Wake Forest Seeks Statement Win Against Coastal Carolina

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have gotten the best of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons twice this season. Both losses have been somewhat demoralizing, with the first being a 10-4 beatdown on March 10 and the other a 2-1 slog on April 7. In one contest, the pitching was poor. In the other, the offense couldn’t hit a lick.

For Wake Forest, the goal is to put those two defeats in the rearview mirror. If that rhetoric sounds familiar, that’s because it is. For the entirety of the season — or at least since the end of the Demon Deacons’ 15-game winning streak to open the year — Tom Walter’s squad has been searching for a way to build consistent momentum. It has failed to do so in ACC competition — the Deacs are a mediocre 9-9 against their conference peers — as well as in midweek matchups against tough foes like Coastal Carolina. As such, Wake Forest’s prospects of hosting a regional once the NCAA Tournament rolls around have gone from a certainty to a far-fetched possibility.

But that hasn’t stopped the team from trying to put its best foot forward down the stretch, with tonight’s midweek clash against No. 7 Coastal Carolina taking center stage. Wake Forest needs a big-time win against the Chanticleers. Again, if that sounds familiar, then it absolutely is. Perhaps this time the Demon Deacons can actually deliver.

Marsten Gets the Ball

Wake Forest Baseball — Duncan Marsten (30) delivers a pitch against the Florida State Seminoles, March 15, 2026. | Wake Forest Athletics

Right-hander Duncan Marsten will get the start for Wake Forest tonight, and it’s one the Demon Deacons desperately need to turn into a strong outing.

Marsten enters with a 4.46 ERA across 34 1/3 innings, pairing 49 strikeouts with just 12 walks — numbers that suggest he has the tools to succeed against a lineup like Coastal Carolina’s. He proved as much just a week ago, throwing 99 pitches over 4 2/3 innings against the Chanticleers. While he was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs — largely due to a lack of offensive support — he still struck out seven and walked only two, showing an ability to command the game even in defeat.

So, can Marsten improve on that and shut down Coastal Carolina for good this time? He’ll need to, especially if the lineup is as anemic as it was one week ago.

Chasing a Milestone

Jun 21, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Tom Walter walks off the field after being defeated by the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

If Wake Forest can take down Coastal Carolina, then it’ll achieve a milestone that’s long been in the making. Walter, who has been the head coach in Winston-Salem for 16 seasons, currently has 949 career wins, with 518 of those coming at Wake Forest. While that achievement alone doesn’t guarantee the team a spot in Omaha — far from it, actually — perhaps it would provide some momentum heading into the final month of the regular season.

Of course, that might be a stretch, but when a team like Wake Forest is struggling as much as it is right now, any sort of extra boost is appreciated.

Wake Forest’s contest with Coastal Carolina is set for 6 p.m. at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

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