A YEAR REMOVED FROM THEIR FIRST COLLEGE WORLD SERIES TRIP SINCE 1955, WAKE FOREST ENTERS THE NEW BASEBALL SEASON AS THE TEAM TO BEAT IN COLLEGE BASEBALL THE ROAD TO THE RETURN TRIP TO OMAHA BEGAN ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE LARGEST REGULAR SEASON CROWD IN PROGRAM HISTORY ON HAND FOR OPENING DAY AT THE COUCH. NOW FORMER REAGAN RAIDER JOSH HARTLE MAKING THE START ON OPENING DAY, THE LEFTY PUNCHES OUT FOUR BATTERS IN FIVE AND TWO THIRDS INNINGS. PITCH. NOW, HARTLE GETTING PLENTY OF RUN SUPPORT EARLY. BOTTOM OF THE FIRST. ADAM TELLIER WALKS HIM TO WINSTON-SALEM IN HIS FIRST AT BAT AS A DEMON DEACON. HE GOES YARD AS WAKE FOREST LEADS ONE NOTHING. THE HITS KEEP ON COMING. WAKE FOREST POUNDS OUT FIVE HITS FOR NINE RUNS. JAKE REINISCH DRIVING IN A PAIR RIGHT THERE AS WAKE FOREST OPENS THE SEASON WITH A WIN NINE THREE. OUR CHANEL PORTER HAS MORE FROM FRIDAY NIGHT’S VICTORY. JOHN, ALTHOUGH A SIX RUN WIN FOR WAKE FOREST, THE OFFENSE JUST WASN’T CLICKING ALL EVENING. FORDHAM ACTUALLY HAD ONE MORE HIT THAN THE DUCKS ON THE GAME, AND OVERALL WAKE FOREST JUST COULDN’T GET THOSE HITS TO STRING TOGETHER. COACH WALTERS SAID AFTER THE GAME. HE’S HOPING A LOT OF THAT WAS NERVES AS COMING IN AS THE NUMBER ONE TEAM, AND NOW HOPEFULLY THEY’VE KNOCKED THAT DUST OFF AS IT’S A QUICK TURNAROUND FOR SATURDAY. QUITE HONESTLY, I FELT LIKE WE WERE JUST TRYING TO HOMER FOR THE REST OF THE GAME AND UH, AND AGAIN, PART OF THAT IS JUST A LOT OF NEW GUYS IN THERE TRYING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION, TRYING TO WIN A JOB. SO WE WERE WE WERE PRESSED IN TONIGHT. THERE’S NO THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, OBSTACLES AND ADVERSITY TO FACE. UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY NEW GUYS, A LOT OF NEW FACES, UM, YOU NEVER KNOW WITH THE LINEUP OR THE ROTATION BULLPEN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO’S GOING TO STEP UP. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, TO HAPPEN, AND WE’RE JUST TRYING TO TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. AND FOCUS ON THAT. ONE POSITIVE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS GAME. DEFINITELY THE PERFORMANCE ON THE MOUND BY JOSH HARTLE. NOW COACH WALTERS SAID AFTER THE GAME THAT THE BULLPEN WILL BE DOWN SIX GUYS FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 3 WEEKS BEFORE THEY’LL BE UP TO FULL STRENGTH. THE DEACS TURNAROUND FOR A QUICK TURNAROUND SATURDAY AT NOON TO HOST ILLINOIS. FOR NOW, REPORTING