Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Seth Seebaugh / Wake Forest Athletics
Five from Wake Forest Baseball Selected in 2026 MLB Draft
7/12/2026 7:01:00 PM | Baseball
The Demon Deacons have had at least five student-athletes drafted in each of the last four drafts.
PHILADELPHIA – Highlighted by a pick in the first five rounds for the fourth-straight year, five members of Wake Forest baseball were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Junior Kade Lewis (4th, 123rd) was the first Demon Deacon off the board, being selected on day one by the Cleveland Guardians.
On day two, Duncan Marsten (6th, 183rd), Javar Williams (11th, 321st), Matthew Dallas (12th, 346th) and Dalton Wentz (16th, 478th) heard their names called.
WALTER'S GUYS
Walter has helped 69 players get drafted or sign pro contracts over the last 13 years, including 14 Deacs drafted among the top 50 picks and nine first rounders since 2020 in Marek Houston (2025), Ethan Conrad (2025), Chase Burns (2024), Nick Kurtz (2024), Seaver King (2024), Rhett Lowder (2023), Brock Wilken (2023), Ryan Cusick (2021) and Jared Shuster (2020).
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED IN THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED DURING DAY ONE OF THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
Kade Lewis | 3B | Sartell, Minn. | 4th Round, 123 Overall | Guardians
Lewis appeared in 59 of Wake Forest's 60 games, making 59 starts while splitting time between first base and third base. He earned Third Team All-American and Second Team All-ACC honors after batting .354 with a .444 on-base percentage and a .592 slugging percentage.
Offensively, Lewis finished second on the Demon Deacons with 79 hits and 58 RBIs while adding 12 doubles, one triple and 13 home runs. He scored 57 runs, drew 34 walks and totaled 26 extra-base hits and 132 total bases. He recorded 27 multi-hit games and 19 multi-RBI performances, including a season-high four-RBI outing against NC State on April 19.
He homered in six straight conference games against Louisville and Georgia Tech, including a pair on Saturday against the Yellow Jackets, and finished eighth during the regular season with 34 RBIs in conference play.
Lewis was nearly unstoppable against Coastal Carolina and NC State, going 10-for-14 (.714) with 10 RBIs and six runs scored across four games en route to National and ACC Player of the Week honors.
He saved his best for conference play, erupting against the Wolfpack by finishing 8-for-10 with nine RBIs, five runs scored and three home runs in the three-game set. Lewis homered in each game of the series, matching his longest home run streak of the season.
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"I am thrilled for Kade and his family. This is the culmination of hard work and sacrifice. I love that the Guardians drafted him at third base. There is no doubt in my mind Kade will be a big leaguer and hit for power at the next level. This is a great pick in that round for the Guardians."
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED DURING DAY TWO OF THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
Duncan Marsten | RHP | Lake Balboa, Calif. | 6th Round, 183 Overall | Reds
Marsten made 14 appearances on the mound, including 11 starts, during his sophomore season with the Demon Deacons. The right-hander finished with a 4-3 record with a 4.94 ERA across 57.0 innings, striking out 73 batters while holding opponents to a .211 batting average.
Marsten averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings and recorded six or more strikeouts in eight outings, highlighted by a season-high 10-strikeout performance over 5.0 scoreless innings against Davidson on Feb. 27. He also struck out seven batters against Siena and Coastal Carolina on two different occasions while limiting opponents to two hits or fewer in eight appearances.
Serving as Wake Forest's primary midweek starter, Marsten earned victories over Elon, Coastal Carolina, UNCG and App State while providing valuable innings throughout the season.
As a freshman, Marsten recorded a pair of victories against Gardner-Webb and Pitt over 10.1 innings on the mound.
Javar Williams | OF | Dartmouth, Mass. | 11th Round, 321 Overall | Athletics
Javar Williams started all 60 games in center field, finishing the season as one of just two Demon Deacons to start every contest. The junior hit .343 with a .458 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging percentage while collecting 80 hits, 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and 66 runs scored. He also drew 42 walks, stole 32 bases in 36 attempts and finished with 127 total bases.
Williams ranked among the ACC's most dynamic leadoff hitters, placing second in the conference with 32 stolen bases while providing steady production throughout the lineup. He recorded 25 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI performances, highlighted by a four-hit effort against Louisville (May 1) and a four-RBI performance against Florida State (March 15).
Defensively, Williams was a reliable presence in center field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 99 putouts, helping anchor the Demon Deacons defensively in center field.
Matthew Dallas | LHP | Memphis, Tenn. | 12th Round, 346 Overall | Nationals
Dallas made an impact before suffering a season-ending injury, making two starts on the mound. The lefty went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA across 7.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 14 batters. He held opponents to a .167 batting average (5-for-30) and averaged 17.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Dallas earned the win in his first appearance against Indiana State, striking out seven over 4.0 innings while allowing just one earned run. He followed with another strong outing against Siena, fanning seven over 3.1 innings to improve to 2-0 before his season was cut short by injury.
The Memphis native made 14 starts on the mound for the Demon Deacons during the 2025 season, posting a 5-1 record while ranking third on the team with 63 strikeouts across 60.2 innings of work.
He impressed in his Wake Forest debut against Long Island (Feb. 15), striking out nine batters while allowing just one hit over 4.1 innings. One week later, he tossed six scoreless one-hit innings against St. John's (Feb. 22). He recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in 4.2 innings to earn the win over UNCG (April 8) before adding another standout performance with five scoreless innings against Liberty (April 22). He closed the season by throwing a career-high 7.2 innings in Wake Forest's NCAA Tournament matchup against Cincinnati (June 1).
Dalton Wentz | 3B | Madison Heights, Va. | 16th Round, 478 Overall | Giants
Wentz earned Third Team All-ACC honors after establishing himself as one of the ACC's top power hitters during the 2026 season. He started all 60 games for the Demon Deacons, primarily at third base, while batting .306 with a .414 on-base percentage and a .629 slugging percentage. He led Wake Forest with 18 home runs and 146 total bases while finishing the season with 71 hits, including 19 doubles and one triple, 52 RBIs and 65 runs scored.
Wentz drew 42 walks and recorded 38 extra-base hits, helping anchor the middle of the Demon Deacon lineup throughout the season. He produced several key offensive performances during ACC play and postseason competition, including multiple three-hit outings.
Defensively, Wentz appeared primarily at third base, totaling 37 putouts and 84 assists while helping guide Wake Forest to an NCAA Regional appearance. He finished the season among the team leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, RBIs, doubles and home runs.
Wentz was a consensus Freshman All-American a season ago, after appearing in 57 games with 54 starts for the Demon Deacons during the 2025 season. He finished his freshman campaign with a .316 batting average, which ranked third on the team, notching 67 hits, including 14 doubles and 13 home runs, and 50 RBIs.
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"Excited to see Dalton, Duncan, Javar and Matt Dallas go off the board today. All four young men have incredibly bright futures in baseball.
Dalton is the consummate teammate and leader. He was a captain for us last year and would be again should he choose to return. This young man will play in the big leagues for a long time, one day soon. He is special.
Duncan features one of the best fastball profiles in all of college baseball and is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. When it clicks (and it will), the sky's the limit. He may end up being the steal of the draft.
Javar was one of the most improved players in all of college baseball this past year. He is an electric athlete, a plus defender, and his bat-to-ball skills and power projection are coming together quickly. Most importantly, he is a guy who makes everyone around him better, and he is tough as nails. A total gamer.
Dally was our best pitcher the first three weeks of the season and is just now growing into his body and adding power. Before the injury, his velocity was improving every week and once that catches up to his pitchability, you could have a big league starter.
All four of these guys will move quickly through an organization."
WAKE FOREST ATTENDEES DRAFTED BY EACH TEAM
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Junior Kade Lewis (4th, 123rd) was the first Demon Deacon off the board, being selected on day one by the Cleveland Guardians.
On day two, Duncan Marsten (6th, 183rd), Javar Williams (11th, 321st), Matthew Dallas (12th, 346th) and Dalton Wentz (16th, 478th) heard their names called.
WALTER'S GUYS
Walter has helped 69 players get drafted or sign pro contracts over the last 13 years, including 14 Deacs drafted among the top 50 picks and nine first rounders since 2020 in Marek Houston (2025), Ethan Conrad (2025), Chase Burns (2024), Nick Kurtz (2024), Seaver King (2024), Rhett Lowder (2023), Brock Wilken (2023), Ryan Cusick (2021) and Jared Shuster (2020).
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED IN THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
| Name | Round (Pick) | Team |
| Kade Lewis | 4 (123) | Cleveland Guardians |
| Duncan Marsten | 6 (183) | Cincinnati Reds |
| Javar Williams | 11 (321) | Athletics |
| Matthew Dallas | 12 (346) | Washington Nationals |
| Dalton Wentz | 16 (478) | San Francisco Giants |
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED DURING DAY ONE OF THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
Kade Lewis | 3B | Sartell, Minn. | 4th Round, 123 Overall | Guardians
Lewis appeared in 59 of Wake Forest's 60 games, making 59 starts while splitting time between first base and third base. He earned Third Team All-American and Second Team All-ACC honors after batting .354 with a .444 on-base percentage and a .592 slugging percentage.
Offensively, Lewis finished second on the Demon Deacons with 79 hits and 58 RBIs while adding 12 doubles, one triple and 13 home runs. He scored 57 runs, drew 34 walks and totaled 26 extra-base hits and 132 total bases. He recorded 27 multi-hit games and 19 multi-RBI performances, including a season-high four-RBI outing against NC State on April 19.
He homered in six straight conference games against Louisville and Georgia Tech, including a pair on Saturday against the Yellow Jackets, and finished eighth during the regular season with 34 RBIs in conference play.
Lewis was nearly unstoppable against Coastal Carolina and NC State, going 10-for-14 (.714) with 10 RBIs and six runs scored across four games en route to National and ACC Player of the Week honors.
He saved his best for conference play, erupting against the Wolfpack by finishing 8-for-10 with nine RBIs, five runs scored and three home runs in the three-game set. Lewis homered in each game of the series, matching his longest home run streak of the season.
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"I am thrilled for Kade and his family. This is the culmination of hard work and sacrifice. I love that the Guardians drafted him at third base. There is no doubt in my mind Kade will be a big leaguer and hit for power at the next level. This is a great pick in that round for the Guardians."
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED DURING DAY TWO OF THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
Duncan Marsten | RHP | Lake Balboa, Calif. | 6th Round, 183 Overall | Reds
Marsten made 14 appearances on the mound, including 11 starts, during his sophomore season with the Demon Deacons. The right-hander finished with a 4-3 record with a 4.94 ERA across 57.0 innings, striking out 73 batters while holding opponents to a .211 batting average.
Marsten averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings and recorded six or more strikeouts in eight outings, highlighted by a season-high 10-strikeout performance over 5.0 scoreless innings against Davidson on Feb. 27. He also struck out seven batters against Siena and Coastal Carolina on two different occasions while limiting opponents to two hits or fewer in eight appearances.
Serving as Wake Forest's primary midweek starter, Marsten earned victories over Elon, Coastal Carolina, UNCG and App State while providing valuable innings throughout the season.
As a freshman, Marsten recorded a pair of victories against Gardner-Webb and Pitt over 10.1 innings on the mound.
Javar Williams | OF | Dartmouth, Mass. | 11th Round, 321 Overall | Athletics
Javar Williams started all 60 games in center field, finishing the season as one of just two Demon Deacons to start every contest. The junior hit .343 with a .458 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging percentage while collecting 80 hits, 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and 66 runs scored. He also drew 42 walks, stole 32 bases in 36 attempts and finished with 127 total bases.
Williams ranked among the ACC's most dynamic leadoff hitters, placing second in the conference with 32 stolen bases while providing steady production throughout the lineup. He recorded 25 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI performances, highlighted by a four-hit effort against Louisville (May 1) and a four-RBI performance against Florida State (March 15).
Defensively, Williams was a reliable presence in center field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 99 putouts, helping anchor the Demon Deacons defensively in center field.
Matthew Dallas | LHP | Memphis, Tenn. | 12th Round, 346 Overall | Nationals
Dallas made an impact before suffering a season-ending injury, making two starts on the mound. The lefty went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA across 7.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 14 batters. He held opponents to a .167 batting average (5-for-30) and averaged 17.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Dallas earned the win in his first appearance against Indiana State, striking out seven over 4.0 innings while allowing just one earned run. He followed with another strong outing against Siena, fanning seven over 3.1 innings to improve to 2-0 before his season was cut short by injury.
The Memphis native made 14 starts on the mound for the Demon Deacons during the 2025 season, posting a 5-1 record while ranking third on the team with 63 strikeouts across 60.2 innings of work.
He impressed in his Wake Forest debut against Long Island (Feb. 15), striking out nine batters while allowing just one hit over 4.1 innings. One week later, he tossed six scoreless one-hit innings against St. John's (Feb. 22). He recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in 4.2 innings to earn the win over UNCG (April 8) before adding another standout performance with five scoreless innings against Liberty (April 22). He closed the season by throwing a career-high 7.2 innings in Wake Forest's NCAA Tournament matchup against Cincinnati (June 1).
Dalton Wentz | 3B | Madison Heights, Va. | 16th Round, 478 Overall | Giants
Wentz earned Third Team All-ACC honors after establishing himself as one of the ACC's top power hitters during the 2026 season. He started all 60 games for the Demon Deacons, primarily at third base, while batting .306 with a .414 on-base percentage and a .629 slugging percentage. He led Wake Forest with 18 home runs and 146 total bases while finishing the season with 71 hits, including 19 doubles and one triple, 52 RBIs and 65 runs scored.
Wentz drew 42 walks and recorded 38 extra-base hits, helping anchor the middle of the Demon Deacon lineup throughout the season. He produced several key offensive performances during ACC play and postseason competition, including multiple three-hit outings.
Defensively, Wentz appeared primarily at third base, totaling 37 putouts and 84 assists while helping guide Wake Forest to an NCAA Regional appearance. He finished the season among the team leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, RBIs, doubles and home runs.
Wentz was a consensus Freshman All-American a season ago, after appearing in 57 games with 54 starts for the Demon Deacons during the 2025 season. He finished his freshman campaign with a .316 batting average, which ranked third on the team, notching 67 hits, including 14 doubles and 13 home runs, and 50 RBIs.
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"Excited to see Dalton, Duncan, Javar and Matt Dallas go off the board today. All four young men have incredibly bright futures in baseball.
Dalton is the consummate teammate and leader. He was a captain for us last year and would be again should he choose to return. This young man will play in the big leagues for a long time, one day soon. He is special.
Duncan features one of the best fastball profiles in all of college baseball and is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. When it clicks (and it will), the sky's the limit. He may end up being the steal of the draft.
Javar was one of the most improved players in all of college baseball this past year. He is an electric athlete, a plus defender, and his bat-to-ball skills and power projection are coming together quickly. Most importantly, he is a guy who makes everyone around him better, and he is tough as nails. A total gamer.
Dally was our best pitcher the first three weeks of the season and is just now growing into his body and adding power. Before the injury, his velocity was improving every week and once that catches up to his pitchability, you could have a big league starter.
All four of these guys will move quickly through an organization."
WAKE FOREST ATTENDEES DRAFTED BY EACH TEAM
| Team | # | Most Recent | Highest Overall Pick |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 11 | 2024 | 22 (2016) |
| New York Yankees | 10 | 2008 | 68 (2000) |
| Washington Nationals | 9 | 2026 | 10 (2024) |
| Atlanta Braves | 9 | 2021 | 24 (2021) |
| Cleveland Guardians | 8 | 2026 | 123 (2026) |
| Cincinnati Reds | 8 | 2026 | 2 (2024) |
| Baltimore Orioles | 8 | 2019 | 111 (1996) |
| Detroit Tigers | 8 | 2024 | 3 (2003) |
| San Francisco Giants | 7 | 2026 | 115 (2012) |
| Athletics | 7 | 2026 | 4 (2024) |
| Boston Red Sox | 7 | 2025 | 219 (1993) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 7 | 2025 | 66 (2003) |
| Chicago White Sox | 7 | 2023 | 49 (2017) |
| Colorado Rockies | 6 | 2025 | 46 (2023) |
| Chicago Cubs | 6 | 2025 | 17th (2025) |
| Los Angeles Angels | 6 | 2024 | 51 (1983) |
| Seattle Mariners | 6 | 2023 | 36 (1986) |
| Minnesota Twins | 5 | 2025 | 16 (2025) |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 5 | 2022 | 55 (2002) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 5 | 2022 | 55 (2002) |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 2018 | 19 (1994) |
| San Diego Padres | 5 | 2017 | 17 (2006) |
| Houston Astros | 5 | 2012 | 399 (2012) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 4 | 2025 | 101 (2021) |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 4 | 2023 | 18 (2023) |
| Kansas City Royals | 4 | 2023 | 25 (1999) |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 4 | 2023 | 245 (1970) |
| New York Mets | 4 | 2017 | 99 (2007) |
| Miami Marlins | 2 | 2002 | 1163 (2002) |
| Texas Rangers | 1 | 2003 | 166 (2003) |
| Total | 172 | 2026 | 2 (2024) |
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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