Tom Walter confident Wake Forest will be prepared for the moment vs. LSU on Thursday

Wake Forest fell to LSU 5-2 on Wednesday night, sending the two teams to a winner-take-all game on Thursday night for the right to advance to the College World Series championship series against Florida.

Despite the disappointment of not clinching that place in the final on Thursday, Demon Deacons coach Tom Walter isn’t worried about his team, in part because of the leadership of players like catcher Bennett Lee.

“He’s our guy. He’s a leader on this team,” Walter said. “And, again, we’ll be in a good head space tomorrow. I don’t worry about us coming out and playing well or being nervous or the situation being too big for us.”

Lee has been more successful than most in the two meetings with LSU at the College World Series, too. He’s 3-of-6 at the plate with an RBI and two walks drawn, one of the most confident Wake Forest hitters in the lineup right now.

He’s made things happen.

But above and beyond what Bennett has done at the plate — or behind it while catching for the team’s sharp arms — it’s what he’s done for the team between the ears that might matter most. He’s been able to get them in the right frame of mind, which is why Walter isn’t concerned about any sort of hangover on Thursday.

“That starts with our leadership group, and Bennett Lee is kind of at the front of that,” Walter said. “Pierce Bennett, who you saw here, and Bennett Lee are the two guys at the front of that.”

It won’t be an easy task for the Demon Deacons, who are likely to face Tigers ace Paul Skenes, who most view as the top pitcher in the country. Skenes regularly blazes fastballs in topping the 100 mile per hour mark.

However, Wake Forest is confident in its own ace, with Rhett Lowder having had a few days rest after a start earlier in Omaha.

The bottom line is Wake Forest should be ready to play come Thursday night. There’s a lot on the line for the nation’s top-seeded team, which is looking to do what it did the last time it reached Omaha, back in 1955: win it all.

“Obviously disappointing loss, but we’ll come out ready to play tomorrow like we’ve done all year,” Walter said. “We’ve responded to adversity all year. And tomorrow will be no different.”

LSU and a still confident Wake Forest are scheduled for a first pitch at 7 p.m. ET with a broadcast on ESPN.