CLEMSON – The Clemson Insider takes a deep dive into Clemson’s ACC opponents for the 2025 college baseball season.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are led by head coach Tom Walter who has been with the club for 14 seasons now. In 2024 the team put together a 38-22 record while going 15-15 in the ACC. This club has been to three regionals in a row while getting to three College World Series trips with their latest being in 2023.

Clemson matches up with Wake Forest March 21-23 in Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

STRENGTHS:

Wake Forest is proclaimed to be better in 2025 than they were in 2024 even with the loss of superstars Chase Burns, Nick Kurtz, and Seaver King. This team is going to be very strong across the board with speed, power, and sheer will to win. Walters strongly believes this year’s bullpen is considered to be their strongest piece of the puzzle. The Demon Deacons felt like their run last year got cut short, so the Demon Deacons is coming for blood.

QUESTION MARKS

The starting rotation for Wake is going to be the question mark for this year’s club, Friday night arm Matt Dallas threw 17 innings for Tennessee last season while a transfer from Missouri (Logan Lunceford) who is projected to be the Saturday starter posted an ERA close to seven points in 2024. This creates a lot of skepticism for this club, but if this starting rotation can answer the bell this is going to be a tough unit to beat.

TOP NEWCOMERS

A physical left handed bat in Ethan Conrad who transfers in from Marist won the Cape Cod’s summer breakout prospect. Conrad is a physical left handed bat with a high end hit piece. Another transfer from St. John’s Jimmy Keenan put up big numbers at the plate while dominating behind the dish. Keenan led a very good pitching staff and looks to take the reins of this starting rotation and bullpen here in 2025.

–photo by Cory Knowlton / Imagn Images