Wake Forest Baseball Set for Midweek Clash vs. High Point

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the High Point Panthers have a deep history that will be rekindled on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Matthew Dallas (10) delivers a pitch against the Indiana State Sycamores, Feb. 15, 2026. | Wake Forest Athletics

Wake Forest kicked off the 2026 college baseball season with a productive weekend in Puerto Rico that saw it go 2-1. It took down Washington and Indiana State in two methodical victories but lost to Houston on Opening Day in a disappointing effort. While the weekend could have gone better, head coach Tom Walter and his team will certainly take it.

With the road trip to the Caribbean done and dusted, the Demon Deacons now return home for a four-game homestand that starts Feb. 17 with a bout against the High Point Panthers. With first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. EST, it should be a fun afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.

High Point Off to a Solid Start

Just like Wake Forest, High Point began its season with a 2-1 weekend. It beat Saint Joseph’s 15-7 on Feb. 13 thanks to four RBIs by first baseman Landen Johnson and three more by Seojun Oh. Wade Walton also delivered a quality outing for the Panthers in the team’s opening game, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing six runs — all of which were unearned — on five hits. Tyler Shafer shut the door out of the bullpen the rest of the way.

A 3-0 win followed in the first game of a doubleheader against Saint Joseph’s on Feb. 14. The game was scoreless through the first five and a half innings as both starting pitchers — Tyler Brachbill for High Point and Cole Fehrman — carved through their opponent’s batting order. It wasn’t until an error by reliever Sam Greer in the bottom of the sixth that High Point was able to get on the board. The crucial mistake gave High Point a 1-0 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Saint Joseph’s finally got the best of the Panthers in the final game of the series via a 6-1 victory. The only High Point run came off a Christian Smith solo home run in the bottom of the first. While he had two hits on the day, the rest of the team combined for just three. That’s certainly not a winning recipe.

All in all, it was a good weekend for High Point. It’s set up well as it heads into its matchup with the Demon Deacons, and it’ll certainly be hoping to pull off the upset.

Wake Forest and High Point Have a Deep History

Wake Forest pitcher Zach Johnston (17) on the mound against the Indiana State Sycamores, Feb. 15, 2026. | Wake Forest Athletic

It takes about 30 minutes to travel between Wake Forest and High Point, which has enabled the two baseball programs to play one another quite a bit over the years. The teams have met 53 times, with Wake Forest holding a 38-15 record over its North Carolina neighbors. Still, it was High Point that got the best of the Demon Deacons the last time the two programs faced one another May 13 of last year.

The 7-5 win for the Panthers came in an entertaining contest that saw Wake Forest relinquish three runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh. It was an all-out effort for the home Panthers — High Point used nine pitchers to pick up the win.

Prior to last year’s upset, Wake Forest had a six-game winning streak over High Point. It’ll be hoping to start another one Feb. 17.