ACC Tournament: Second Round Recap

Photo Courtesy of Duke Athletics

GAME 1: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Fall to California Golden Bears in a 14-12 Loss

Making their first appearance in the ACC Tournament, the 16th-seeded California Golden Bears put on an offensive clinic, collecting 12 hits—including four doubles and a home run—while drawing 10 walks and being hit by four pitches. 

Jacob French paced the attack with a standout 4-for-6 performance, driving in three runs and scoring three times. 

PJ Moutzouridis also chipped in, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Remarkably, every player in Cal’s lineup contributed by either tallying a hit, scoring a run, or knocking one in.

At this point, it might be time to stop calling them underdogs.

In what has quickly become one of the most surprising and compelling stories of the ACC Baseball Tournament, the Golden Bears are making a serious statement. 

After a second straight upset win, this time a wild 14-12 victory over No. 8 seed Wake Forest, head coach Mike Neu addressed the media with a mixture of satisfaction and realism.

Two days, two upsets. 

Behind an explosive offense and just enough pitching to hold on, the Bears are now very much alive in Durham.

"You know, that elimination game feels like it was just yesterday. Things got a little crazy at the end. I thought our guys did a really good job of continuing to score. We felt like this was the kind of game we've played all season. We've given up runs at times, and as much as we’d love to shut everyone out, we knew we were facing a really good offense,” explained California head coach Mike Neu. “So we understood we’d probably need to keep putting up runs, and to our guys' credit, they did just that. Then, of course, we shut things down when we needed to in the ninth inning. So yeah — a really good win, and obviously a huge one for us."

Carl Schmidt delivered a clutch three-run homer in the top of the seventh, capping a four-run inning that appeared to be insurance at the time — but ultimately proved to be the difference in the Bears’ win.

When asked how he processes the emotional swings of a game that stretches over four hours — where it feels like everyone is just holding on for dear life — he reflected on the experience from a player’s perspective, saying:

“I mean, the season’s a grind — we all know that, both the coaching staff and the players. But we do a great job of showing up every day with the same mindset. Every day is about sticking to our routine, staying consistent, and going out there to play our best. The guys have really embraced that — they’re giving it everything they’ve got."

Cal has now plated 26 runs in two days, a staggering total for a team that had struggled with consistency at the plate all season.

On the other side of the field, Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter wasn’t shy in his postgame assessment. There was no sugarcoating the performance. 

The Demon Deacons faced challenges on the mound, surrendering 13 or 14 free passes and falling short in key moments where shutdown innings were needed. 

Despite a determined four-run push in the ninth, the Demon Deacons were unable to close the gap. 

The game ended with Cal’s Logan Piper earning the save, retiring the lone batter he faced to strand the tying runs and seal the victory.

"It was definitely disappointing with how we threw the ball today. We've got to be better than that. We had the right guys on the mound in the right situations — we just couldn't get those shutdown innings,” Walter reflected. “On the mound today, I think we gave up 13 or 14 free passes — and that’s not even counting a couple of 0-2 pitches we just left hanging… But credit to California. They battled and played well. The middle of their order — the 2, 3, 4 hitters — really hurt us today. And I think we walked the guy in the eight-hole five times. Overall, we’ve just got to play better baseball heading into the NCAA Tournament."

With this victory, California advances to face top-seeded Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Wake Forest will look to regroup as they await their postseason fate

GAME 2: Clemson Rolls Past Virginia Tech, 6–1, to Advance in ACC Tournament

In the second round of the 2025 ACC Baseball Tournament, the No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers opened their postseason campaign with a convincing 6–1 win over No. 12 seed Virginia Tech. The victory pushes Clemson into the quarterfinals, where they’ll face No. 4 seed NC State on Thursday evening.

The Hokies struck early with a solo home run from Ben Watson in the top of the first inning, but Clemson quickly turned the tide. The Tigers answered with a three-run bottom half, sparked by Dominic Listi’s two-out, two-RBI single. Listi wasn’t done—he drove in two more later in the game, finishing the day with four RBIs and delivering the clutch performance Clemson needed.

Starting pitcher Aidan Knaak overcame the early home run and settled into a groove, tossing six innings of one-run baseball. 

The Tigers' bullpen followed suit, holding the Hokies scoreless over the final three frames to preserve the lead and secure the win.

After the game, head coach Erik Bakich praised his team’s execution on both sides of the ball.

“Great way to start the tournament, especially against a very good opponent like Virginia Tech. They have a very athletic offense, a solid team, and a great coach—Coach Chef is one of the best in the business. To come out and get the quality start we got from Aidan (Knaak), play the defense we did, and deliver timely hits—including the four two-out RBIs from Dom (Listi)—was huge. Plus, the relief pitching after Aidan (Knaak) was exactly what we needed. It was a recipe for a good day against a quality club like Virginia Tech. We’re taking it one day at a time—that’s why we pitched Aidan (Knaak)  today—and we’re ready to go again tomorrow.”

Listi credited Clemson’s offensive approach and team mindset for his big day at the plate.

“It was all about being ready to hit with a runner in scoring position and two outs. One of our team’s game goals is to drive in runs in those two-out situations,” Listi said. “So, it was a great opportunity to execute and give my team a chance.”

Knaak, who gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, spoke about flushing the mistake and moving on.

“I thought I commanded the fastball early in the game, and then started to get the changeup working the way I wanted it to around the fourth and fifth innings. That definitely helped a lot… I just kept throwing everything. The changeup wasn’t working at first, but like I said, I started to figure it out later. The fastball command was where I wanted it to be early on.”

Listi also highlighted the resilience of his team, referencing a midseason slump that he believes ultimately made the group stronger.

“It was no secret that we went through a rough patch as a team, but I think last weekend against Pitt and continuing to build on that momentum, we’ve really become relentless and ruthless at the plate from one through nine. I truly believe that’s going to pay off down the road for Clemson Baseball.”

Both players and coach Bakich emphasized staying focused and taking it one game at a time as they prepare for what should be an intense battle against the Wolfpack.

GAME 3: Duke Walks Off Pitt to Advance in ACC Tournament

In a thrilling finish, the No. 7 seed Duke (37–18) edged No. 15 seed Pitt (28–27) 4–3, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. 

The Blue Devils rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning, sparked by a solo home run from Macon Winslow that tied the game at 3–3. Following a fielding error and a bloop single, Duke loaded the bases. 

Jake Hyde then drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing in the game-winning run.

“We knew going in it was going to be a bullpen day for us,” said Coach Pollard. “We talked about just passing the ball to the next guy. Whether it was getting one batter, two, or a full inning—just give us everything you've got, and then hand it off. That approach was important for two reasons: first, it sets up our starting pitching for the weekend so we can make a real run at the ACC Championship. Second, it prepares our rotation for next week’s regional.”

Pollard continued:

“We wanted to get Owen Proksch some work out of the bullpen so he can extend later, and the same goes for Henry [Zatkowski]. This plan also puts Kyle Johnson in position to come back strong on Sunday or next weekend in the regional. Our bullpen did a great job today stepping up—each guy just did his job and passed the torch.”

He also highlighted the contributions of Macon Winslow and Ed Hart as examples of persistence and resilience.

“Macon (Winslow) battled through some tough at-bats early. We had a quick talk before his last plate appearance and told him, ‘Just get your best swing off.’ Whether it ends in success or not, just get the swing. He did that in the ninth, and it changed the game.”

Pollard also praised Hart’s attitude and readiness: 

“I wanted Hart here today because he’s been incredibly selfless and patient. He was throwing well early in the season, but his outings became more sporadic—not because of anything he did wrong, but because others were throwing well too. He’s stayed ready, been a great teammate, and today he came in and got his guy. He’s a perfect example of resilience, and we’ll need him throughout the weekend and into the NCAA Tournament.”

AJ Gracia paced Duke’s offense, finishing 3-for-5 with a home run, double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Macon Winslow added a solo shot, while Duke relied on nine different pitchers, with James Tallon (1-2) earning the win after a scoreless ninth inning.

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Pitt was limited to four singles, building a 3-0 lead by the third thanks to early Duke errors. Patrick Gardner (4-6) was tagged with the loss despite striking out seven over 5.1 strong innings.

Duke began its rally with runs in the fifth and seventh innings, setting up the dramatic walk-off in the ninth.

GAME 4: Boston College Spoils Again, Beating Virginia 12-8

This game ended too late to make this article.