered.
"I told our team at the end, if we break it down to the smallest level, they got two guys on, they got a bunt down and a base hit," Stanford head coach David Esquer. "They executed in order to win that ball game. You've got to give them credit for doing that."
In a microcosm his entire season, Corona was not only ready for the opportunity in front of him, but thankful for the trust and chance that the team gave him in the bottom of the eighth in Omaha.
"He came up to me and thanked me for leaving him in against that lefty," Walter said. "I was like, man, we wanted you in there; I wouldn't want anyone else in there. You're our guy right now and you earned that at-bat. Proud of him."
𝙈𝙊𝙊𝘿 😤@DC7Jr ✘ #GoDeacs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/eomefpA6Ya
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) June 17, 2023
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