Tom Walter explains value of comeback win after dominant efforts in previous matchups

Wake Forest is one of the favorites to win the College World Series. Despite this, Stanford took the Demon Deacons to their limit. It’s this game that Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter thinks could propel his team forward.

As Walter explained, being able to win games in different ways, instead of just blowing out opponents.

“You have to win games in different ways,” Tom Walter said. “The first two runs we gave up were kind of free 90s — we had a walk and a hit-by-pitch that led to the first run. We had a balk that led to the second run. Probably played a little too deep early in the game. We didn’t make that adjustment soon enough. And that’s on me, not to get our outfielders in a little more. We probably should have made that adjustment in the second. So we had some things go against us.”

Stanford scored a run in the first and a run in the third. In the second, Wake Forest had stolen a run back. Then, nobody was able to push a run across until Wake Forest took a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning. That was the Demon Deacons’ first lead of the game, but it was enough to win and advance to the winner’s bracket.

“And then we could have done a better job and it cost us the first two runs. But again, our pitching staff did what it does, it keeps us in games, gives us a chance to win and there were opportunities for Stanford to spread the lead. And if they get it to 4-1 or 5-1, it’s a totally different ball game.”

There was a key weather delay in that comeback, which star pitcher Rhett Lowder credited for helping Wake Forest out.

“I think we always have this saying that anything that goes wrong or anything we just stay good. We were all just staying good when that happens. It gave us a chance to reset,” Rhett Lowder said. “And we said in the locker room whoever wins the rain delay is probably going to come out on top. I think we got back focused and got some energy going, and I think that worked in our favor. I think we won the rain delay.”

Tom Walter on weather delays

Weather delays can be difficult to manage. That’s why Tom Walter takes how his team handles them very seriously.

“We spent the first five minutes just talking about some situational things and what we needed to do when we came out of the delay,” Walter said.

“And then at the end of that, we just talked about winning the delay; let’s win the delay. Let’s have better energy than them coming out of this. And whatever you need to do to cool down, relax, hydrate, because again we didn’t know if it was going to be 30 minutes or two hours. So it’s just kind of one of those things that we’re on notice and just catch your breath and let’s get back to work.”