The 2026 college baseball season has already delivered a series of standout performances, none more compelling than those of Wake Forest’s right‑handed pitcher Chris Levonas and junior infielder Kade Lewis.
A season of brilliance
Levonas, a sophomore who entered the year as a relatively unheralded arm, finished the campaign with a 10‑3 record and a 2.82 earned‑run average, numbers that earned him consensus All‑American honors and a place on the First Team All‑ACC.
What truly set Levonas apart was his ability to dominate hitters, as he fanned 116 batters over 73.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .171 batting average, a feat highlighted by a 14‑strikeout outing against Loyola Marymount in which he threw six hitless frames.
He also proved remarkably consistent, delivering double‑digit strikeout performances on five occasions and posting 12 starts in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer, helping the Demon Deacons secure a berth in the NCAA Regional.
Lewis, meanwhile, turned heads with a .354 batting average that translated into a .444 on‑base percentage and a .592 slugging percentage, figures that placed him second on the team with 79 hits and 58 RBIs.
His impact was especially pronounced in Atlantic Coast Conference play, where he homered in six straight games against Louisville and Georgia Tech and went 10‑for‑14 with 10 RBIs and six runs scored over a four‑game stretch against Coastal Carolina and NC State.
Lewis capped the season by delivering his best performance in a three‑game series versus NC State, going 8‑for‑10 with nine RBIs, five runs scored and three home runs, a display that underscored his reliability when the team needed it most.
Together, Levonas and Lewis embody the depth of talent on Wake Forest’s roster, a depth that was reflected in the program’s recent appearance in the NCAA Regional and the continued influence of the university’s baseball tradition, overseen by the American Baseball Coaches Association.