The long wait is over. Wake baseball is back.
After enduring a brutal exit against the SEC powerhouse Tennessee in last year’s playoffs, Wake Forest will look to return to the diamond with a vengeance. It’s been a long, productive offseason for the No. 21-ranked Demon Deacons in their quest to build an Omaha-caliber squad, and coach Tom Walter is confident that this team can make waves in 2026.
“We’re feeling a lot of excitement,” Coach Walter said on the ACC Baseball Extra podcast. “I really like this group. Love the coaching staff we’ve put together and the synergy they provide for our team.”
Without a doubt, the biggest area of improvement for the Demon Deacons is the pitching staff. While some of the new hurlers are creating excitement, especially the starting pitching transfer from UNCW, Cam Bagwell, it’s the returning class that is set to elevate this team. Because last year’s squad was riddled with young freshman arms, Coach Walter and the Deacs are hopeful that most will have developed enough over the winter to compete at a higher level.
Chris Levonas, a Sophomore starter from New Jersey, has been a highly touted prospect since his high school days and is looking to break out in his upcoming campaign. Despite finishing last year with a losing record and a 5.91 ERA, Levonas and his blazing fastball will look to improve immensely this spring. The right-hander will be making his first start of the season on Saturday against Washington.
Among other returning starters, Junior Blake Morningstar will look to take that next step in 2026. Following a terrific Sophomore season in which the right-hander tossed for 79 innings and racked up 93 strikeouts, Morningstar will seek to emerge as that next ace for the Demon Deacons.
Ever since the departure of college superstars Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns, Wake Forest has been seeking that next dynamite arm. With reports signaling a terrific season, Morningstar could be that man. Other notable familiar faces on the mound to look out for include lefty starter Matthew Dallas and senior reliever Will Ray.
“We’ve got some firepower on the mound,” Walter said. “It’s been tough on our hitters in the early goings, because they’re seeing some extreme velocity and some really cool pitch shapes out of our guys.”
While the pitching is what seems to be the X-Factor for this Wake Forest ball club, establishing the offense will be a big priority for the Demon Deacons early in the season. With both Marek Houston and Ethan Conrad, two first-round picks in last year’s MLB Draft, gone from this lineup, reinforcements needed to be made.
Similar to the pitching staff, the majority of the bats for this Demon Deacon team are led by returning forces. The headlining sluggers include first baseman Kade Lewis and utility infielder Dalton Wentz, two hitters looking to improve after shining as first-year Deacs last season.
“The offense certainly starts with Dalton and Kade,” Walter said. “But we’ve got some other pieces too. I love our top 11 or 12 position players. We just need to stay healthy positionally. If we do, I really like our lineup.”
The rest of the infield includes a mix of previous contributors along with some fresh faces. Freshman shortstop JD Stein and Senior second baseman Austin Hawke will likely be manning the middle infield for the majority of the season, with backups Blake Schaaf and Tyler Figueroa hoping to get some starting time.
In the outfield, center fielder Javar Williams and corner outfielder Luke Costello will share the majority of playing time, but look out for VMI transfer Boston Torres. Last season with the Cadets, Torres hit an impressive .337 with 11 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. Unfortunately for Wake Forest, Torres will begin the season injured with a hamate injury.
The Demon Deacons will begin their season in Puerto Rico, where they will take on Houston, Washington, and Indiana State over the weekend. Opening day at David F. Couch Ballpark will be on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when Wake Forest will take on High Point University.
