The Wake Forest Baseball team is gearing up for an exciting journey to Omaha, beginning in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Deacs are joined by host team Tennessee, along with Cincinnati and Miami (OH) in the Knoxville Regional.
Tennessee concluded their season with a strong record of 43-16, holding a 16-14 mark in the SEC. They will face off against Miami (OH), who achieved a commendable 35-21 record, notably winning their first MAC Championship in two decades, in the opening game. Meanwhile, Wake Forest will confront Cincinnati, which finished with a 32-24 record, in their initial matchup.
This season has seen Wake Forest experience ups and downs. They started strong, ranked 14th nationally, and with a 18-3 record, including a perfect 6-0 in their conference play. However, they faced a rough stretch afterward, losing six of eight games, including a home sweep by an unranked Virginia Tech team. A significant turn came when the Deacs claimed a huge series victory over #4 Florida State on the road, only to have their momentum halted by the news of outfielder Ethan Conrad’s season-ending shoulder surgery.
Despite subsequent losses in their conference series, Wake Forest rallied towards the end of the regular season with series wins against Stanford, Pittsburgh, and #21 Louisville. Unfortunately, their ACC Tournament run was cut short with a loss to 16-seed Cal in their opening game.
The silver lining is that with their advancement to the regional round of the College World Series (CWS), Wake Forest can embrace a fresh start. All prior performances are set aside as the team focuses solely on their upcoming matchups. The potential for success hinges on which version of the team takes the field—whether the one that triumphed against top-ranked opponents or the one that struggled against lesser competitors.
With talent and determination, the Deacs are poised to make their mark in the CWS. Go Deacs!