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Wake Baseball

80deac said:
Baseball So Far:
Not seeing much different than last year. Probably 7-9 teams in ACC better than USC, IMO. Two wins out there with one being strong or a blowout would have made me more optimistic for the season.

Walter has been saying for 2 years how strong of a batting line-up we possess. Numbers just don't back it up. We average 5.26 runs last year in ACC games. This year, we've failed to really ring up an impressive run total even against non-P5 completion. I understand that baseball has more parity and it's a matter of who would win more in a series to determine the better team. But by comparison, look at some of the offensive output by fellow ACC teams so far: Clemson 19 vs Maine, FSU 19 & 23 vs Rhode Island, GT 13 vs W. Mich., NCSU 13 vs ODU 18 vs VMI (mutual opponent), ND 13 vs Incarnate Word, Pitt 19 vs Niagara, 16,14, & 18 vs Grambling, and UNC 14 vs #9 UCLA on their field (took series 2/3, as well).

After starting the first game with 2 HRs, freshman Aiello has been ineffective, batting only .167. This is not that surprising being a freshman. Breazeale (.174) and Fairchild (.150) are more concerning, especially compared to last season's avg. (Fairchild was well into the .300s IIRC).

Regarding pitching: We gave up a truckload of hits and runs vs USC. In their 9 run win, we gave up 16 hits and they left another 15 on base. Hit total for the series: WF 21, USC 33


Last year our inability to win mid-week games was telling. And look at how we finished our last 6 conference series games:

05/08/15 vs. NC State Winston-Salem, NC L, 19-1
05/09/15 vs. NC State Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 3-2
05/11/15 vs. NC State Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 9-6
05/14/15 at Duke Durham, N.C. W, 3-1
05/15/15 at Duke Durham, N.C. L, 7-0
05/16/15 at Duke Durham, N.C. L, 8-1

Gave up 19 to a mid-range ACC Pack team and lost 2 of 3 to a lower level ACC Duke team. One more Duke win would have put us in the ACC Tourney and we weren't close in the last 2 games.

So, in conclusion, right now I don't expect us to finish any better than 2015. I was hopeful after the VT and Clemson series last year, but the second half of the season was really a disaster.
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Well, WF won its first midweek game this year.

Regardless, because WF collapsed at the end of 2015, you expect WF to collapse again in 2016. Even though WF returns the ACC POY (over 3 players that were 2015 MLB first round draft picks) and among many solid players, there is little reason for hope. Thanks Mr. Sunshine.
 
remains to be seen how the season plays out of course but this offense should be pretty stout barring injury. Taking one of three on the road against a top 25 team isn't bad at all. Winning yesterday would have been nice but it was encouraging to get a solid start.

Five very winnable games in a row Wednesday to Sunday all at home before a set against Coastal on the road and then Clemson at home next weekend to kick off ACC play. A 9-3 start (going 4-1 this week) heading down to Myrtle would be a solid beginning to the season
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
remains to be seen how the season plays out of course but this offense should be pretty stout barring injury. Taking one of three on the road against a top 25 team isn't bad at all. Winning yesterday would have been nice but it was encouraging to get a solid start.

Five very winnable games in a row Wednesday to Sunday all at home before a set against Coastal on the road and then Clemson at home next weekend to kick off ACC play. A 9-3 start (going 4-1 this week) heading down to Myrtle would be a solid beginning to the season
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Where have I seen that start before? :(
 
Our pitching looks better. Hopefully we will hit like we did last year.
 
Deacs won 8-2 this afternoon. Good to get the midweek win. They play at home the next 4 days.
 
Our pitcher has given up 4 walks in his first 8 batters faced.

ETA: and we just yanked him
 
Deacs win again. 8-2. Craig went yard again.
 
Bullpen has been great so far this year. If our top three weekend guys can be solid I feel good about piecing together starts midweek.

Offense can hopefully keep the bats hot. Winless Towson tomorrow, Harvard Saturday who plays their first game of the year tomorrow, and then 7-1 Richmond Sunday before CC on the road for two and Clemson next weekend for ACC play.

10-2 going to myrtle would be a fantastic start
 
8-4 Wake. Certainly pitching is much better. No way could this team have survived 3 games in a row without pitching blowing up last year.
 
Last edited:
Wake moves to 8-2 overall and 7-0 at home.
 
Although not top notch competition, this stretch is important because Wake had to (still has to) eat a lot of innings. 5 games in 5 days is a challenge to a pitching staff. So far so good. Would love to see the offense erupt the next 2 games.
 
Despite Wake' record, offense has been disappointing to this point. Craig cannot do it all.
 
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