Deacs Stay Red Hot to Start 2026
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (11–1, 0–0 ACC) lost their opening game of the season in Puerto Rico to the Houston Cougars. Since that moment, the Deacs haven't lost, with their latest home series proving to be a showcase of offensive fireworks.
The Scores
Friday
Game 1: W, 12–2 (8 innings) vs. LMU
The Demon Deacons started the weekend in style, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning. From there on out, it was much of the same story.
The Deacs recorded nine hits as a team, with all coming from different players. The first four runs of the afternoon came off the bat of Jackson Miller, who launched a left-field grand slam.
On the mound, starting pitcher Blake Morningstar returned to dominant form; the junior threw 7.0 scoreless innings and struck out nine batters.
Loyola Marymount scored twice in the top of the eighth inning, but Wake Forest tacked on five more runs in the bottom half of the inning to invoke the run rule.
Game 2: W, 7–1 vs. Davidson
The first scoring of the game came in the sixth inning, after first-time starter Duncan Marsten left the game. Marsten allowed just two baserunners in his five innings pitched, while also tallying 10 strikeouts, before Davidson scored the first run of the game.
The Demon Deacons immediately responded and took a 6–1 edge in the bottom of the sixth—Jimmy Keenan, Javar Williams, and Dalton Wentz all connected on 2 RBI singles. In the seventh inning, JD Stein scored Tyler Figueroa on a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore Troy Dressler picked up his second win of the season, notching five strikeouts. Overall, through both Friday games, Wake Forest's pitching staff combined for 26 strikeouts.
Saturday
Game 3: W, 15–4 (7 innings) vs. LMU
Dalton Wentz started the Saturday action with a solo home run into deep right field, and Jackson Miller made it 2–0 after an RBI single that scored Matt Conte. Kade Lewis launched a 2-run homer in the third inning, and Conte nailed a 3-run long ball to top off the afternoon's scoring in the seventh inning.
As a team, the Deacs raked in 14 hits, with Wentz and Miller leading the way with 3 hits each. Javar Williams, Conte, and Lewis each notched a pair of hits as well.
On the rubber, Chris Levonas struck out 10 batters through his 6.0 scoreless, walk-free, and nearly perfect innings. The only baserunners allowed were from two third-strike drops.
Levonas' 14 Ks are tied for fifth-most in program history and are the most since Chase Burns recorded 15 strikeouts on May 24, 2024.
Sunday
Game 4: W, 16–6 (7 innings) vs. Davidson
As a team, Wake Forest put up 15 hits (Kade Lewis led with 3), and three Demon Deacons tallied home runs against the Davidson Wildcats (Ryan Preisano, Javar Williams, and Lewis).
After six innings of play, the Deacs led Davidson 15–6. In the bottom of the seventh, they found the final run needed to invoke the run rule for the third time over the weekend.
This win over Davidson marks the first time Wake Forest has won 11 consecutive games since the historic 2023 season.
What's Next for Wake Forest Baseball?
After a quick trip to Boone to take on Appalachian State on Wednesday, March 4, it is back to the Couch for ACC Baseball, when the Stanford Cardinal comes to town for a three-game series.
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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