Alabama Baseball's Task in Super Regional More than Formidable: All Things CW

How good is Wake Forest? Really good. Here are 16 reasons why the Demon Deacons are considered the team to beat in the NCAA Tournament.

Gary Cosby Jr / USA Today Network

When it comes to the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team playing in its first Super Regional since 2010, one would think that history would be on the side of Wake Forest, the host and top-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament. But that isn't the case. 

This is only the Demon Deacons' third time playing in a Super Regional, and first time hosting. 

It's also the first time Wake Forest has been the No. 1-overall seed, a distinction that no ACC team has had since 2013 (North Carolina). 

Since the tournament format was changed in 2018 to include 16 seeded teams (previously, the NCAA had awarded eight teams with a national seed dating back to 1999), only once has the No. 1-overall seed reached the College World Series (Florida in 2018). 

Moreover, the No. 1-overall seed hasn't won the national championship in 24 years, dating back to Miami in 1999. 

Nevertheless, Alabama will more than have its hands full this weekend with a spot in the Men's College World Series on the line. In the spirit of how many teams are still playing in the NCAA Tournament, here are 16 reasons why:

1. The Rankings: The Demon Deacons are No. 1 in all of the major polls, and RPI. 
2. The Series Format: The "Deacs" haven't lost a weekend series, or even back-to-back games this season. 
3. The Home-Field Advantage: Wake Forest is 29-3 at David F. Couch Ballpark this season. All three potential games for the Super Regional have been sold out (capacity 3,823 fans).
4. The Wins: Wake Forest led the nation in wins (45) and winning percentage (.833) during the regular season. It subsequently became the first team in program history and the nation to reach the 50-win mark.
5. Hot starts: The Demon Deacons have outscored their opponents 556-198, with the first inning seeing the biggest differential at 90-15. Wake Forest has scored in the first inning 33 different times, and is 29-4 in those games. 
6. The Offense: The Deacs lead the ACC in walks (second nationally), slugging percentage, on-base percentage and scoring while ranking in the top six of every offensive category in the conference. Wake Forest's +6.0 scoring margin per game leads the nation.
7. The Table Setter: Leadoff hitter Tommy Hawke, a sophomore, is batting .352 (down from .380 last year as a freshman), and ranks in the top 10 among conference competitors in walks (fifth), runs (sixth), hits (seventh) and doubles (ninth). His 45-game streak of reaching base was snapped at Duke in early March.
8. On-base percentage: Wake Forest's entire offensive lineup holds an on-base percentage over .335. Additionally, the first seven batters in the Demon Deacon lineup have tallied an on-base percentage of at least .375, led by sophomore first baseman Nick Kurtz (.552).
9. The Power: Junior third baseman Brock Wilken leads the team with 27 home runs, 77 RBIs and 173 total bases while hitting .353. Kurtz, who is considered one of the best hitters in college baseball and a top draft prospect, has 23 home runs and 67 RBIs, 145 total bases and a team-best .384 batting average. Redshirt junior second baseman Justin Johnson is hitting .340 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs.
10. Postseason Scoring: The Deacs scored 48 runs during the three-game regional, the second-highest total in the opening rounds in their NCAA Tournament history. The opponents weren't the strongest, Maryland (once) and George Mason (twice), but the +41 run differential is tied for fourth since the start of the current NCAA format in 1999.
11. The Pitching: Wake Forest leads the nation in nearly every major category, including ERA (2.78), WHIP (1.04), hits-per-nine innings (6.57), strikeouts (709), strikeouts-per-nine innings (12.1), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.35), and shutouts. 
12. The Rotation: Junior right-hander Rhett Lowder is a perfect 14-0 in 16 starts, with a 1.77 ERA, 125 strikeouts and just 20 walks. Sophomore left-hander Josh Hartle is 10-2 in 15 starts with a 2,59 ERA, 120 Ks and 19 free passes. Sophomore left-hander Sean Sullivan has made 10 starts. He's 5-3 with a 2,61 ERA, 101 strikeouts and 18 walks in just 62.0 innings. 
13. The Closer: Junior right-hander Camden Minacci has 12 saves (2.83 ERA) and was named a finalist for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year.
14. The Defense: Wake Forest players have committed just 44 errors, to go with a .979 fielding percentage that ranks No. 19 in the nation. Combined with the lack of walks issued, the Demon Deacons generally don't beat themselves. 
15. The Honors: Three Deacs were named semifinalists for the 2023 Golden Spikes Award: Hartle, Kurtz and Lowder. The team had nine players named to the ACC teams, with Hartle, Kurtz, Lowder, Sullivan and Johnson all first-team selections. Lowden is the two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year. 
16. The Unsung Hero: Junior right-hander Seth Keener has both been a starter and come out of the bullpen. He's 7-1 with a 2.33 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 16 walks. Opponents are batting .167 against him. He's second in the nation in WHIP (.82) and 11th in ERA.

One of the few things Wake Forest hasn't done this season is beat a team from the Southeastern Conference. The Demon Deacons haven't played one since their last appearance in a Super Regional in 2017, and lost in three games at Florida.  

Christopher Walsh's notes column All Things CW appears regularly on BamaCentral.

SEE ALSO: No Way Around It, Alabama Baseball's NCAA Seeding Was Beyond Bad