History on the horizon in Omaha: Wake Forest is one win away from College World Series finals
Demon Deacons learn their opponent ahead of a crucial game in Omaha Wednesday night
from Lauren Walsh, with WXII TV 12 Sports:
OMAHA, Neb. —Wake Forest baseball is one win away from something it has not done in 68 years, and that is playing for a national championship.
The Demon Deacons learned their opponent Tuesday night for the all-important Wednesday night game in Omaha at Charles Schwab Field.
The No. 5 LSU Tigers blanked Tennessee 5-0 in an elimination game, thus setting up a rematch with No. 1 Wake Forest. Tennessee’s season ended in Omaha, while LSU will need a win Wednesday night to keep its season alive.
Only four teams remain in what was originally a 64-team NCAA baseball bracket. They are No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 5 LSU, No. 2 Florida, and unseeded TCU.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
If Wake Forest beats LSU Wednesday night in their 7 p.m. ET matchup, the Deacons will advance to the College World Series finals. A loss would set up a win-or-go-home game between the Deacs and Tigers Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Florida and TCU face the same scenario, with the Gators in the driver’s seat. If Florida wins Wednesday’s 2 p.m. clash with the Horned Frogs, it is on to the finals. A Gators loss would also set up an elimination game, Thursday at 2 p.m. for a spot in the championship series.
Wake Forest last won a national title in 1955, which was also the last time the Deacons played in the College World Series. The only other appearance for the program came in 1949.
The Deacons’ 2023 season is dripping with history-making talent. Wake Forest has a record of 54-10, good for a new high of wins in a season, and they hope to add more.
To do that, they’ll have to beat the formidable LSU Tigers for the second time in three days.
The first meeting ended in a 3-2 victory for Wake Forest Monday night, thanks large-in-part to the eighth inning heroics of catcher Bennett Lee.
In the top of the eighth inning, the game was tied 2-2. Third baseman Brock Wilken fielded a hard-hit grounder and slung the ball home to his catcher, Lee, as the Tigers’ go-ahead run, Tre’ Morgan, charged for the plate. Lee caught the ball on a hop and tagged Morgan out by a narrow margin, maintaining the 2-2 tie.
That play proved to be crucial. In the bottom of the eighth, with Danny Corona on second base, Lee sliced a single through the infield to left field, and Corona motored home to score what ended up being the game-winning run. During Lee’s at-bat, he took a walk down the third base line to chat with associate head coach Bill Cilento. That conversation helped put Lee at ease, reinforce his confidence, and set him up to hit the game-winning single.
Wake Forest has won each of its games in Omaha by one run, and by the same score, in fact: 3-2 over Stanford and 3-2 over LSU. That comes after routing their opponents by a margin of 75-16 over their first five NCAA Tournament games over the course of regionals and super regionals.
So now the question is, are the Deacons not playing quite as strongly as they have in the recent past, or are these Omaha opponents that good? Maybe a mixture of both – but the good news for Deacon fans is, Wake is still finding ways to win. And if Tom Walter’s group can do that one more time Wednesday night, they’ll make it to the final weekend and play for a national championship.
Follow WXII 12 sports on the web, social media, and TV for the most comprehensive Deacs coverage in Omaha!