The Duke baseball team looks to rebound from Wednesday’s loss to UNC-Wilmington during a three-game series against winless Cincinnati this weekend.
The Blue Devils (4-2) and the Bearcats (0-3) have played each other in each of the past five seasons. The overall series record is tied at 7-7, but Duke took two of last year’s three games. The teams play Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. in Durham.
Since last season, Cincinnati’s pitching rotation has been in flux, as six of its 11 starters from 2004 are either injured or no longer on the roster. The Bearcats plan to send right-hander Tony Maynard, their most experienced hurler, to the mound Friday. Freshman righty Kevin Schrader will get the start Saturday, and Cincinnati’s Sunday starter has yet to be named.
Danny Otero will start Friday and David Torcise will take the mound Saturday for the Blue Devils. Head coach Bill Hillier said he is considering pitching his best starter, Greg Burke, on four days rest Sunday but may opt to use a variety of pitchers instead.
Through six games, the Blue Devils pitching has been consistently strong with a staff ERA of 3.40.
Along with its changes on the mound, Cincinnati has lost its top three offensive threats since the last time it faced the Blue Devils. Last season, Aaron Moll, Steve Pickerell and Drew Saylor combined for 45 percent of the Bearcats’ RBIs and 66 percent of the team’s homers. Shortstop Mark Haske turned in Cincinnati’s best offensive performance against Florida Atlantic, going 6-of-14 with two RBIs in the team’s first three games.
After a slow start, production at the plate has picked up for the Blue Devils.
Infielder Adam Murray, who was named ACC Player of the Week Monday, has been the team’s offensive leader, batting .455 with seven RBIs.
Freshman bats have also provided a spark for Duke scoring efforts. Ron Causey, Jimmy Gallagher and Brett Bartles have all been hitting well, especially in Duke’s sweep of Maryland-Eastern Shore last weekend.
Causey has homered in back-to-back games, and Gallagher batted in two runs Wednesday and hit a home run Sunday against UMES. Bartles is in the middle of a five-game hitting streak, which includes three hits in Sunday’s 8-6 win.
Duke has had to overcome multiple errors, both in the field and on the base path. The Blue Devils have been charged with at least one error in every game since their Feb. 5 season opener.
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