Heading into the final game of their weekend series against No. 11 Virginia Tech on Sunday, No. 21 Wake Forest Baseball had already made history.
The Demon Deacons had secured the series on Saturday, and right-handed pitcher Chase Burns’ career-high 15 strikeouts on Friday were the second most in a single game of Wake Forest’s history. And as the team’s relief pitchers allowed just one earned run all weekend, the stark turnaround from the rest of the pitching staff seemed sure to define the weekend.
But then, the re-emergence of All-American first baseman Nick Kurtz in the national collegiate baseball conversation quickly became the story of the Demon Deacons’ sweep.
Homering three times in the series finale on Sunday, Kurtz emphatically capped Wake Forest’s series sweep of Virginia Tech for what may have been the Demon Deacons’ biggest win so far this season. The record-setting weekend provides real promise to the Wake Forest program heading down the season’s stretch.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a display like that,” Wake Forest Baseball Head Coach Tom Walter said of Kurtz tying the school record for most homers in a single game.
Punctuated by Kurtz’s record performance on Sunday, the spectacular series sweep marks a major tone shift for Wake Forest Baseball. The Demon Deacons had dropped their previous three series with ranked conference opponents this season, including a sweep at home by No. 13 North Carolina last weekend. But performances like Kurtz’s seven-hit, nine-RBI and five-homer series this weekend could be a sign that Wake Forest baseball is back to a form unseen since last season’s run to the College World Series.
“I’m not sure who had a better weekend: Nick Kurtz or our bullpen,” Walter said after the sweep, dually impressed with both phases of his team’s play throughout the weekend.
A massive performance from the pitching staff as well unquestionably put the Demon Deacons in position to impress all weekend long. Aside from Burns’ historic Friday night, left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle had a season-high 8 strikeouts in his Saturday night start, while the bullpen posted their best performance all season, allowing just one run in more than 11 combined innings over three games.
“If they could give a pitcher of the week to a bullpen, they would give it to ours, because our bullpen was very special this weekend,” Walter said.
A competent Wake Forest bullpen able to follow up Burns’ elite performances could mean the Demon Deacons are back to controlling the game from the mound. And paired with big hitters like Kurtz clicking on offense, Walter says he has hopes of hosting an NCAA Tournament series in the postseason.
“That gets us closer to .500,” Walter said, “which is goal No. 1 to get back to .500 in the league and try to build a resume from there where we can be in consideration to host.”
The Demon Deacons will face their next conference opponent this weekend on the road at Boston College on Friday at 3 p.m.
