Takeaways from Wake Forest’s Scrimmages against West Virginia
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons concluded their fall schedule this past weekend as they split an 18-inning doubleheader against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Sunday. There will be plenty of work to do and decisions to be made ahead of the Deacs’ opening weekend in Puerto Rico on February 13th. Still, Sunday’s outing against WVU provided some clarity ahead of the 2026 season.
Dallas Shines on the Mound
After losing his spot in the weekend rotation following a difficult outing against Virginia Tech last season, Matthew Dallas made some in-season adjustments to his arm slot that allowed him to regain his command and effectiveness. Wake Forest went 6-1 over Dallas’s final seven starts of the year, capped off by 7.2 strong innings in an elimination game in the Knoxville Regional.
He has returned to his traditional arm slot and made several other adjustments, which have resulted in increased velocity. His first outing of the fall on October 11th against NC State in Fredericksburg didn’t go as well as he’d hoped after giving up four earned runs on three hits and a walk in his first inning. But the southpaw rebounded in his second and final inning by retiring the side in order on six pitches.
The former Tennessee Volunteer was even better on Sunday against West Virginia, setting a new personal best in fastball velocity while also showcasing outstanding command. Dallas retired six of the seven batters he faced, generating three weak groundouts and two pop-ups to go along with a strikeout.
Velo PR the kid today too. Hum now Dally 🔥 https://t.co/MZlT8HO4vv
— Ezra Bye (@EZBye59) October 26, 2025
While ace Blake Morningstar is a lock for the weekend rotation, the other starting spots look to be up for grabs. It’ll be stiff competition, but if Matthew Dallas has improved and taken a step forward under new pitching coach Eric Nieson, it’ll be hard to keep him out of the rotation.
Offensive Struggles
Wake Forest went an eye-popping 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position against West Virginia over 18 innings with just two extra-base hits on the day. They squandered multiple opportunities with the bases loaded and less than two outs and didn’t get that first hit with a runner in scoring position until the 17th inning of the day, when freshman JD Stein blooped a single to left to score Cuyler Baxter from second base.
Dalton Wentz checked in with the first extra-base hit of the day in the 14th inning of play when he lined a two-out double down the left field line. Freshman outfielder Jordan Serrano– who had laid down a perfect bunt single in his first plate appearance– hit a two-out double in the next inning that hit off the left field wall. Neither runner scored, and those were the only extra bases for the Demon Deacons over two games on Sunday.
While going 1-for-19 with just two extra-base hits is concerning, it’s still a two game sample size during the fall. Wake Forest hitters were still getting on base and creating opportunities to score, which bodes well for the offense in 2026. Twelve of the Demon Deacon’s 15 position players reached base– 10 of them reached multiple times.
The Deacs were also unlucky offensively on Sunday, with more than a handful of hard hit line drives scorched right at defenders. After Boston Torres reached base to lead off the 7th inning of the first game, Wake Forest saw three hitters (Blake Schaaf, Wentz, and Kade Lewis) smoke line drives into the outfield. Not one found grass. Earlier, after Luke Costello singled in the 5th inning, Matt Conte lined a ball that looked destined for the gap if the second baseman hadn’t been positioned perfectly to snag the ball and throw behind Costello to complete the double play. Those were just two examples of several hard luck plays for Wake Forest at the plate.
Given the amount of baserunners they were able to generate and the exit velocities of balls put in play, Wake Forest’s lineup should be just fine heading into next season.
Boston Torres Returns
Former VMI outfielder Boston Torres was the big-name transfer for Wake Forest’s position players heading into the fall, but the junior hasn’t been able to swing a bat until very recently due to injury. He made a much-anticipated return to the lineup on Sunday as he started in left field and batted ninth.
Torres reached base in four of his plate appearances, with the only out being a hard struck line drive to second. While Wentz reached base three times and Conte enjoyed a multi-hit game in game one, Torres arguably had Wake’s best offensive display over the first 10 innings. He earned two walks and was hit by a pitch in addition to a single while scoring one of the Deacs’ two runs in the first exhibition.
Torres hit .337 for the Keydets in the spring with 14 doubles, 11 home runs, and 67 RBI. He’s got above average speed on the basepaths, as evidenced by his 19-for-22 stolen base numbers, but his biggest strength lies with his ability to get on base. The Altavista, Virginia native boasted a .465 on-base percentage while walking more (45) than he struck out (37). He’ll be a big bat for the Deacs when paired with Dalton Wentz and Kade Lewis at the top half of the order.
Pitching is Deep
After generating success with a number of pitchers and garnering renown for their pitching lab, Wake Forest has become synonymous with quality pitching– despite some hiccups over the last couple of years. While this team doesn’t feature a Rhett Lowder or Chase Burns, it might just be the deepest staff the Demon Deacons have had since their Omaha run in 2023.
Veterans Morningstar, Luke Schmolke, and Zach Johnston were the only pitchers who gave up runs on Sunday, and their track records provide no reason to be concerned about their outings. Schmolke and Johnston were still pounding the strike zone and generating whiffs, while Morningstar just had some command issues in his outing. The junior right-hander was responsible for three of Wake Forest’s seven walks on the day, meaning the other 11 arms combined for just four free passes.
As previously mentioned, Dallas was fantastic as he made his case for a spot in the starting rotation. He was the standout pitching star in the game one loss. In game two, however, the entire staff shined as they tossed a two-hit shutout with just two walks.
UNC-Wilmington transfer Cam Bagwell was a star freshman for the Seagulls this past spring and will be a favorite to slide into the weekend rotation. He started the second game and allowed just two base runners in his two frames. Draft-eligible sophomore Duncan Marsten had an impressive display as he retired all six batters he faced with two strikeouts.
Troy Dressler and Nate Whysong are two sophomore candidates who enjoyed successful summers and are poised for breakout campaigns. Whysong pitched in the first game while Dressler appeared in the second, but they combined for 3.2 scoreless innings.
The highly-touted freshman trio of Evan Jones, Tyler Wood, and Grant Nicholson finished the final two innings of the day, combining to hold West Virginia hitless while striking out three. Wood and Nicholson did each hit a batter, but both flashed above average stuff. Nicholson in particular boasts a devastating breaking ball that proved pivotal in his pair of punchouts.
Rhys Bowie, Chris Levonas, and Will Ray are three more key arms that will have important roles in 2026, who didn’t pitch due to rest or injury needs. The Demon Deacons are legitimately 15 deep in the pitching staff as they look to return to the top of the ACC next season.
JD Stein: Starting Shortstop?
It looked like a formality that Georgetown transfer Blake Schaaf would be Marek Houston’s successor at shortstop, but freshman JD Stein looks to be pushing for a starting role on day one. Schaaf, who slashed .344/.442//476 for the Hoyas last season, is certainly more advanced with the bat but Stein looks to be a special talent on defense.
Tom Walter isn’t afraid to start a first year in the shortstop position as evidenced by Houston getting the nod immediately in 2023. Stein has showcased his ability over the two scrimmages against NC State and West Virginia, making both the extraordinary and routine plays look easy. If he’s able to hold his own at the plate– and every indication is that he can— don’t be surprised if Stein beats out the veteran for a spot at short. Schaaf’s bat and baserunning ability will find his way into the lineup one way or the other but an elite defensive shortstop alongside strong defenders at every other position will be a massive strength for the Demon Deacons.
Overall, it was a solid fall for Wake Forest baseball. This time of year is more about the process than the results and it’s plain to see that the Deacs are well on their way to be a contender ahead of next season.
Box Scores
Game 1 (5-2 loss, 10 innings)
Game 2 (3-0 win, 8 innings)
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Monty is an ACC baseball expert and hosts ACC Central with the Just Means Less podcast. He previously led all ACC Content at College Baseball Central for three seasons and was also the managing editor of the Washington Nationals Blog “Half Street High Heat” from 2019 through 2023. He also has experience covering college baseball through Prospects Live, Just Baseball, and Georgia Tech Radio. Monty has been credentialed at the ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament, and College World Series and interviewed countless ACC baseball players and coaches.
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