Kurtz Sets Career and Single-Season Walk Record in Contest at NC State

Friday, May 17

Raleigh, NC

7 p.m.

Wake Forest University

36-18, 15-14

NC State

31-19, 17-11

Wake Forest

NC State

Kurtz Sets Career and Single-Season Walk Record in Contest at NC State

5/17/2024 11:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

The junior earned three free passes Friday night to make program history.

RALEIGH, N.C. – On a night where junior Nick Kurtz drew three walks to set the career and single-season walk record in Wake Forest program history, the No. 8 Demon Deacons ultimately dropped a heartbreaker, 2-1, to NC State on Friday night at Dail Park.

Kurtz became the Wake Forest program record holder with 181 free passes throughout his career, surpassing Pat Blair (2010-13). Additionally, he also set the single-season walk record with his nation-leading 70th of the campaign, surpassing Brock Wilken's 69 bases on balls a season ago. It marked his 17th multi-walk performance of the season and eighth with at least three.

Starting pitcher Chase Burns was electric once again, as the righty fanned 13 batters Friday night, marking the 11th time in 14 starts this season he struck out at least 10 batters and ninth time he finished with at least 13 punch outs. It marked just the second time this season the Demon Deacons (36-18, 15-14 ACC) were unable to win a Burns' start.

He allowed just one unearned run on five hits over 7.0 innings and did not allow a walk. The outing also marked his 10th quality start of his junior season. Additionally, Burns now holds eight of the top 11 single-game strikeout performances in Wake Forest history.

Burns (386 career strikeouts) currently leads Arkansas' Hagen Smith (349 career strikeouts) by 37 strikeouts as the active Division-I baseball strikeout leaders. Last outing, he set the single-season strikeout record in Wake Forest history and has now fanned 169 batters this campaign.

In total, the Deacs combined for 16 strikeouts Friday night against the Wolfpack (31-19, 17-11).

Offensively, sophomore Marek Houston reached base safely in all five plate appearances Friday night with two hits, a pair of walks and a hit by pitch, including an RBI double in the top of the fifth. It marked his 20th multi-hit performance of the season and fifth in the last eight outings. The shortstop leads the Demon Deacons (min. 100 plate appearances) with a stellar .335 batting average this campaign.

With his single into left center in the top of the fourth, junior Seaver King has now reached base safely in 27-consecutive games with at least one hit in each of the last 13.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Shortstop Marek Houston knocked a leadoff single in the top of the first inning, but the Deacs were unable to capitalize.
Righty Chase Burns needed just 10 pitches to get through the bottom of the first as he tallied a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame.
After the Deacs left another stranded in the top half of the second, Burns struckout the side as he had fanned five-consecutive batters.
The Wolfpack got their first hit of the ballgame on a bloop single to right center but another Burns punchout and a groundout got Wake Forest back in the dugout.
Junior Seaver King ran his hit-streak to 13 games with a single to left center with one away in the top of the fourth.
The bottom of the fourth was more of the same, as Burns continued his dominance with two more strikeouts in his third three up, three down inning.
After Salvino found his way on to leadoff the fifth inning, Houston doubled down the left field line and gave the Deacs the 1-0 advantage.
The Wolfpack evened the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth as Burns picked up his 12th strikeout of the evening.
Burns capped his night with his 13th strikeout of the contest as the game remained tied 1-1 after seven complete innings.
Reliever Zach Johnston found himself in a bind with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. The sophomore escaped the jam with a nasty breaking ball to get the Wolfpack hitter swinging.
Kurtz made Wake Forest history with his third walk of the contest in the top of the ninth.
- It marked the 181st free pass of his career, surpassing Pat Blair (2010-13) for the program record.
NC State used a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Demon Deacons, 2-1.

FROM COACH WALTER
"We had base runners all game, just not getting done offensively these two games. It's no secret, we had chances and didn't cash in. Obviously, they took advantage of the free passes and we didn't. That's the bottom line. We have to come out tomorrow and play better baseball. Chase Burns threw the ball really well. We still had our chances that we didn't cash in on. It's a disappointing loss and we have to come out tomorrow and play better." - head coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
Wake Forest concludes the three-game set against No. 17 NC State tomorrow at 3 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

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