Wake Forest Shut Out Again in Loss to Florida State

The hot streak of late February and early March has given way to the gloomy and rainy days of spring.

Wake Forest, which had won 15 games in a row prior to this week, has dropped three consecutive games, with the latest falter being a 2-0 shutout loss — the second game in as many nights that the Demon Deacons have failed to record a run — to the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, March 14, at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem. It was an unfortunate affair for Tom Walter’s squad, as his lineup picked up just one hit on the day — a JD Stein double in the bottom of the sixth — squandering a stellar start by Chris Levonas in the process.

The loss was one of those defeats that, while not the end of the world, stings to high heaven. Levonas pitched his heart out, but Florida State hurler Trey Beard was just a little better. The lineup, which had beaten up on subpar competition throughout the first month of the season, struck out a whopping 16 times against Seminoles arms.

Baseball is a fickle game — things can change in a hurry. It’ll be up to Wake Forest to somehow bounce back from the mishaps of this past week. That’s easier said than done, of course.

FSU Pitching Showed Up and Showed Out

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to an outstanding performance by the opposition. Florida State starter Trey Beard pitched the lights out at David F. Couch Ballpark. He threw 6 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 14 and walking just one. He allowed only one hit. It was a masterpiece of the highest order, one which Florida State fans will remember for quite some time, especially if the team continues to play well.

Beard’s success against the Deacs is not surprising. Besides a less-than-stellar inaugural outing of the season, he’s been nails in his last three appearances. His pitching against Wake Forest was not only one of his best of the season, but of his entire collegiate career.

Where is the Offense?

Wake Forest pitcher Chris Levonas has been off to a fantastic start to his sophomore season with the Demon Deacons. | Wake Forest Athletics

The Wake Forest pitching staff has nothing to be ashamed of in the 2-0 loss. Chris Levonas gave the team six quality innings of one-run baseball — the only run for Florida State came via a Nathan Cmeyla home run in the top of the fifth — while the bullpen supplemented that effort with good innings, as well. In the end, it didn’t matter.

That’s due to the offense completely disintegrating. Stein was the only Demon Deacons batter who picked up a base hit, which is not a recipe for success. All credit to FSU, obviously, but Wake Forest’s offense has to be better. It’ll need to pick up the pieces, and fast.

What’s Next for Wake Forest Baseball?

The Demon Deacons will seek to salvage the series finale against Florida State on Sunday, March 15. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. Duncan Marsten is the scheduled arm for Wake Forest, while Florida State will send out Bryson Moore.