Wake Forest Baseball Starts Season 2-1 at Puerto Rico Challenge

Deacs drop opener but bounce back with wins over Washington and Indiana State

Feb. 17, 2026 at 12:39pm

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The 2026 Wake Forest Baseball season got underway last weekend at the Puerto Rico Challenge, where the Deacs went 2-1 with losses to Houston but wins over Washington and Indiana State.

Why it matters

Wake Forest is a perennial powerhouse in college baseball, and their performance in the season-opening tournament will set the tone for the rest of their campaign as they look to make a run at the College World Series.

The details

Wake Forest dropped their opening game against Houston 8-2, but bounced back with a 5-0 shutout win over Washington and a 10-1 blowout of Indiana State. Standout performances came from players like Jimmy Keenan, JD Stein, Jackson Miller, and Kade Lewis, who had a 2-run homer.

  • The 2026 Wake Forest Baseball season officially got underway last weekend.
  • The Deacs played their games in the 2026 Puerto Rico Challenge.

The players

Blake Morningstar

A Wake Forest pitcher who gave up a wild pitch that allowed Houston to take a 3-0 lead.

Dalton Wentz

A Wake Forest player who hit an RBI double in the 6th inning against Houston.

Andrew Costello

A Wake Forest player who hit an RBI single in the 6th inning against Houston.

Jimmy Keenan

A Wake Forest player who hit a 2-RBI double in the 2nd inning against Washington.

JD Stein

A Wake Forest freshman who hit an RBI double in the 6th inning against Washington.

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What’s next

The Deacs will play their home opener against High Point on February 17, 2026 at 4 PM.

The takeaway

Despite the opening loss to Houston, Wake Forest showed resilience by bouncing back with convincing wins over Washington and Indiana State, demonstrating their depth and potential to be a top contender in college baseball this season.