2023 Wake Baseball

Unanimous! Deacs Top USA TODAY Preseason Coaches Poll

2/6/2024 2:22:00 PM | Baseball

Wake Forest baseball was voted No. 1 by the USA TODAY Preseason Coaches Poll and is now the unanimous No. 1 team across all polls heading into the 2024 season.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – With the final preseason poll being released by USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday afternoon, the Wake Forest baseball team enters the 2024 season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. 
 
Advancing to the national semifinals and returning to Omaha for the first time since 1955, Wake Forest closed the 2023 season ranked No. 3 by USA TODAY in June. The Deacs started the 2023 campaign at No. 10 by the publication. 
 
Going five-for-five, the Demon Deacons were also ranked No. 1 by Perfect Game, Baseball America, D1 Baseball and the NCBWA in each of the respective preseason polls. 
 
Head Coach Tom Walter enters his 15th season as the Demon Deacons skipper in 2024 having compiled a 420-342-1 (.551) record to this point and sits two wins away from the 850th victory of his career.

At the plate, Wake Forest returns 563 at-bats, led by Preseason Player of the Year Nick Kurtz, who slashed an astounding .353/.527/.784, while welcoming D1's 2023 Summer Breakout Prospect Award Winner Seaver King to the lineup.

On the mound, the Deacs are led by Preseason All-Americans Josh Hartle and Chase Burns. As a sophomore, Hartle fanned the second-most batters in program history (140) which ranked fifth in the nation. The Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist will look to better his fourth-lowest ERA in the ACC (2.81) in 2024. Burns joins the Demon Deacons ahead of the 2024 season from the University of Tennessee where he compiled a 13-5 record over the course of two seasons with the Volunteers. Burns was named the National Freshman of the Year following the 2022 season by D1 Baseball, NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball.
 
The ACC placed six teams in the poll with Wake (No. 1), Clemson (No. 9), Virginia (No. 11), Duke (No.14), North Carolina (No. 15) and NC State (No. 16). The Deacs welcome the Tigers, Blue Devils and Tar Heels to David F. Couch Ballpark, while hitting the road at Virginia and NC State.

In nonconference action, Wake Forest faces off against No. 18 Coastal Carolina with a home-and-home set, traveling to Conway on Tuesday, Mar. 12 before the Chanticleers make the trip to Winston-Salem on Tuesday, Apr. 9 for a 6 p.m. first pitch. 
 
2024 Tickets
Claim your spot at David F. Couch Ballpark for what is shaping up to be another exciting season on the diamond. Reserved chairback season tickets are now sold out! Fans still wanting to purchase season tickets can buy general admission season passes starting at $150.

Single-game tickets for the full home schedule are also available now. Non-conference tickets start at $5 and ACC tickets start at $10.

This season you can also purchase 10 FLEX vouchers to use on reserved or bleacher general admission seats. Vouchers can only be purchased in multiples of 10. FLEX vouchers may not be purchased or redeemed at the ticket office on game day. They MUST be redeemed at least 2 hours before the current game. The Friday and Saturday games against North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson are not available to redeem through FLEX.

Tickets for the 2024 Wake Forest baseball season tickets are on sale now by calling the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 or by clicking here.
 
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
 
 
 
 
Wake Forest Women's Basketball Highlights vs Presbyterian (Nov. 6, 2025)
Friday, November 07
Football Media Availability (11/5/25)
Wednesday, November 05
Football Media Availability (11/4/25)
Tuesday, November 04
Wake Forest Men's Basketball Highlights vs American (Nov. 3, 2025)
Tuesday, November 04