Who does Wake Forest play in the first round of the College World Series? Taking a glimpse at the Stanford baseball roster

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have been one of the best college baseball teams throughout the season. They are only a few wins away from making the College World Series finals but need to take down a Cinderella team in the Stanford Cardinal in the first round of the CWS.

This will be the first matchup between these teams as they did not face off during the regular season.

What should the Demon Deacons be focused on, and what should they expect out of the Stanford Cardinal?

What should Wake Forest expect out of Stanford's pitching staff?

Stanford is not coming off a great pitching performance in the super regional round of the NCAA Tournament as the Cardinal allowed 16 runs over their three games and should've been eliminated if a routine catch was made by a Texas outfielder.

Their pitching staff has been struggling throughout the regular season as they ranked 128th in Division I with a 5.75 team ERA. Quinn Mathews will likely take the ball and is 10-4 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 120 innings. He also has been able to strike hitters out as he has recorded 152 strikeouts as well.

What should Wake Forest expect out of this Stanford lineup?

The Wake Forest pitching staff has to be prepared for this Stanford lineup to be aggressive and get baserunners to cross the plate. During their three-game super regional matchup against the Texas Longhorns, Stanford scored 20 runs, including 15 in the final two games.

The Cardinal lineup has been one of the best at getting hits as they rank ninth in the United States with a .319 batting average. They also crack the top 10 in runs with 529 (8.53 runs per game). Junior first baseman Carter Graham has been producing at the middle of the lineup as he has a .312 batting average with 15 home runs and 76 RBIs with seven stolen bases.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are an amazing pitching team and are the top-ranked program in the nation for a good reason. This feels like the ending of the Cinderella story and the Stanford Cardinal are about to see the clock hit midnight. These teams are not on the same level, and Wake Forest is going to dominate a mediocre pitching staff.