Baseball Game Preview: Wake Forest Cougars vs. Heritage Huskies

For the second straight game, Wake Forest will face off against Heritage. The Cougars will square off against the Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wake Forest's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Heritage's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Wake Forest's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Heritage hitters got past them. The Cougars lost 13-4 to the Huskies on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Cougars have suffered since March 7, 2024.

For Heritage's part, Holden Kafes looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Kafes has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Heritage got a massive performance out of Jack Merrell, who fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-4. Merrell has become a key player for the Huskies: the team is undefeated when he posts at least one home run, but 6-8 otherwise. Tyler Abbe was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.

Heritage lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April of 2024.

The victory made it two in a row for Heritage and bumps their season record up to 9-8. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Wake Forest, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-5 record this season.

Heritage's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Wake Forest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. It's a different story for Heritage, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Wake Forest's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.