The college baseball season is roaring down the stretch and the races for conference titles and host spots in the NCAA Tournament are as hot as ever.
Here are 15 takeaways from around the country on the weekend that was in college baseball.
1. Coming into the weekend, the most intriguing series on the slate appeared to be Wake Forest hosting Clemson. The Tigers were tied with North Carolina atop the ACC standings, fighting for a conference title, while the Demon Deacons were riding a six-game winning streak and hoping to push their way back into the hosting race.
Wake swept the series. It won a 4-2 pitcher’s duel on Friday, scored four runs in the eighth on Saturday for an 8-5 victory and then rolled to a 13-3 win in eight innings in Sunday’s finale. There might have been more compelling action once the games started, but the outcome was every bit as impactful as the pre-series buildup promised.
The Demon Deacons (36-16, 15-12) have won nine straight games and pushed their RPI into the top 10. A series win this week at NC State would earn them a home regional. Their case isn’t straightforward if they go 1-2 and while I’ll leave the exact analysis of that scenario for next week, it’s safe to say they’d still be in the mix.
Wake got a great start Friday night from Chase Burns, who set the program’s single-season strikeout record in the process. That the righthander would come through in a big spot is not a new development, but it’s a huge key to any hope of a postseason run for the Deacs.
Perhaps more importantly was lefthander Josh Hartle (6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 9 K) delivering a quality start in the finale. The 2023 All-American started the year poorly but has rounded into form over the last month – matching the team’s overall trendline – and over his last five starts is 2-1, 3.81 and has at least pitched into the sixth inning four times. With righthander Michael Massey currently battling a bulging disk in his back – he hasn’t pitched since April 28 – getting Hartle back to being a reliable, solid starter is crucial.
Wake is a dangerous team, particularly at home, as its series wins in the last month against Florida State and Clemson have shown. But its pitching depth is not strong, especially with Massey sidelined. If it’s going to make another run in June, it needs its top pitchers – Burns, Hartle and closer Cole Roland – firing on all cylinders.
2. It was a difficult weekend for Clemson (37-13, 17-10). Ethan Darden (7…