Duke looks to continue its mid-season momentum Wednesday as the Blue Devils host cross-town rival N.C. Central at Jack Coombs Field.
Winning eight of its last nine games—including a pair over No. 15 Georgia Tech this past weekend—Duke has come into its own over the past two weeks. The Blue Devils have outscored opponents over the stretch by a combined 73–12 while posting an impressive four shutouts. Its most recent victim from Tuesday evening, UNC-Greensboro, was blown out by a score of 17-2.
“The key has continued to be the pitching and defense that’s been consistent throughout,” head coach Chris Pollard said. “We’ve started to have bigger innings where we put runs on the board… and it’s been nice to have some games where we score big, but the pitching has been the consistent factor.” Despite the recent successes for the Blue Devils (20-14) both on the mound and in the batter’s box, taking down the visiting Eagles will not be an easy feat.
N.C. Central (21-14) will start junior lefthander Jordan Quinn against Duke for the second time this season. Quinn currently maintains an ERA of 1.61—second best among starters in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference—and holds a record of 5-0. In his first start against the Blue Devils on March 12, Quinn surrendered just one earned run in seven innings on the mound while striking out five in a no decision.
“He’s a fastball-changeup guy that’ll throw a changeup in any count to keep guys off balance,” Pollard said. “He gave us fits for seven innings last time around…. He’s very tough and very good at what he does.”
On top of facing the challenging Quinn, the Blue Devils also have a minor question mark on the pitching front. Freshman James Marvel traditionally starts at this point in the rotation but is injured with a sore elbow and not expected to pitch. Coaches are therefore planning on a split-staff game tomorrow, but are still uncertain about exactly who will open the game on the mound.
With the uncertainty on the pitching front, Duke will need to continue its recent offensive productivity if it is to pull off the win against Quinn and the Eagles. Freshman Kenny Koplove—who leads the team with eight hits in the past five games—will need to continue to provide a spark for the Blue Devils. Although he didn’t play in the last outing against N.C. Central, Pollard is confident in his young shortstop’s abilities.
“Kenny is a great example of taking advantage of your opportunities,” Pollard said. “He didn’t start early [in the year], but when he got in there he played well. It’s just been hard to get him out of there as he just continues to make things happen.”
On the pitching front, sophomore closer Andrew Istler must bounce back from his loss on Saturday if Duke is to come away with the victory. Istler has had a strong season thus far with seven saves. Although he is responsible for the lone blemish over the last nine games in the form of a loss to the Yellow Jackets, the Blue Devils will need his strength in the bullpen.
With the patchwork pitching planned for tomorrow and the challenge of taking on Quinn a second time, Pollard knows that the Eagles present a test.
“We recognize that we’re going to see [Quinn, who is] a different pitcher than most of the guys you see in conference,” Pollard said. “I told our guys to expect a close ball game tomorrow because they know how well that guy throws.”
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