Wake Forest Seeks Midweek Reset Against Appalachian State

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons gave the best team in the ACC, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, all they had this past weekend, and yet it still wasn’t enough. A sweep ensued — and not the good kind — with Wake Forest dropping all three games and falling to 28-17 on the season and 11-13 in conference play.

Given how close all the games were, the Demon Deacons certainly would’ve wanted the results to be a little bit different. But that’s all in the past, a cliché as that might sound. It’s now time for Wake Forest to turn its attention to one of its final midweek clashes of the season, this one against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Before previewing the matchup, it’s important to acknowledge the significance of the location of this game. The Demon Deacons and Mountaineers are playing one another at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, as a special tribute to the late Jim Horn. Horn was a Wake Forest alumnus and a major supporter of the American Legion World Series, which is hosted in Shelby. As such, the Deacs are coming to town to honor Horn in a game that is free for anyone to attend.

Deacs Look to Avoid Repeat of March Nail-Biter

Wake Forest Baseball — Wake Forest's Javar Williams takes his spot in the outfield against the California Golden Bears. | Wake Forest Athletics

On March 4 of this year, Wake Forest escaped Appalachian State by the skin of its teeth. It took everything the Deacs had to beat the Mountaineers in Boone that day, with a bases-loaded walk by Blake Schaaf in the top of the ninth being the difference in a 9-8 final.

If Tom Walter’s squad has its way, that won’t be happening this time around.

In order to accomplish that goal, Walter will hand the ball to Duncan Marsten, who’s settled into the midweek role over the past couple of months. The California native has impressed as of late — he delivered five shutout innings against UNC Greensboro on April 21 and preceded that with two quality outings versus Coastal Carolina the previous two weeks. Perhaps his most outstanding performance came at High Point on March 31, when he went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one run with six strikeouts.

If Wake Forest gets that same version of Marsten, it’s hard to imagine Appalachian State, which is currently on a seven-game winning streak, finding a way to wiggle its way toward a victory.

Midweek Result Carries Momentum Implications

What would a win over the Mountaineers mean for Wake Forest’s chances of making the College World Series? In all honesty, probably not that much. What it could do, however, is light a fire back into the program after its disappointing weekend in Atlanta. Because while a win doesn’t mean that everything is right in the world for Wake Forest baseball, it does at least signal that the ship isn’t sinking.

First pitch will start at 6 p.m. ET. Those interested in listening to the game can do so at godeacs.com.

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