Stanford baseball is back in Omaha for the third consecutive year, hoping to improve on its previous results in the men’s College World Series. The No. 8 seeded Cardinal will face a tough challenge in its opening game against Wake Forest, a team that has been dominant in the postseason.
Wake Forest, the No. 1 seed in the Greenville Regional, swept through its opponents with a combined score of 35-9, including a 14-5 rout of East Carolina in the final. The Demon Deacons have a potent offense that leads the nation in home runs (122) and ranks second in runs per game (9.1). They also have a solid pitching staff that boasts a 3.68 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.
Stanford, meanwhile, had to overcome some adversity to reach Omaha. The Cardinal lost their first game in the Lubbock Regional to UC Irvine, but bounced back with four straight wins, including two over host Texas Tech. Stanford then took two out of three from No. 9 seed Texas in the Austin Super Regional, clinching its spot with an 11-4 victory on Sunday.
The Cardinal have a balanced lineup that features six players with double-digit home runs and seven players with batting averages above .300. They also have a deep and versatile pitching staff that can mix and match starters and relievers depending on the situation.
The game between Stanford and Wake Forest is scheduled for today at 2 p.m. ET at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. The winner will advance to face the winner of Vanderbilt and Arizona, while the loser will face elimination on Saturday.
