Wake Forest Looks to Avoid Slip-Up vs. Western Carolina
Just two weekends remain before the college baseball regular season officially comes to a close. For the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, that means facing off against two North Carolina rivals – one out of conference and the other being a crucial ACC matchup.
This weekend’s slate of games sees the Deacs facing off against the Western Carolina Catamounts in what should be a good little reprieve from the grueling nature of the ACC schedule. Wake Forest has been battling for several months now, attempting to best position itself for the postseason, and just as the regular season is about to end, it finally has a moment to breathe just a tiny bit.
Of course, Wake Forest can’t take the Catamounts lightly. A series loss this weekend would be a disaster. As such, the Demon Deacons still need to put their best foot forward.
Wake Forest Hoping to Avoid Trap Series
Western Carolina is no pushover. At 32-17 overall and 12-6 in SoCon competition, the Catamounts have positioned themselves as one of the more quality mid-major programs in the country this season.
Led by offensive stalwarts like Cole Jones – who has a .320 batting average and .942 OPS – as well as Noah Quarless, Jackson Lyda, and Jaylen Jones, the Catamounts have a lineup that can strike at a moment’s notice. As a team, Western Carolina is slashing .287/.392/.489, a respectable mark that has gotten it very far this season.
Combatting those bats will be the usual suspects for Wake Forest. RHP Chris Levonas will get the start on Friday, with RHP Troy Dressler going on Saturday. At this time, no probable starter has been announced for Sunday’s finale.
As any Wake Forest fan knows, Levonas has undoubtedly been the team’s best starting arm. His 3.28 ERA over 60 1/3 innings of work is a phenomenal mark for college baseball. When he’s on the hill, Wake Forest can feel confident that it has the advantage.
Taking down this Western Carolina attack won’t be easy, but it’s certainly something that the Demon Deacons’ arms expect to do. Why? Because history is on their side. In 16 matchups between Wake Forest and Western Carolina, the Deacs are 11-5 and are currently on a six-game winning streak dating back to 2015. Wake Forest swept the last series the two teams played against one another in 2024, winning the series finale 17-1.
So, yes – Western Carolina has had a good year. But this Wake Forest team has had its number for years. In all likelihood, that’s not stopping anytime soon.
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Seth Dowdle is a 2024 graduate of TCU, where he earned a degree in sports broadcasting with a minor in journalism. He currently hosts a TCU-focused show on the Bleav Network and has been active in sports media since 2019, beginning with high school sports coverage in the DFW area. Seth is also the owner and editor of SethStack, his personal hub for in-depth takes on everything from college football to hockey. His past experience includes working in the broadcast department for the Cleburne Railroaders and at 88.7 KTCU, TCU's radio station.
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