Pack9 Opponent Preview: Wake Forest

Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Friday | Saturday | Sunday)

Tell me about this team

Wake came out of the gate a-hellin’ this year, losing their opener to Houston in the same Puerto Rico Challenge event that NC State participated in, but then reeling off 15 consecutive wins, including sweeping Stanford in their ACC season opening series. What followed was a fall back to reality, which probably could have been expected in hindsight when you consider that High Point (RPI #60; 7-6 Wake win) was the only team the Deacs played during that 15-game winning streak that currently has an RPI ranking better than 131 (Stanford).

The Demon Deacons lost to Coastal Carolina and then were swept at home by Florida State. They rebounded to go 8-4 over the next stretch, but with all four of those losses coming in conference play. Since then, Wake is just 2-5, but with those losses coming at Pitt, vs Coastal, and at Miami (x2), with the wins coming over Miami and Coastal.

All things considered, Wake has put itself into a nice situation. They still have a road series at Georgia Tech, but they get a home series with a pitching-depleted NC State squad this weekend before that GT series, and their last two ACC series are vs Louisville and at Duke, two teams who have not been very impressive this year. With a solid RPI already in place, a .500 finish to ACC play will have the Deacs in a Regional.

The lineup is an experienced bunch, with only two of their 11 regulars being under 20 years old. That group is hitting a collective .289/.411/.476, 76 2B, 47 HR, 14.6 BB%, 19.4 K%, 50-59 SB. Seven of their starters have OBPs over .400, and they generally handle the bat well with competitive ABs and low strikeout numbers.

As is normal for a Wake pitching staff under Tom Walter, there are some freaks on this staff with alarmingly good stuff. The group has a 4.60 ERA over 317.0 IP with a 11.6 BB% and 31.0 K%. I’m sure Walter and crew would like that walk rate to be a bit lower, but really only one of their top eight arms has a walk rate that would be considered alarming. Plus, when you have a team strikeout rate in the 30’s, you can live with a few extra walks.

This is a group that when they’ve lost, it’s generally been due to the lineup getting shut down (6 or fewer runs in all 13 losses, including 3 or fewer runs in 9 of those games). Unfortunately for an NC State squad that will be without Friday starter Ryan Marohn, that would-be key to victory gets a little more unattainable. The Wolfpack will need to hit in this one; that’s for sure.

Wake is a team with a lot of good pieces and certainly capable of making a run to an ACC Tournament title next month, and a deep run in the NCAAs thereafter.

Pitching Matchups

Friday: RHP Heath Andrews(JR) vs RHP Chris Levonas (SO)

Saturday: LHP Cooper Consiglio(JR) vs RHP Troy Dressler(SO)

Sunday: TBD vs RHP Cam Bagwell (SO)

Key Players:

Offense

CF Javar Williams(JR) – .342/.473/.544, 9 2B, 7 HR, 16.0 BB%, 15.5 K%, 21-24 SB. Highly regarded prospect that in the “wait and see” camp heading into this year after not having the level of breakout year many expected last year. He’s doing that this year and the left-handed-hitting speedster is rocketing up draft boards.

RF Luke Costello (SO) – .324/.474/.735, 6 2B, 12 HR, 13.5 BB%, 15.8 K%, 2-4 SB. Well regarded high school recruit who tore his ACL his senior year in high school, so made it to college. The draft-eligible sophomore should be moving up draft boards with his reduction in strikeouts this year.

3B Dalton Wentz (SO) – .310/.441/.627, 13 2B, 10 HR, 18.6 BB%, 23.2 K%, 1-2 SB. Draft-eligible switch-hitter was a 2025 Freshman All-American. Has the arm to stay on the left side of the infield at the next level and should easily go in the top 3-4 rounds of the draft. Strikeout rate is the biggest red flag in his game, but the power is real.

1B Kade Lewis (JR) – .338/.422/.514, 9 2B, 5 HR, 12.7 BB%, 12.7 K%, 6-6 SB. Lefty-hitting leadoff man is a former transfer from Butler where he was a 2nd Team All-Big East selection in 2024. Played mostly 3rd base in 2025 with mixed results. Questions around his defense will limit his draft prospects, but he’s still a Top 75 prospect this year and can handle the bat with the best of them.

Pitching

RHP Chris Levonas (SO) – 7-2, 2.22 ERA, 48.2 IP, 8.3 BB%, 39.4 K%. Selected 67th overall out of high school by the Brewers in the 2024 draft (slot value: $1,230,000), but chose to head to college. Has been clocked over 100 mph on the fastball this year, which is a plus pitch and can be even more devastating when used to setup the slider and curve. Tracking towards being a Top 15 pick in next year’s draft.

RHP Troy Dressler(SO) – 5-1, 4.08 ERA, 35.1 IP, 10.3 BB%, 36.3 K%. Just recently moved into the starting rotation and has looked really good in that role. Can touch 97 with the fastball, sitting mostly in the low-to-mid 90’s with it. Has a nice slider and changeup. Already on draft radars after a strong season in the Cape Cod League last summer, he’s moving up 2027 boards quickly.

RHP Cam Bagwell (SO) – 2-1, 3.67 ERA, 41.2 IP, 6.7 BB%, 18.3 K%. Transfer from UNCW where he was the CAA Rookie-of-the-Year (9-2, 3.07 ERA, 85.0 IP, 4.9 BB%, 17.8 K%). Was Wake’s midweek starter until three weeks ago. Big 6’5, 210 lbs frame with a fastball that has touched 96 in the past, but he’s more of a low-90’s guy. A pair of breaking balls and a really good changeup that induces a lot of ground balls. Top 200 prospect for the 2027 Draft.

RHP Blake Morningstar (JR) – 2-3, 8.72 ERA, 32.0 IP, 10.1 BB%, 23.4 K%. Huge draft prospects heading into the year after earning 1st Team All-ACC honors last year (6-2, 3.87 ERA, 79.0 IP, 9.2 BB%, 26.8 K%), but struggled as a starter despite the impressive stuff and has been bumped from the starting rotation. In consecutive starts against Loyola Marymount and Stanford earlier this year, went a combined 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 20 K, 2 HBP, showing what he’s capable of when he’s on.

RHP Evan Jones (FR) – 2-1, 2 SV, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 11.8 BB%, 34.4 K%. Wake’s top rated freshman arm, he’s been up to 99 mph with the heater that he compliments with a sweeping slider. Outside of an outing at Virginia where he allowed 5 ER in 2.1 IP, he’s only allowed 3 ER over 14 appearances.

RHP Marcelo Harsch (FR) – 1-1, 1 SV, 5.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 8.1 BB%, 36.0 K%. Wake’s second highest rated freshman arm, he has been up to 99 mph in the past, too, but not yet this year. Despite having not topped 2.2 IP or 44 pitches in any single outing, has recorded 3+ strikeouts in seven of 11 outings.

Quick! Fun Facts!

Luke Costello is not related to Lucas Costello, who played for Wake from 2021-2023 before transferring to Miami for his senior year. He is related to Andrew Costello, his younger brother and a freshman catcher who reclassified from the 2027 freshman class up a year to enroll at Wake for the current spring semester.

An NCAA Regional appearance for Wake this year would be the fifth straight for the Demon Deacons, tying the program record for consecutive Regional appearances (1998-2002).

Six former Wake players have appeared at the MLB level so far in 2026: 1B/RF Gavin Sheets (Padres), LHP Jared Shuster (Cardinals), RHP Rhett Lowder (Reds), RHP Shane Smith (White Sox), 1B Nick Kurtz (Athletics), RHP Chase Burns (Reds). For whatever crossover that exists between Wake Forest and Cincinnati Reds fans, having two former Deacs in the Reds starting rotation has to be pretty amazing.

The Key To A Series Win For State

With Ryan Marohn not available this weekend – and hopefully the reports on his being available again soon are accurate – the lineup is going to need to produce if the Pack are going to pull this one out. It’s that simple: score runs. Score lots of runs.

Prediction

Before the news about Marohn dropped, I was feeling good about State pulling out the series win. Minus him, Wake has the advantage in both the Friday and Sunday pitching matchups.

Outcome: Wake takes two out of three