Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2024 Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball team
Founded	1891; 128 years ago
Overall record	2167–1638–28
University	Wake Forest University
Head coach	Tom Walter (15th season)
Conference	ACC; Atlantic Division
Location	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Home stadium	David F. Couch Ballpark ; (Capacity: 3,823)
Nickname	Demon Deacons
Colors	Old gold and black;
NCAA Tournament champions
	1955
College World Series runner-up
	1949
College World Series appearances
	1949, 1955, 2023
NCAA regional champions
	1999, 2017, 2023
NCAA Tournament appearances
	1949, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1977, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference tournament champions
	Atlantic Coast Conference: 1962, 1963, 1977, 1998, 1999, 2001
Regular season conference champions
	Southern Conference : 1949; Atlantic Coast Conference: 1955, 1962, 1963, 2023

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball team represents Wake Forest University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). They won the 1955 College World Series. They are coached by Tom Walter.

History

The Demon Deacon program began play in 1891.

The Demon Deacons represented the United States in baseball at the 1951 Pan American Games, winning the silver medal.^[2]^[3] In 1955, the Demon Deacons defeated Western Michigan in the 1955 College World Series, led by coach Taylor Sanford.^[4] In 1977, Outfielder Kenny Baker became the first Demon Deacon to win ACC Player of the Year.^[5]

The Demon Deacons has been crowned ACC tournament champions four times: 1977, 1998, 1999, and 2001. In 2010, Tom Walter was hired as Wake Forest's new head coach.

David F. Couch Ballpark

On October 31, 2007, Wake Forest University bought Ernie Shore Field for $5.5 million, paying that money upfront.^[6] Starting in 2009, home games have been played at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park. The Demon Deacons' former home, Gene Hooks Stadium, was demolished following the university's purchase of Ernie Shore Field, which has since been renamed Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.^[7] In February 2016, the Wake Forest ballpark was renamed David F. Couch Ballpark in honoring former Demon Deacon baseball player David Couch.^[8]

Individual awards

ACC Player of the Year

Kenny Baker (1977)^[9]
Brick Smith (1981)^[10]
Bill Merrifield (1982, 1983)^[11]
Jamie D'Antona (2003)^[12]
Will Craig (2015)^[13]
Bobby Seymour (2019)^[14]

ACC Coach of the Year

Marvin Crater (1982)
George Greer (2002)^[15]

ACC Rookie of the Year

Jamie D'Antona (2001)
Allan Dykstra (2006)

College Baseball Hall of Fame

In 2010, Charlie Teague became the first and only former Demon Deacon elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.^[16]

Year	Player	Position
2010	Charlie Teague	2B

Championships

NCAA College World Series Championships

Year	Coach	Record	Result
1955	Taylor Sanford	24–6	Defeated Western Michigan, 7–6<^{[citation needed]}

Conference Champions

Year	Conference	Record	Coach
1949	SoCon	27–2	Lee Gooch
1955	ACC	28–7	Taylor Sanford
2023	ACC	22–7	Tom Walter

Conference Tournament champions

Season	Conference	Venue	Head coach
1977	ACC	Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina	Marvin Carter
1998	ACC	Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, North Carolina	George Greer
1999	ACC	Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, North Carolina	George Greer
2001	ACC	Knights Stadium, Fort Mill, South Carolina	George Greer

Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Division I baseball tournament started in 1947. The Demon Deacons have played in 16 tournaments, advancing to the Super Regionals in 1949, 1955, and 2023, winning the National Championship in 1955.

Year	Record	Pct	Notes
1949	4–2	.667	College World Series Runner-up, Region B Champion
1955	9-2	.818	College World Series Champion, District 3 Champion
1962	2–2	.500	District 3
1963	3–2	.600	District 3
1977	2–2	.500	Atlantic Regional
1998	2–2	.500	South I Regional
1999	3–3	.500	Coral Gables Super Regional, hosted Winston-Salem Regional
2000	2–2	.500	Columbia Regional
2001	3–2	.600	Knoxville Regional
2002	3–2	.600	Hosted Winston-Salem Regional
2007	1–2	.333	Round Rock Regional
2016	1–2	.333	College Station Regional
2017	4–2	.667	Gainesville Super Regional, hosted Winston-Salem Regional
2022	1–2	.333	College Park Regional
2023	7–2	.778	College World Series 3rd Place, hosted Winston-Salem Regional and Super Regional
2024	0–2	.000	Greenville Regional
TOTALS	45-28	.616

Current and former major league players

Source: ^[17]

2012 MLB Draft

Six Demon Deacons were selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft: OF Mac Williamson by the San Francisco Giants (3rd Round), LHP Tim Cooney by the St. Louis Cardinals (3rd Round), 3B Carlos Lopez by Washington Nationals (12th Round), RHP Brian Holmes by the Houston Astros (13th round), SS Pat Blair by the Houston Astros (24th round), and RHP Michael Dimock also by the Houston Astros.^[18]

2016 MLB Draft

Only one Demon Deacon was selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft: 3B Will Craig by the Pittsburgh Pirates (1st round;Pick 22).^[19]

2017 MLB Draft

In 2017, Eight Wake Forest Demon Deacons were selected in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft: OF Stuart Fairchild by the Cincinnati Reds (2nd round), 1B Gavin Sheets by the Chicago White Sox (2nd round), RHP Parker Dunshee by the Oakland Athletics (7th round), C Ben Breazeale by the Baltimore Orioles (7th round), RHP Donnie Sellers by the Toronto Blue Jays (11th round), OF Jonathan Pryor by the Washington Nationals (19th round), RHP Connor Johnstone by the Atlanta Braves (21st round), and RHP Griffin Roberts by the Minnesota Twins (29th round) which set a program record and the most in the ACC.^[20]

World Series Champions

Only four former Demon Deacons have gone on to win the World Series with their respective teams.

Player	Position	Team	Number of Championships
Rip Coleman	P	New York Yankees	1
Vic Sorrell	P	Detroit Tigers	1
Ray Scarborough	P	New York Yankees	1
Tommy Byrne	P	New York Yankees	2

References

^ "Logos & Branding – Wake Forest University". November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
^ "Wake Forest Accepts Offers To Play In Argentina Test". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. AP. February 6, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Demon Deacons In Tie For Second Place". Rocky Mount Telegram. Rocky Mount, North Carolina. AP. March 7, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
^ "A Look Back: McGinley and the 1955 CWS". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
^ "ACC Honors" (PDF). www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
^ Harrington, Matt (Oct 31, 2007). "Celebration marks start of work on downtown W-S baseball stadium". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
^ Hools Field
^ "Ballpark named for David F. Couch". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
^ Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
^ Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
^ Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
^ Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
^ "Will Craig honored as ACC player of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
^ "Seymour Picked as ACC Player of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
^ "Greer Voted ACC Coach of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. May 27, 2002. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
^ "Charles Teague Inducted into National College Baseball Hall of Fame". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
^ "Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC) Baseball Players". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
^ Wright, Steven (June 7, 2012). "Deacons Make History in 2012 MLB Draft". Www.wakeforestsports.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
^ Berry, Adam (June 9, 2016). "Pirates select Wake Forest 3B Will Craig". MLB.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
^ "Program-record Eight Deacs selected in 2017 MLB Draft". Wakeforestsports.com. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.

External links

Official website

[1] "Logos & Branding – Wake Forest University". November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.

[2] "Wake Forest Accepts Offers To Play In Argentina Test". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. AP. February 6, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via newspapers.com.

[3] "Demon Deacons In Tie For Second Place". Rocky Mount Telegram. Rocky Mount, North Carolina. AP. March 7, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via newspapers.com.

[4] "A Look Back: McGinley and the 1955 CWS". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.

[5] "ACC Honors" (PDF). www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 21, 2019.

[6] Harrington, Matt (Oct 31, 2007). "Celebration marks start of work on downtown W-S baseball stadium". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-08.

[7] Hools Field

[8] "Ballpark named for David F. Couch". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.

[9] Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

[10] Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

[11] Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

[12] Collins, Dan (May 19, 2016). "Wake Forest's best of the best". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

[13] "Will Craig honored as ACC player of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Retrieved January 29, 2016.

[14] "Seymour Picked as ACC Player of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Retrieved May 20, 2019.

[15] "Greer Voted ACC Coach of the Year". GoDeacs.com. Wake Forest Demon Deacons. May 27, 2002. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

[16] "Charles Teague Inducted into National College Baseball Hall of Fame". www.godeacs.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.

[17] "Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC) Baseball Players". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-12-28.

[18] Wright, Steven (June 7, 2012). "Deacons Make History in 2012 MLB Draft". Www.wakeforestsports.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.

[19] Berry, Adam (June 9, 2016). "Pirates select Wake Forest 3B Will Craig". MLB.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.

[20] "Program-record Eight Deacs selected in 2017 MLB Draft". Wakeforestsports.com. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.

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