Wake Forest Demon Deacons starting pitcher Josh Hartle (23) and pitcher Rhett Lowder (4) celebrate after defeating the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest hopes to break top-seed curse in Omaha

By Tommy Fradenburg | Last updated 6/20/23

Wake Forest is the top-seed in the Men's College World Series, and hasn't lost a game in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

They posted a historic +59 run differential in the Regional and Super-Regional rounds, before squeaking out come-from-behind wins against Stanford and LSU in Omaha and are one win away from the MCWS Finals.

But the Deacs aren't just competing against other teams — but history as well.

Since the MCWS adopted its current format in 1999 No. 1 seeds have made the final series 15 times, but the '99 Miami Hurricanes are still the only top seed to capture the NCAA Championship.

Nothing like a victory celebration in Omaha!! #MCWS x @WakeBaseball pic.twitter.com/NutBvxkSdT
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 20, 2023

For Wake closer Cam Minacci, that history seems irrelevant.

"Who can beat us?" he asked ESPN after recording the final five outs of Monday's game against LSU. "It seems pretty much impossible. So the amount of fun we have is truly incredible."

The junior raises a good question.

Wake Forest has proven over the course of the season they can win however they need to, scoring the second most runs on offense this season with the pitching staff leading the country in ERA.

Behind Wake's 2-0 start in Omaha however are some concerning offensive numbers they'll need to correct to join Miami as top-seeds to win it all.

After scoring 75 runs in their first five games of the NCAA Tournament, Wake has just six in two games at the MCWS. Their hitters have also struck out 23 times and are hitting to just a .193 batting average according to Mike Lopresti.

They've also started off slow each game, not taking the lead until the eighth inning in both. When you're playing against the best teams in the country, mistakes like those are usually punished.

These moments are what makes the #MCWS so special. @WakeBaseball pic.twitter.com/tQuYBrUJfb
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 20, 2023

But that hasn't happened yet thanks to some unlikely heroes, especially sophomore Danny Corona.

Corona has two hits in the MCWS — stinging a single to drive in the game-winning run against Stanford on Saturday before rocking a double then scoring on Bennet Lee's single in the bottom of the eighth against LSU.

Head coach Tom Walter said to Lopresti after the game that his team is "a veteran club and we've got some toughness to us."

To accomplish something that's only been done once, tough is exactly what they'll need to be.

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