Deacs Open 2026 Season in Promising Fashion
Opening weekend has come and gone, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons spent it playing in the Puerto Rico Challenge. The field included Boston College, Houston, Indiana State, Manhattan, NC State, Seton Hall, and Washington.
With the first three games in the books, how did the Deacs fair?
Houston, We Have A Problem
Opponent: Houston Cougars (3–0)
Starting Pitcher: Blake Morningstar (0–1)
Blake Morningstar had a clean sheet through two innings, but the game's direction became clear in the third, when the Cougars jumped out to a 4–0 lead. Morningstar was pulled going into the fourth inning after allowing 5 hits, 4 earned runs, and two walks, while striking out a pair.
By the sixth inning, Houston had a commanding 6–0 lead, but the Demon Deacons got on the board thanks to a Dalton Wentz double that scored JD Stein and an Andrew Costello fielder's choice that plated Wentz.
In the eighth inning, Houston scored the game's final runs, making the score 8–2. First baseman Kade Lewis and center fielder Javar Williams led all players in hits (2), and reliever Troy Dressler did the same in strikeouts, notching 4.
Huskies Balk
Opponent: Washington Huskies (0–2)
Starting Pitcher: Chris Levonas (1–0)
Chris Levonas avoided first-inning trouble and followed it up by striking out the side in the second inning. At the bottom of the frame, the Deacs mirrored Houston from a day prior and jumped out to a 4–0 lead.
In the third inning, Levonas gave up a lead-off double but struck out the next three batters. He finished the contest with 9 strikeouts before being relieved in the fourth inning with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, JD Stein recorded his first career RBI, bringing the score to 5–0. Reliever Rhys Bowie played three frames and tallied 6 Ks. As a whole, the Demon Deacons' pitching staff notched 20 strikeouts, which is tied for their second-most in a game since 1999.
Double-Digit Deacs
Opponent: Indiana State (1–2)
Starting Pitcher: Matthew Dallas (1–0)
Indiana State struck first in the first inning—despite the run, Matthew Dallas still struck out three batters. In the top of the second, the Deacs responded, as Jackson Miller hit a two-run blooper. The scoring didn't stop: in the third inning, Wake Forest tacked on three more runs—including the team's first home run of the season by Kade Lewis—to lead 5–1.
Dallas left the mound after 4 innings and 7 strikeouts, giving way to Duncan Marston, who also threw 4 innings and recorded 6 strikeouts. The pitching staff finished the game with 15 strikeouts.
The Demon Deacons added 2 runs in the fifth and 1 in each of the final three innings. Nine different Deacs got hits, as opposed to just five players on Indiana State.
What's Next for Wake Forest Baseball?
Wake Forest opens the 2026 home slate on Tuesday, February 17, against High Point. First pitch from The Couch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
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Blake is a Sophomore at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. When not living on campus, he resides in West Virginia, where he was born and raised. He is studying communication and is invested in all things related to sports media. In his Freshman year, he completed an internship with the National Sports Media Association, and also worked as a sports editor at Wake Forest's student-run newspaper, the Old Gold & Black. Currently, Blake does play-by-play broadcasting for Wake Forest Club Ice Hockey and holds a job at Learfield, working as a studio host. In a perfect world, he would spend his free time road tripping and attending concerts all across the United States.
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