There are very few pitchers in college baseball hitting a sophomore stride like Wake Forest’s Chris Levonas.
He is fourth in the country in strikeouts with 41 through 19 2/3 innings this season. The only pitchers with more strikeouts are Texas’ Ruger Riojas, USC’s Mason Edwards, and Oregon State’s Dax Whitney.
Levonas as a weekend starter for the ‘Deacs
In 2025, Levonas was a midweek starter for Wake Forest as a freshman. He has shifted into the weekend starter role nicely for the Demon Deacons.
Along with his 41 strikeouts, he has a 1.83 ERA and has also allowed just six walks this season.
His best game of the season came on February 28 against the Loyola Marymount Lions. In six innings of work, he had 14 strikeouts while allowing no runs and no hits. The Demon Deacons went on to win that game 15-4.
The right-hander was selected in the 2024 MLB Draft
Levonas was also a big draft prospect coming out of high school. During the 2024 MLB Draft, he was selected 67th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers before deciding to play for Wake Forest.
According to Perfect Game, he was a top-50 player in the 2024 high school class and the best right-handed pitcher from the state of New Jersey.
Up next for Wake Forest
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have a 15-1 overall record this season. They are the 12th-best team in the country according to D1 Baseball’s top 25 rankings.
Their next game is on Tuesday, March 10, against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The game is on the road at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. The first pitch is at 6 p.m. EST.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Wake Forest’s Chris Levonas (18) pitches during an NCAA baseball game on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
