Preview: Stanford Cardinal at Wake Forest Demon Deacons

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in early-season trajectories will be on display Friday when the struggling Stanford Cardinal visit the surging Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

First pitch for the Atlantic Coast Conference-organized matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 73 degrees.

Wake Forest (12-1) has raced out to one of the nation’s best records, showcasing a potent offense that has averaged 10.2 runs during its current nine-game winning streak. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 9-8 midweek road win at Appalachian State on Wednesday.

Third baseman Dalton Wentz has been a catalyst, riding a nine-game hitting streak. Over that span, he is batting .452 (14-for-31) with four home runs and 16 RBIs, including a 3-for-5 performance with a homer and two RBIs against the Mountaineers.

Stanford (5-7) arrives seeking consistency after dropping four of its last five games, including a 9-6 loss to Nevada on Monday. The Cardinal’s pitching staff, with a 6.12 team ERA, will be tested by Wake Forest’s deep lineup.

A bright spot for Stanford has been reliever Andrew Shaw. The right-hander struck out all five batters he faced in two perfect innings against Nevada. For the season, he has 15 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.

The Demon Deacons’ lineup provides little respite. Beyond Wentz, first baseman Kade Lewis homered and drove in two runs Wednesday, and the team has hit 23 home runs in 13 games.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Wake Forest victory, giving the Demon Deacons a 68.4% probability to win based on its ELO rating system.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday in Winston-Salem before both teams diverge in conference play. Stanford hosts Pittsburgh next weekend, while Wake Forest opens ACC conference action against Florida State.