Tom Walter discusses Rhett Lowder's first three innings, decision to play outfield deep

No. 8-seed Stanford led top-seeded Wake Forest 2-1 through three innings in the opening round of the College World Series thanks to starting pitcher Rhett Lowder’s slow start on the mound.

Through three innings, Lowder has allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk. He threw 39 strikes on 64 pitches leading to four strikeouts. Demon Deacons head coach Tom Walter wasn’t impressed with his ace’s performance on college baseball’s brightest stage.

“He’s a little out of sync right now,” Walter said. “It might be a mechanical thing, he’s kind of yanking off [the plate] a little bit. Doesn’t really have any of his off-speed pitches, but he’s battling.”

Lowder might have allowed multiple hits in the first inning but put his command on full display as he has been able to limit the damage thanks to the field playing to their advantage.

The slow start isn’t a common sight for Lowder. Coming into the matchup, Lowder’s (15-0) ERA was down to 1.80 — but jumped to 2.05 after the two runs. He had proved to be nearly unhittable in his 17 apperances before, having allowed just 80 hits and 23 earned runs (28 total) in 115 innings pitched — Lowder has also struck out 131 batters with opposing bats hitting .207 off him this season.

Walter and the Demon Deacons are also doing all they can to adjust to the environment inside Charles Schwab Field Omaha, which is dealing with some winds toward the outfield. With the field’s hitter-friendly nature, Walter had to make a last-minute revision to his game plan.

“We talked about it before the game, but with this wind, we need to make that change. Everything that they’ve hit has kind of been soft and in front of us,” Walter said. “They haven’t really barrelled much up, so we had to make that adjustment.”

Find out whether or not Wake’s defense can overcome Stanford and the challenges Charles Schwab Field Omaha present live on ESPN. The winner will face either LSU or Tennessee in the second round of the College World Series.

Wake Forest is looking for its first national championship since 1955, and a strong finish to the day for Lowder on the mound will do wonders in helping inch the Demon Deacons one step closer to advancing to the next round, and in turn win the whole thing.