Wake Forest Baseball Shocked in NCAA Opener: Last-Inning Drama Sets Up Win-or-Go-Home Showdown

Wake Forest baseball is back in survival mode after a roller-coaster opening weekend at the NCAA Morgantown Regional. The Demon Deacons routed Binghamton 12-3 on Saturday afternoon to keep their season alive and earn a Sunday elimination matchup against host West Virginia, with the winner advancing to face unbeaten Kentucky for the regional crown. A day earlier, Wake Forest squandered a late lead in a 6-5 heart-breaker versus the Wildcats when Jayce Tharnish scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the ninth. That setback forced head coach Tom Walter’s club into the loser’s bracket, where the offense erupted behind leadoff man Javar Williams (homer, double, three RBIs) and cleanup slugger Dalton Wentz (2-for-4, two RBIs). Key takeaways for Demon Deacon fans and bettors 1. Re-ignited lineup: Wake Forest pounded out 14 hits against Binghamton, matching its second-highest total of the month. Seven different hitters drove in runs, a welcome sign after stranding 11 baserunners in the Kentucky loss. 2. Bullpen reset: Saturday’s blowout let Walter preserve top relievers Camden Minacci and Sean Sullivan for Sunday’s must-win tilt. Both pitched in last year’s College World Series run and give Wake a proven bridge to closer Michael Massey. 3. Home-run haven: Monongalia County Ballpark plays small to right field; each of Wake’s first two regional games featured a late-inning homer that swung momentum. Expect aggressive swings early from Wentz, Williams and Andrew Hartzell, who owns 21 bombs. Scouting West Virginia The Mountaineers rode dominant starting pitching to a 10-1 victory over Binghamton before falling 11-9 to Kentucky in a see-saw thriller. Leadoff catalyst JJ Weatherholt (.408, 26 SB) and cleanup masher Grant Hussey (24 HR) headline an order that ranks top-15 nationally in slugging. Wake Forest’s likely starter, sophomore lefty Josh Hartle (7-3, 3.78 ERA), will need his cutter working to neutralize WVU’s left-handed power in the spacious left-center gap. Road to a repeat Omaha trip Wake Forest entered the tournament aiming for back-to-back College World Series berths for the first time since 1949-50. To keep that dream alive, the Demon Deacons must: • Defeat West Virginia in Sunday’s noon ET elimination game. • Knock off Kentucky twice—once Sunday evening, again Monday—because the Wildcats are 2-0 and need only one win to clinch the regional. The good news: Wake’s pitching depth was considered one of the deepest in the country all spring, and ace Rhett Lowder, held back to this point, would be available for a decisive Monday contest. SEO snapshot Fans searching for “Wake Forest baseball regional schedule,” “how to watch Wake Forest vs West Virginia,” or “Wake Forest comeback path to Super Regionals” will find continuous updates here as the Demon Deacons chase another Omaha invitation.