Although they have won seven of their last eight games, the Blue Devils need another strong weekend to make the ACC tournament.
After winning its first series against then-No. 7 Florida State in 22 years, Duke will close out its regular season with a three-game series at Pittsburgh beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field. Currently tied with North Carolina for 10th place in the ACC standings, the Blue Devils likely need a series win to qualify for the ACC tournament—which accepts the conference’s top 10 teams.
Because the Tar Heels swept Duke earlier this year, the Blue Devils will not make the ACC tournament if they remain tied with their rivals in 10th place following their games against Pittsburgh.
“The mindset for our guys has been to just focus on what we do well,” Pollard said. “I’m not a big believer in momentum in our sport. But I do think guys are feeling good about the way we’re playing and know that when we put it together in the way that we’re capable of, we have the ability to match up favorably with anybody on our schedule.”
Last weekend, Duke (31-21, 12-15 in the ACC) relied on timely hitting and strong pitching to win two of three against the Seminoles. In the first game, two-run home runs by sophomores Michael Smiciklas and Jack Labosky—who is on an eight-game hitting streak—helped the Blue Devils score all five of their runs in the first three innings. Although Duke starter Kellen Urbon surrendered four runs, he recorded his seventh win, and sophomore closer Mitch Stallings earned his eighth save.
A day later, another quick start led by freshman centerfielder Jimmy Herron and sophomore first baseman Justin Bellinger—who combined for four hits and 2 RBIs—powered the Blue Devils to a 3-1 win. The Seminoles struggled to respond to the early deficit as Duke left-hander Trent Swart had one of his best starts of the year, striking out a season-high nine batters in six innings.
Despite once again holding another early lead Sunday, the Blue Devils were unable to complete the sweep, with two errors and two wild pitches in the fifth and sixth innings proving costly.
Although the series did not end on a high note, Duke moved up in the conference standings after starting the weekend in 12th.
“The guys gleaned a lot confidence from the way we played in that series,” Pollard said. “We went pitch-for-pitch with a team that’s probably going to be a national seed and arguably one of the 10 best teams in the country, and we matched up really well with them pitch for pitch for all three ballgames. Even Sunday’s game was a back-and-forth ballgame.”
The Blue Devils will turn to their usual weekend rotation of Urbon, Swart and Brian McAfee against the Panthers. Pittsburgh (25-24, 10-16)—which has lost four games in a row—is expected to counter with right-handers T.J. Zeuch Friday, Josh Falk Saturday and Aaron Sandefur Sunday.
Zeuch, who stands at 6-foot-7, has been Pittsburgh’ ace, leading the Panthers with six wins, a 3.71 ERA and 62 strikeouts in nine starts. Falk and Sandefur have been more hittable, posting 3 wins each and ERAs of 4.01 and 4.58, respectively.
“We’re seeing a really good arm. I’ve seen a lot of video of [Zeuch],” Pollard said. “He [throws at] 94-95 miles per hour. People are saying he’s going to be a first-rounder. We’ve got our hands full Thursday night with a guy that can really sink the fast ball.”
Offensively, the Panthers boast a powerful lineup that has combined for a .425 slugging percentage and 40 home runs—16 more than Duke. Led by Charles Leblanc, who ranks second in the ACC with a .432 batting average, Pittsburgh also has four regular starters who hit at least .300.
“This is a club with some guys that have some really good offensive numbers,” Pollard said. “They’re a team that has got some pieces to the puzzle that are very, very good.”
Duke will know part of its postseason fate following the Pittsburgh series. If the Blue Devils miss the ACC tournament, they will still have a chance to receive an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
Duke sits at No. 27 in the latest RPI rankings and is currently projected to be a No. 3 seed in one of 16 four-team NCAA tournament regions by Baseball America.
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