Eagles powered by record-breaking offense
RALEIGH, NC – Wake Tech Baseball is inching closer to the end of their regular season, with the Region 10 DII Tournament less than a month away. The Eagles are 23-19 on the year, and 16-10 in conference play. The program's first 30-win season since 2017 is still a possibility, in large part due to the team's historic offensive production.
Wake Tech Region 10 DII in the following categories: runs (426), hits (431), doubles (86), home runs (65), RBI (381), walks (267), and stolen bases (140). They are in the top 10 nationally in runs, home runs, RBI, walks, and stolen bases.
The number that stands out above the rest to this point in the season is the team's 65 home runs. With nine regular season games remaining plus the potential of postseason games, the Eagles have already surpassed the program record for home runs in a season. Louisburg, their opponents on Wednesday, has the next highest total at 44 homers.
Sophomore catcher Jason Jelic leads the team with 13 home runs, and he is followed by sophomore infielders Andrew Holub and Kaden Smith who have 10 each. Jelic has already broken the single season home run record for an individual player. Jelic leads Region 10 DII, and is fifth among all NJCAA DII players.
"The goal on the recruiting trail is always to find guys that can hit," Dudley said. "I try to find guys that can compete at a high level and that project as hitters at the next level, not just our level. Guys that have a history of hitting and are willing to put in the work are easy to coach."
Jelic and Holub are both in their second seasons at Wake Tech. Last season, they each hit just one home run. This year, there isn't a pair in the league that has hit more.
"Last year's group was athletic and could compete offensively," Dudley said. "We were second in the league in doubles and triples, and led the league in stolen bases, so it wasn't all bad. I felt like we left a lot of runs on the table. I told everyone after the season we needed to hit more homers. A couple returners added some strength and some new faces have made a huge impact. It is translating very well."
Smith, a UNC Asheville transfer, is also hitting .402 on the season, second on the team only behind Holub (.441).
"The focus has been the same every year. Not much has changed in the way we train."
"A big difference this year is this group pushes each other. They train more, they know what to do, and they are having fun competing against each other. They are mature and the amount of work they have put in has manifested into a lot of confidence."
The Eagles currently sit in third place in the Region 10 DII West standings, but a win on Wednesday evening against Louisburg would move them back into second place. A finish in the top four secures a spot at the Region 10 DII Tournament in Burlington, NC next month. While many records have been broken already this season, the team's main goals still lie ahead of them, including a Region 10 championship.
"It's a really fun group to be around," Dudley said.