Saturday, February 17
Winston-Salem, NC
12 p.m.
Wake Forest University
2-0
5
vs
2
Illinois
1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Illinois
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
7
0
Wake Forest
0
0
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
5
4
0
Photo by: Seth Seebaugh
Dominant Pitching Boosts No. 1 Deacs to 5-2 Win
2/17/2024 3:54:00 PM | Baseball
In his Wake Forest debut, Chase Burns put on a scintillating display with 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work while allowing just three hits and one walk in the victory over Illinois, helping head coach Tom Walter to his 850th career victory.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind an impressive Demon Deacon debut from junior Chase Burns and a pair of big flies, the No. 1 Wake Forest baseball team grabbed its second win of the opening weekend and head coach Tom Walter's 850th career victory, defeating Illinois, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Prior to the game, members of Team 109 received their rings for winning the 2023 ACC Regular Season title as well as advancing to Omaha for the first time since the 1955 season.
From the first pitch of the game, Burns kept Deacon Nation out of their seats as a three up, three down top of the first saw all three of the Illinois players fanned without any making contact. The righthander kept the Illini bats at bay all afternoon, finishing the game with 10 punchouts while allowing just three hits and one walk in 6.0 innings of work.
With runners at second and first with one out in the sixth, Burns induced a ground ball following a key mound visit from Coach Walter to get out of the inning and keep Illinois scoreless.
In 158.1 career innings pitched, Burns has now struckout 227 career batters and last season ranked third nationally with 14.3 K/9. Additionally, this was the sixth time in his career that Burns has had double-digit strikeouts in a game.
The game was a pitcher's duel early before Wake Forest's offense came alive the second time through the order. Tate Ballestero, Chris Katz and Cameron Gill all worked good at-bats to reach base and load the bases for the nine-hole hitter Austin Hawke.
Hawke, who had his brother Tommy back in Winston-Salem to receive his 2023 ring, worked the count full before lining a ball just over the right field wall for a grand slam for his first collegiate home run.
The 4-0 lead gave the Wake Forest pitching staff all the run support they would need, but one inning later junior first baseman Nick Kurtz blasted his first round tripper of the season over the right center fence to make it a commanding 5-0 advantage.
Freshman Josh Gunther and Cam Nelson made their collegiate debuts on the mound, combining to throw a nearly flawless 2.0 innings with just one hit and a walk allowed while striking out four Illini batters.
In total, 16 of 27 outs recorded were via the strikeout as David Falco added a pair in the ninth to close out the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
STAGGERING STATISTICS
FROM COACH WALTER
"Obviously, we were really excited about the way Chase Burns threw the ball today but he was electric. I am very pleased with how he has developed during his time here. Chase has turned himself into not just a thrower but a pitcher. He's a guy who can throw his breaking ball when he is behind in the count, he can move his fastball around, and hold runners. The little things that you want a guy to do Chase did today. I loved seeing him compete at the end of the sixth inning, he wanted the ball and set up a big double play to get us into the dugout. That set our bullpen up for the rest of the game.
I was also very pleased with Josh Gunther and Cam Nelson coming in after him and throwing the ball well. Offensively, we didn't have a great day but we did manage to string some at bats together there. Then there was the big blow by Austin Hawke and the insurance run by Nick Kurtz. That was a good win, Illinois' starter is very good. That is the type of arm we will see in league play all of the time. Our at bats were a little better but we were better today than we were yesterday. Also, the defense was very good today with the big double play from Austin Hawke and Marek Houston. Then Cam Gill with a great throw to get the runner at third on the ball in the dirt. Those were all great plays defensively." -head coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
The Deacs are back at David F. Couch Ballpark against Akron on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. For fans not in attendance at The Couch on Sunday, the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Prior to the game, members of Team 109 received their rings for winning the 2023 ACC Regular Season title as well as advancing to Omaha for the first time since the 1955 season.
From the first pitch of the game, Burns kept Deacon Nation out of their seats as a three up, three down top of the first saw all three of the Illinois players fanned without any making contact. The righthander kept the Illini bats at bay all afternoon, finishing the game with 10 punchouts while allowing just three hits and one walk in 6.0 innings of work.
With runners at second and first with one out in the sixth, Burns induced a ground ball following a key mound visit from Coach Walter to get out of the inning and keep Illinois scoreless.
In 158.1 career innings pitched, Burns has now struckout 227 career batters and last season ranked third nationally with 14.3 K/9. Additionally, this was the sixth time in his career that Burns has had double-digit strikeouts in a game.
The game was a pitcher's duel early before Wake Forest's offense came alive the second time through the order. Tate Ballestero, Chris Katz and Cameron Gill all worked good at-bats to reach base and load the bases for the nine-hole hitter Austin Hawke.
Hawke, who had his brother Tommy back in Winston-Salem to receive his 2023 ring, worked the count full before lining a ball just over the right field wall for a grand slam for his first collegiate home run.
The 4-0 lead gave the Wake Forest pitching staff all the run support they would need, but one inning later junior first baseman Nick Kurtz blasted his first round tripper of the season over the right center fence to make it a commanding 5-0 advantage.
Freshman Josh Gunther and Cam Nelson made their collegiate debuts on the mound, combining to throw a nearly flawless 2.0 innings with just one hit and a walk allowed while striking out four Illini batters.
In total, 16 of 27 outs recorded were via the strikeout as David Falco added a pair in the ninth to close out the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Up to 101 mph in the first, Burns struck out the side in his first inning as a Demon Deacon.
- Burns sat down two more in the second, facing the minimum over two innings.
- The Deacs loaded the bases in the bottom half but were unable to scratch across a run.
- Through the first time in the order, Burns struck out eight, retiring the side in order in all three innings.
- Kurtz collected the Deacs first hit of the ballgame and his first of the 2024 season with a single through the right side.
- After a ground out and pop out, Burns got the Deacs out of the top of the third with a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
- In the bottom half of the third, Illinois gave up a lead off walk to Ballestero then hit Katz with a pitch and walked Gill to load up the bases for an Austin Hawke grand slam to right field.
- Hawke recorded the first homerun of his collegiate career to break the tie in the third inning against Illinois.
- Burns popped up Quagliano and tallied his ninth strikeout in the top of the fifth.
- In the leadoff spot, Kurtz hammered a homerun to right center to give the Deacs an insurance run.
- Kurtz' homerun was his first of the 2024 season and gave the Deacs a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
- Burns fanned his 10th batter of the day for the first out of the top half of the sixth, Valincius grounded into a 463 double play to end the inning.
- In his first career appearance, Gunther came in relief for Burns in the top of the seventh.
- The freshman recorded the first strikeout of his career to end the top half of the inning.
- Nelson made his Wake Forest debut this afternoon, the freshman fanned three batters in the top of the eighth.
- In the final frame, Falco made his first appearance in a Wake Forest uniform and tallied two strikeouts to secure a 5-2 victory over Illinois.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- Austin Hawke's first collegiate home run came in style as the sophomore lifted a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall to break the scoreless tie. The grand slam was all the runs that the pitching staff needed in the 5-2 victory.
STAGGERING STATISTICS
- In 158.1 career innings pitched, Chase Burns has now struckout 227 career batters and last season ranked third nationally with 14.3 K/9.
- Additionally, this was the sixth time in his career that Burns has had double-digit strikeouts in a game.
- Head coach Tom Walter grabbed his 850th career win Saturday. He holds an impressive career mark of 850-673-1.
- Additionally, his 422 wins at the helm at Wake Forest rank second in program history, trailing just George Greer who had 608 wins in 16 years from 1988 to 2004.
FROM COACH WALTER
"Obviously, we were really excited about the way Chase Burns threw the ball today but he was electric. I am very pleased with how he has developed during his time here. Chase has turned himself into not just a thrower but a pitcher. He's a guy who can throw his breaking ball when he is behind in the count, he can move his fastball around, and hold runners. The little things that you want a guy to do Chase did today. I loved seeing him compete at the end of the sixth inning, he wanted the ball and set up a big double play to get us into the dugout. That set our bullpen up for the rest of the game.
I was also very pleased with Josh Gunther and Cam Nelson coming in after him and throwing the ball well. Offensively, we didn't have a great day but we did manage to string some at bats together there. Then there was the big blow by Austin Hawke and the insurance run by Nick Kurtz. That was a good win, Illinois' starter is very good. That is the type of arm we will see in league play all of the time. Our at bats were a little better but we were better today than we were yesterday. Also, the defense was very good today with the big double play from Austin Hawke and Marek Houston. Then Cam Gill with a great throw to get the runner at third on the ball in the dirt. Those were all great plays defensively." -head coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
The Deacs are back at David F. Couch Ballpark against Akron on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. For fans not in attendance at The Couch on Sunday, the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Burns, Chase (1-0)
L: Tabeling, Logan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Quagliano, Coltin 1
RBI: Janik, Camden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chee-Aloy, Cameron 1 ; Quagliano, Coltin 1
CS: Janik, Camden 1
Batting:
HR: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Hawke, Austin 1
RBI: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Hawke, Austin 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Ballestero, Tate 1 ; Katz, Chris 1 ; Gill, Cameron 1 ; Hawke, Austin 1
SB: King, Seaver 1
HBP: Katz, Chris 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/OF
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RHP
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C
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RHP
/ BaseballINF
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INF
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C
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OF/INF
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OF/LHP
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