Schedule includes 9 NCAA opponents

A summer after barely missing out on an NCAA tournament bid, Duke announced its schedule for the 2010 season, and the slate includes some of the country’s best.

ACC play represents the majority of the Blue Devils’ games, and this year, conference play figures to be even more challenging than usual. Unlike in previous years, the Blue Devils will play all seven conference teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2009 among their 10 ACC opponents. North Carolina and Virginia both made deep runs in the College World Series and return loads of talent, while Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Boston College and Florida State appeared in the event as well.

Duke opens the season in mid-February with an interesting set of games against Baylor and Georgia, both NCAA tournament teams, in Waco, Texas. Scheduling such strong teams right away signals a departure from the program’s approach the last three seasons, when Duke played mostly inferior teams in the leadup to ACC play.

In 2009, the Blue Devils went 35-24 overall and 15-15 in conference play. The ACC record marked a vast improvement over the previous year’s 10-18-1 finish and continued the team’s development under head coach Sean McNally. However, the Blue Devils were not extended an NCAA bid largely because of the squad’s weak nonconference schedule and lack of quality wins, and this year’s calendar gives Duke several opportunities to mount a better case for inclusion in the 64-team field.

Another significant shift for Duke is that the program will play 18 of its 31 home games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Downtown Durham. The stadium successfully hosted the ACC tournament last year, and the Blue Devils hope to draw fans there and get experience playing in one of the minor leagues’ best parks. Jack Coombs Field, the on-campus venue for Duke home games, will still host some series, including a marquee set with the Seminoles.