Redemption: Can Wake Forest baseball finally return to Omaha?
With the beginning of the 2023 Wake Forest baseball season just around the corner, it’s time to turn our attention to the Diamond Deacs. Expectations are high — with a returning base of veterans, several of whom project to be early MLB draft picks — Wake Forest has true hopes of returning to the College Baseball World Series Omaha for the first time since 1955, when they took home the crown. The team is also rated as the No. 6 team in the country in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings.
First, let’s look back at the 2022 season, when Wake Forest earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017.
Looking back at the 2022 season
2022 was a mix of building and disappointment for Wake Forest — being back in the NCAA Tournament was a big step forward, but losing in heartbreaking fashion to both UConn and Maryland to be left out of the Super Regionals was a tough pill to swallow for Tom Walter’s program.
In out-of-conference play, Wake Forest began their 2022 campaign 11-0 for the first time in nearly 70 years, setting the stage for what could be a big season. But, in ACC play, there were some discouraging series dropped to Florida State, Virginia and North Carolina, as well as a sweep by Notre Dame.
With their backs against the wall, the Deacs brought their best baseball to the field in the final series of the season at NC State. Wake Forest swept the Wolfpack in Raleigh to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Along with success as a team, several individuals earned significant recognition last season. No. 1 pitcher Rhett Lowder was named a first-team All-ACC member, as well as ACC Pitcher of the Year. Freshman first baseman Nick Kurtz joined the All-ACC awards as a third-teamer, as did catcher Brendan Tinsman, who graduated. Kurtz was also named to the all-freshman team with outfielder Tommy Hawke.
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2023 Preseason recognition
At the beginning of February, Wake Forest was selected as one of the co-favorites to win the ACC Championship by the league’s 14 coaches, as was Louisville. The Cardinals edged Wake Forest as the top team in points in the Atlantic division, but split six first-place votes with the Deacons.
Individually, Kurtz and Lowder were named to the 2023 Golden Spikes Award watch list by USA Baseball, an annual honor given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
Lowder has been named a First Team Preseason All-American by five outlets ahead of the 2023 campaign (Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, D1Baseball and NCBWA), while Kurtz has been recognized by three (D1Baseball first team, Perfect Game second team and Baseball America third team).
Perfect Game had three additional Demon Deacons on their Preseason All-America teams — infielder Brock Wilken joined the second team, while pitchers Teddy McGraw and Camden Minacci were named to the third team.
The Schedule
As the Deacs look to repeat last season’s out-of-conference success, 12 of the team’s first 13 games will come from inside the friendly confines of David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem — a Feb. 21 matchup against UNC Greensboro will be played 30 miles down I-40.
The out-of-conference schedule for Wake Forest is highlighted by the final game before ACC play begins, when the Deacs travel to Conway, SC on Mar. 8 to take on Coastal Carolina, an NCAA Tournament team from last year. The team also has notable midweek games against Liberty (twice) and Coastal Carolina again during the conference season.
Wake Forest will open their conference schedule in Durham against Duke, picked to finish sixth in the Coastal division. The Deacs’ first home ACC series begins on Mar. 17 against Notre Dame, who made the College World Series last season but lost a lot of their veteran production.
The team’s first preseason ranked series will come the following week at home against No. 22 Miami. Wake Forest has three additional preseason ranked series — vs No. 21 NC State, at No. 16 Louisville and vs No. 14 Virginia Tech.
The 2023 ACC Tournament will return to Durham from May 23-28.
45 of Wake Forest’s 56 games in 2023 are set to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, 38 on ACC Network Extra and one on ESPN+. Six of the Deacs’ games will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network — vs Notre Dame, at Clemson, vs No. 21 NC State, at Pitt, vs Coastal Carolina and vs Boston College.
Preseason quotes from Head Coach Tom Walter
“We had a great fall. We’re excited about the team and how they’ve developed, not only on the field, but certainly off the field. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about this club.”
“They know what it feels like when we’re standing on the field at Maryland (after the loss in the regional) when they know we should have and could have played better. We were certainly disappointed in our performance … That hunger started last year when we were on that field staring at each other asking, “how is our season over?” That’s where it starts, just not wanting to experience that again.”
“We have some good teams coming in. Illinois is always really good. Ball State has a really good club this year and we’re certainly not overlooking anyone in those first couple of weekends. Then we have tough midweeks against Coastal Carolina and UNC-Greensboro. It’s a very similar schedule to last year’s, which generated an RPI of 6. So it’s a good balance of teams who will come in here then go back in their conferences and win. But you have to win those games. If you don’t win those games, then it will kill your RPI.”
READ: Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage talks Deacs' NCAA Tournament aspirations
“When I look at our first seven hitters, and really into eight and nine, I don’t know if there will be another lineup as deep as ours.”
The Team
Finally, let’s take a look at the 2023 Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Rhett Lowder (middle), Teddy McGraw (right) and Josh Hartle (left) highlight Wake Forest's weekend pitching rotation
The Arms
The most notable part of Wake Forest’s entire team — which head coach Tom Walter noted hasn’t always been the case — is undoubtedly the starting pitchers and bullpen. Headlining the starters is, without a doubt, Friday starter Rhett Lowder. Coming off an ACC Pitcher of the Year campaign, Lowder will look to repeat and exceed his 3.08 ERA over 99.1 innings, where he threw 105 strikeouts. Lowder has a strong shot at being a high first-round draft pick this summer.
Wake Forest’s Saturday starter will likely be junior Teddy McGraw, who posted a 4.08 ERA as a weekend starter for the Deacs last season, striking out 67 and just allowing 53 hits. Both McGraw and Lowder were invited to pitch with Team USA this past summer.
Sophomore Josh Hartle will fit in as the Sunday starter for Wake Forest after a promising freshman season. Regarded as the top prospect in Wake’s 2021 recruiting class, Hartle notched a reasonable 5.30 ERA in 14 starts, allowing 81 hits and striking out 54.
The midweek starter is a question mark for the Deacs, but more so because of several good options as opposed to none. Seth Keener handled the midweek role for the majority of the 2022 season, starting 12 times and appearing in 20 games. Keener posted a 5.87 ERA last season in 53.2 innings, allowing 54 hits and striking out 56.
Two transfers could look to unseat Keener in the rotation. Northwestern transfer Sean Sullivan — the Wildcats’ Friday starter last year — pitched 64.2 innings in 2022, recording a 4.45 ERA while striking out 78. Sullivan was also successful in the Cape Cod League this past summer, striking out 29 in 28 innings. Michael Massey, a sophomore from Tulane, is another option. Massey notched a 5.03 ERA with the Green Wave last season, and is likely on the outside looking in for the rotation. The inside favorite is Keener, but don’t be surprised to see Sullivan make a run at the spot.
Whomever doesn’t take the midweek starter spot will feature out of the bullpen alongside Dartmouth transfer Cole Roland. The former Ivy Leaguer played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2021 after the Ivies canceled the season due to Covid-19. In 2022, Roland pitched in 30 relief innings with Dartmouth, allowing an opposing batting average of .228.
Closing pitcher Camden Minacci
While the Wake Forest bullpen will feature several players new to Winston-Salem, the surest thing is returner Camden Minacci. The junior will resume his role as the Deacons’ closer after allowing just 55 hits over 71.2 innings in his time with Wake Forest.
The Bats
After losing just two key players from the 2022 offense — shortstop Michael Turconi and catcher Brendan Tinsman — Wake Forest will look to repeat their incredible offensive statistics from 2022. The Deacs posted the most runs in the ACC, the best on-base percentage and came second in batting average and home runs.
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Perhaps the most change to the squad will be who’s behind the plate. With Tinsman gone, Wake Forest will likely turn to another Tulane transfer, junior Bennett Lee. Lee had a very impressive freshman season with the Green Wave, but was less successful last year. This fall with the Deacs, Lee returned to his old ways, knocking a home run against No. 2 Tennessee. Lee has big shoes to fill with his bat — Tinsman slashed 24 home runs in 2022.
First baseman Nick Kurtz
In the infield, Wake Forest has stability with some of their best players. At first base, Nick Kurtz is poised to break out even more after a stellar freshman season. After leading the ACC in batting average (.422) and on-base percentage (.548) during conference play last season, Kurtz has an opportunity to be one of the most dangerous hitters in the country for the Deacs. He should be a difference maker.
At the opposite corner is another star, junior Brock Wilken. Known for his “Brockets,” Wilken launched 23 homers in 2022, leaving him 19 short of the Wake Forest career record. Wilken also drove in 77 RBIs last season. Along with Lowder, Wilken projects to be another potential first-round draft pick this coming summer for Wake Forest.
Brock Wilken (left) and Adam Cecere (right) combined for 27 home runs last season
There are some questions left in the middle of the infield for the Demon Deacons. Sophomore Danny Corona should return to either second base or shortstop — he mainly played at second last season. Corona was a big get for Tom Walter, who retained his talents despite being drafted in the 16th round out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Corona tallied a .267 batting average with 48 hits, along with a .355 on-base percentage in 2022.
Infielder Danny Corona
Lafayette transfer Justin Johnson appears to be the leading candidate to fill Turconi’s role as the final infielder for Wake Forest. Johnson did not play last spring due to injury, but performed well over the summer. He will be tested by freshman Marek Houston, who could break into the lineup with his sure-handed glove and arm.
Lastly, the outfield for Wake Forest should stay the exact same from 2022. Adam Cecere was a solid hitter, registering a .318 batting average and knocking 14 home runs. Pierce Bennett also boasted a plus bat with a .367 batting average and .456 on-base percentage. Sophomore Tommy Hawke had a fantastic first year with the Demon Deacons and should slot right into the leadoff role with a high-contact rate (.406 batting average.) Jake Reinisch will prove to be a utility player along with Bennett one season after leading the ACC in walks. Lucas Costello should also be a factor for the Deacs after missing most of the 2022 season due to injury.
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