The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have delivered highs and lows in equal measures this season. One week after dominating their series against No. 7-ranked Florida State in Tallahassee, the Demon Deacons got swept in lopsided fashion by the No. 12-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
This season, the Demon Deacons started on fire, sweeping their first two ACC series on the way to their first 6-0 conference start in program history. The team has recently taken a step back, winning just one out of their last four ACC series to drop to 9-9 in conference play.
The roller coaster ride continued on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons run-ruled No. 21-ranked Coastal Carolina, 16-5, in their midweek matchup for the second time this season, sweeping the season series.
With the home stretch coming up, it’s time to analyze what went wrong against UNC, how the Demon Deacons turned it around against Coastal Carolina and what the key is for the upcoming home series against Boston College and the rest of the season.
What Went Wrong
The Tar Heels came out and took the series’ first two games in dominant fashion, winning by a combined score of 28-2. Wake Forest’s starting pitchers put absolutely zero pressure on the Tar Heels’ offense in either of the first two games, and the Tar Heels’ offense took advantage. The UNC pitchers stifled the Demon Deacons’ offense, and the first two games were over early.
Freshman Chris Levonas made his first ACC start on Friday but only made it 3 2/3 innings after giving up eight runs on nine hits. Logan Lunceford, who shut out Florida State in his start the weekend before, only managed to get four outs on Saturday before exiting. Lunceford never found control of the strike zone, surrendering five runs on six hits while walking three.
When the Demon Deacons finally got a quality outing out of their Sunday starter, Blake Morningstar, the offense offered him no run support. The Tar Heels completed the sweep after the bullpen allowed the game-winning run in a 3-2 game.
The Wake Forest offense, a week removed from scoring 33 runs on Florida State, was ice-cold in Chapel Hill, only mustering four total runs. While credit is due to UNC’s veteran pitching staff, Wake Forest’s offense, which has proven it can hit quality arms, looked unrecognizable in Chapel Hill.
In short, everything went wrong for the Demon Deacons last weekend against UNC. They did not show up to Chapel Hill ready to compete against a top team in the ACC and the result was three straight losses.
What Went Right
Wake Forest had the chance to bounce back against a very good Coastal Carolina program ahead of its home series against Boston College and that is exactly what it did. A pair of freshmen reignited the offense, the bullpen shut the Chanticleers out and the Demon Deacons recovered from a disappointing weekend.
Freshman designated hitter Luke Costello, who has played more due to Ethan Conrad’s injury, had the best game of his young career. He notched two home runs, including a grand slam and six RBIs to propel the offense on Tuesday night. Freshman second baseman Dalton Wentz had a three-run home run, and the rest of the Demon Deacon offense followed suit, posting 16 runs on 16 hits.
The bullpen did their job, posting 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief for Matthew Dallas. Matt Bedford, Luke Schmolke, Joe Ariola and Griffin Green all had quality outings ahead of the Boston College series. They all showed great control of the strike zone, combining only to walk two batters.
On Tuesday, the Demon Deacons looked like the team dominated Florida State less than two weeks ago. When everything clicks, Wake Forest has the talent to look like one of the ACC’s elite. The lingering question is whether they can consistently bring that level of play from week to week.
What is the Key
This weekend, the Boston College Eagles (17-19, 7-11 ACC) come to David F. Couch Ballpark sitting in the bottom third of the conference standings. The Demon Deacons will look to take the series and get back on track in ACC play, building on their midweek momentum.
For Wake Forest to reach its potential, it starts on the mound. Morningstar has been a steady presence in the rotation, but they need more than one dependable arm for the Demon Deacons to take control of the weekend series. Levonas must pitch like the MLB talent he was drafted to be, and Lunceford needs to rediscover the form he showed early in the season. If each starter consistently provides at least five solid innings, Wake Forest will be positioned to win every game.
The Demon Deacons also need more consistent infield defense. There have been too many moments where errors in the infield have kept innings alive and opponents in games. Eliminating errors in the infield is necessary for Wake Forest if they want a chance this weekend.
The offense and bullpen looked special on Tuesday. If Wake Forest can continue playing the way it did, the addition of consistent starting pitching and quality infield defense will give the Demon Deacons a good chance in all three games this weekend as they push for a postseason run.
