Wake Forest pitcher Matt Bedford defends Tom Walter after video shows apparent homophobic slur

After video showed Tom Walter saying an apparent homophobic slur, Wake Forest pitcher Matt Bedford defended his coach on social media. The school previously released statements on the situation.

Video during this past weekend’s NCAA regional appeared to show Walter uttering a homophobic slur while Wake Forest took on Tennessee. He later released a statement apologizing, although he added he didn’t remember the “specific moment.”

Bedford released a lengthy statement defending Walter. He argued the clip did not entirely sum up who Walter is as a person and pointed to a story about how the coach donated a kidney to a player, Kevin Jordan, in 2011 to illustrate.

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— Matt Bedford (@MattBedford20) June 3, 2025

“I’ll start this by saying I don’t usually take my thoughts to this app often, but in the situation that has been going viral with Coach Walter the last 24 hours, I can not hold my tongue any longer,” Bedford wrote. “Human beings are not perfect. We all make mistakes. What you see in a five second clip from yesterday’s game is not indicative of who Coach Walter is as a coach, leader, and most importantly, a person.

“I’ve witnessed the man instill nothing but high quality character into our program since the day I stepped onto campus. One moment should not define him as a whole. The impact that I’ve seen Wake Forest baseball have on a community is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and it is all a tribute to Coach Tom Walter. He has even given a Kidney to one of his players who needed it. Help make social media a place for good in the world!”

Wake Forest went on to lose Monday’s game to Tennessee, 11-5, to end the year with a 39-22 overall record. The Demon Deacons have a 494-383-1 overall record under Tom Walter since he took over the program in 2010, and this year marked their sixth regional berth in that time.

As the video made its way around social media, Walter released a statement apologizing for the “outburst” during the game. He also said the phrase does not reflect who he is, as well as the program’s standard.

“I am very sorry for my outburst in frustration last night and I recognize the hurt and disappointment it has caused,” Walter said. “I have seen the videos and while I do not remember the specific moment clearly, that language doesn’t reflect my values or the standards of this program.”