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Wake Forest pitcher Cole Roland has the baseball world talking following an appearance in the Demon Deacons’ College World Series win on Monday. The right-handed reliever entered in the seventh inning with the game tied 2-2.
He’d strike out two of the three batters he faced while keeping the LSU offense off the board in that seventh frame. But while his performance was impressive, his actions on the mound are what caused the reaction from viewers.
Roland appeared jittery, looking as if he’d just downed a case of Red Bull before toeing the rubber. His constant, twitchy movement on the mound immediately caught the attention of those watching at home.
It certainly looks like he was jacked up on the bump. Pitching on the game’s biggest stage can do that.
A clip of the pitcher was posted to social media Monday night showing the spazzed out appearance.
@WakeBaseball must be sponsored by @MonsterEnergy because Cole Roland is just a bit lit. Holy caffeine!!!! Tag your favorite energy drink brand or addict! @DrinkEnergy212 @BANGenergy @CelsiusOfficial @rockstarenergy @Rockstar69CAN @energydrinktnt pic.twitter.com/QpJEmQS20J
— ProspectBlueprint (@2daysprospects) June 20, 2023
There’s a lot to take in here.
The wild arm movements, the half-buttoned jersey, the juggling of the baseball, the constant wiping of sweat from his face, and the twirling of the glove after a strikeout.
Fans and media were quick to respond.
The Barstool Sports account posted, “This dude definitely took 10 scoops of the original Jack3d pre-workout before getting on the mound.”
Ben Stevens of Sports Grid said, “Wake Forest’s Cole Roland drank an original recipe Four Loko before coming on in relief last night to pitch the 7th inning against LSU. You can’t convince me otherwise.”
One fan asked, “This guy can’t stand still, does he balk on every pitch?” It seems like a legitimate concern.
It looks like we’ll see some more of Cole Roland and the Demon Deacons moving forward. Wake Forest is just one win away from a College World Series Finals appearance after taking down LSU and Stanford.