Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder shatters Demon Deacons' single-season strikeout record
Thursday night has been a record-setting night for two of the most prolific pitchers in college baseball history. The matchup between LSU ace Paul Skenes and Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder has lived up to the billing. Both teams have scored no runs through five innings. First, Skenes became the SEC’s new single-season leader in strikeouts. Then, in the fifth inning, Lowder shattered Wake Forest’s single-season strikeout record, as he fanned his 141st batter of the year.
Check it out below.
Coming into Thursday night’s highly anticipated affair, Lowder posted a 15-0 record for the Demon Deacons, while having a 1.99 ERA. He had fired 137 strikeouts to 22 walks. He’s reeled in a number of accolades this season, including 2023 ACC Pitcher of the Year honors. Lowder was also named a first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball this year.
Wake Forest had to scratch slugger Nick Kurtz from their lineup shortly before Thursday night’s game. He was dealing with a rib injury that he re-aggravated, according to Karl Ravech of ESPN. Kurtz originally injured his ribs in the Super Regional against the Alabama Crimson Tide. He hadn’t gotten any hits since Wake Forest has been in Omaha, so maybe the rib injury has something to do with that.
In the second inning, Paul Skenes shattered the SEC single-season strikeout record that was previously set by former LSU star Ben McDonald (202 strikeouts) in 1989. Skenes fired his third strikeout of the game, giving him 203 strikeouts for the season.
LSU ended up winning the game in walk-off fashion, thanks to a clutch two-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning from slugger Tommy White. With the game tied at 0-0, White blasted a deep shot into the seats at Charles Schwab Field, punching the Tigers’ tickets to the CWS Final for the first time since 2017.
If there was one way to describe Thursday’s game, it was a pitching duel. Everyone spent the day hyping up LSU’s Paul Skenes vs. Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder. Not only did the matchup deliver but it went further than anyone could imagine. Something college baseball fans will not forget for a long time.
Lowder went seven innings and was pulled while his pitch count was still relatively low. Skenes was extended a little more, going into the eighth inning and surpassing 100 pitches. Neither gave up a run before their respective head coaches turned to the bullpen.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.