Duke traveled to Waco, Texas for its season-opening series looking to test itself against two excellent programs, and the Blue Devils came out of the Lone Star State knowing they have to improve to reach that stature themselves.
In a change from past years, Duke scheduled aggressively early in the season—instead of feasting on weaker teams like La Salle at home, the Blue Devils went to Texas to face host Baylor (3-1) and No. 22 Georgia (2-2). Duke played each team twice and won just once, Saturday afternoon against the Bulldogs, and returns to Durham with a 1-3 record on the year.
“It’s a departure for us, basically completely the opposite of the way we started [last year] and just about everybody in our league starts,” head coach Sean McNally said of beginning the year with tough competition. “I thought it was important for our guys to play ACC-caliber competition right out of the gate.”
In the Blue Devils’ lone victory of the weekend against Georgia, Duke’s bats awoke late in the game. Down 4-3 going into the top of the seventh inning, the Blue Devils scored two runs in each of the following three innings to earn the 9-5 win. Junior Jake Lemmerman singled home the go-ahead run, and he added a solo home run in the ninth to give the Duke bullpen some breathing room. Freshman Marcus Stroman, in his first collegiate appearance, pitched the final three innings and gave up just a single unearned run to get the save.
“Our guys [showed] a combination of excitement and satisfaction [in the locker room] after the win,” McNally said. “I like the way we handled it. Georgia is very talented and as talented a team as we’ll play all year, and we want our culture to be about expecting to beat those types of clubs.”
The Blue Devils stayed in the game early against the Bulldogs thanks to quality starting pitching from a senior with high expectations, Jonathan Foreman. Charged with replacing current pro Andrew Wolcott, who plays in the farm system of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Foreman gave up four runs in five innings and registed a no decision.
Aside from Saturday afternoon’s triumph, Duke’s hitters were kept quiet, especially against the Bears. Unranked Baylor limited the Blue Devils to just five total runs in two matchups and picked up two wins, 9-3 and 3-2. In Duke’s season opener Friday, Baylor starting pitcher Shawn Tolleson struck out 11 Blue Devils in six innings and gave up three runs—all in the top of the first inning. After that early Duke spurt, Tolleson and reliever Josh Turley shut down the visitors while the Bear offense knocked around five Blue Devil hurlers.
The next afternoon, despite a strong performance on the rubber from senior Michael Ness—who retired the first 14 Baylor batters he faced—the Bears pitching again prevailed in a one-run victory.
The weekend ended on a sour note for Duke, as the Blue Devils allowed Georgia to put insurance runs on the scoreboard in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to extend a two-run lead to five. At the same time, Duke’s bats were unable to get anything going, and the Blue Devils faded late in a 10-5 loss. McNally was unhappy with his team’s defensive play Sunday, but was pleased overall with the weekend—minus the results.
“Our defense was very solid at times and at other times looked like it needed a lot of work,” he said. “We’re going to be a really good team, and I think we accelerated that process by playing two of the best teams in college baseball.”
Duke’s next opponent has less of the pedigree that Georgia and Baylor boasted this weekend. The Blue Devils host Fordham in a three-game set at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park beginning this Friday.
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