Wake Forest Baseball Cruises Past Cal to Take 2-0 Series Lead

The Demon Deacons have already locked up the series after just two days of work. Let's go through how it happened.

Game 1 Comeback

The skies looked clear all day on Friday in Winston-Salem, but wind and rain once the sun went down meant the Deacs were not able to finish Friday's battle, which was pushed to Saturday. They played six complete innings on Friday, with Cal holding a 5-4 advantage once play concluded.

This was the first weekend start for Cameron Bagwell, who is filling in for the injured Blake Morningstar, and it started rocky. The first pitch Bagwell threw was a home run to Cal's leadoff hitter, Hideki Prather. After that, Lawson Olmstead and Cade Campbell also went yard for the Golden Bears. The score after one complete inning was 4-0, thanks to four Cal home runs.

After this, Bagwell settled in and made it through a little over five innings, only giving up one more run. The fast start for Cal was paired with a slow offensive start for Wake Forest. Cal starting pitcher Oliver de la Torre was not letting any batters get on base.

In the sixth inning, cracks started to show when Wake scored three runs. This was made possible by three California errors in the sixth inning alone. Still, they held a slim 5-4 lead going into Saturday.

After a scoreless seventh inning, the Deacs' offense came alive, scoring five runs in the eighth to put it away. Dalton Wentz and Luke Costello each singled to get on base, while Boston Torres was hit by a pitch to add another baserunner. Outfielder Jackson Miller's double brought Costello and Wentz home, and a JD Stein bunt brought another run home.

Offensively, Jackson Miller was the star of the game. He notched two hits, scoring three RBIs for the Deacs. In the pitching department, the win went to freshman Evan Jones, who threw three scoreless innings to close it out and continues to impress. His record for the year is now 2-1.

Right back to it 👊 pic.twitter.com/ZyBGv21QiU
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) March 28, 2026

Levonas Shines in Game 2

Everyone knows that Chris Levonas has been on a roll to start the season. Momentum just kept building Saturday, as Levonas put on another stellar outting, leading to a Wake Forest victory. He pitched just over six innings, giving up five hits and just one run. Through 95 pitches, he struck out 10 batters. He also did a great job not giving up free passes and walks. This consistency was key to Wake Forest getting going.

Offensively, the Deacs flipped the script and got out to the early lead, being up 2-0 after the first inning. Luke Costello hit into a double play, but it allowed Javar Williams to score from third base. Then, a Matt Conte single brought home Kade Lewis to give Wake their two-run advantage.

Kade Lewis hit twice during the game, one being a home run in the fifth inning to extend the Wake Forest advantage. Conte also had another RBI in the fifth when his double brought home Dalton Wentz.

On the mound, it was freshman Marcelo Harsch who closed out the final two and a half innings, holding Cal scoreless and notching five strikeouts. He got the save and the win from Levonas moves him to 6-1 on the year.

Series dub ✔️ pic.twitter.com/2dljtROVB7
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) March 28, 2026

What's Next?

The Deacs will be back in action at the Couch tomorrow to close out the series against Cal. With the 2-0 advantage, they will be going for the sweep of the Golden Bears. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.