Three Diamond Deacs Named to 2025 NCAA Baseball All-America Teams
Although the Deacons ultimately fell short in the Knoxville regional, there are plenty of positives to look back on from the 2025 season. The Deacs finished the year with a 39-22 overall record and were 16-14 in the competitive gauntlet of ACC conference play. Three Deacs, in particular, played a major role in the success of the Rake Forest baseball season and received All-America honors from various college baseball media outlets.
Dalton Wentz
There is no better place to talk about a successful 2025 campaign than with the freshman star, Dalton Wentz. Madison Heights' finest completed a remarkable freshman season and was named to four (yes, four) All-Freshman teams for various media outlets. The third baseman and designated hitter earned first-team All-Freshman honors from Baseball America and Perfect Game. He was named to the All-Freshman second team on the D1 Baseball and NCBWA sites.
These honors should not come as much of a surprise for Couch sitters. The 2023-24 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year showed the Demon Deacon faithful why he was a Top 100 prospect in his class. Wentz's light tower power impressed as he demolished 13 baseballs on the year, truly fitting right in at Rake Forest University.
For some perspective, Wentz's batting average dipped below .300 only once this year. As a freshman, that is unheard of. Three of Wentz's home runs came in regional play as he prospered under the national spotlight. Speaking of national spotlight, the Deacons went down to Tallahassee midway through the season to face off against the No. 4 Seminoles. In a season-defining series victory for the Deacs, what did Mr. Wentz do? The freshman casually hit three bombs, one in each game of the series.
The Demon Deacons are extremely lucky to have Wentz as a part of the program. It is crazy to say this about someone who finished with a season batting average of .347, but expect an even better season from the designated hitter as he hopes to take the next step in the 2026 season. Wentz could even slide into the conversation of being a first-round pick of the MLB Draft in 2026 alongside another teammate who received some postseason honors...
Kade Lewis
The Butler transfer was an exciting addition in the 2024 offseason, but he proved to be an absolute difference maker for the Diamond Deacs in 2025. The sophomore third baseman earned honors on the NCBWA All-American third team. This was his only award in 2025, but with some of his numbers, one may have expected quite a few more.
The 2024 Big East Freshman of the Year led the Deacs in batting average this past year with his impressive .376 average. He truly embodied Rake Forest with his team-leading OBP of 1.084. Lewis finished the year on a quieter note in Knoxville. However, his most impressive statistic might be that his batting average never dropped below .370 on the year.
The ACC was truly introduced to the Minnesota native after his two-home run performance in a series sweep of the Miami Hurricanes. Lewis has an incredible ability of putting his bat on the ball, and with his ridiculous bat speed, the ball jumps off of his bat.
Lewis led the Deacs in doubles this year with 18 total. He is spending his summer as a member of the Bourne Braves in Bourne, Massachusetts. His impressive bat speed, which Demon Deacon fans will remember well, has been on full display with the Braves. The rising junior will hope to impress further for the Diamond Deacs in 2026 during his junior year campaign. With another impressive season in 2026, Lewis could easily work his way into an early-round draft pick in the MLB.
Marek Houston
After his junior year campaign, it is no surprise that Marek Houston is a highly sought-after prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft that will take place on July 13. Houston has immensely grown as a player since his freshman season. During his freshman year, Houston showed off his flashy glove at shortstop; however, at the plate, Houston was inconsistent at best with his .220 average.
The Floridian has taken major steps in his career as a Deacon, and his Junior season put a cherry on top of a fantastic college career. Houston was named to Perfect Game's All-American Second Team as Shortstop. He was also named to Baseball America's All-American Third Team for his spectacular junior season.
The projected first-round pick led the team in RBIs on the year with a staggering 66. He carried a .354 batting average, which was around a 60% increase from his freshman year. Houston slugged for 15 home runs on the year, which tied for the team lead alongside first baseman Jack Winnay. The team captain showed his leadership throughout the year as he started in each of the Deacons' 61 games.
Demon Deacon fans will certainly miss their superstar shortstop. Here are some of his most memorable moments for the Deacs. Houston hit two home runs in the 2024 ACC Tournament, which helped the Deacs reach the tournament semifinals that year. In his freshman year, Rake Forest's own helped lead the Deacs to a Winston-Salem Super Regional victory with a grand slam against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Houston's most ridiculous performance at the Couch came against Notre Dame this past year, where he went 3-4 with two doubles, a home run, and 10 RBIs (yes, 10 RBIs).
In the Knoxville regional, Houston helped propel the Deacs to a regional final against the regional hosts. In a win-or-go-home game for Wake, Houston went 2-4 with a home run. The game before that, in a must-win against Cincinnati, Houston went 3-5 with a home run and four RBIs. One thing was for sure: Houston showed up in the big moments for the Diamond Deacs. Deacons fans will certainly remember Marek for a long while. The Deacon faithful will continue to root for Marek as he makes his way up to the Big Leagues.
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Ryder is a Junior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He is studying Accountancy but has a passion for college athletics. He serves as the Treasurer of the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest’s Student-Run newspaper. He has also served as a play-by-play analyst for his high school’s football and basketball games.