Duke baseball's Mooney, Tallon, Fischer named to All-ACC teams

Before Duke starts its path to win the ACC tournament Tuesday, three Blue Devils have already taken home some hardware.

The All-ACC teams were announced Monday, with sophomore Alex Mooney making the First Team, freshman James Tallon making the Second Team and All-Freshman team and freshman Andrew Fischer making the All-Freshman team as well.

Mooney, one of Duke’s captains, has anchored the lineup on both sides of the ball. He has been a mainstay at the top of the lineup, hitting .336 with a team-high 17 doubles and 64 runs scored. The Rochester Hills, Mich., native has also started every game at shortstop for the Blue Devils, helping lead the team to a 0.978 fielding percentage. Mooney entered Duke as one of the top prep recruits brought to campus, and he was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team last season.

Tallon, the Blue Devils’ closer, has had a historically impressive rookie campaign. His 0.85 ERA is tops on the team, as the southpaw has surrendered just three earned runs all season. Moreover, his 11 saves sit eighth all-time for a Duke pitcher. Tallon made a name for himself early in the season, and was integral in series wins against Boston College, Louisville and Virginia.

Although he missed about a month due to a hand injury, Fischer led the team in OPS at 1.129 (of players with at least 50 at-bats). The lefty slugger mashed 11 home runs, a program record among freshmen. His biggest home run came April 16 against Boston College, when the Manasquan, N.J., native crushed a three-run shot in the ninth to seal the game. He also showed remarkable plate discipline as a rookie, drawing 25 walks and hitting .321.

All three players will be essential to the Blue Devils’ success in the ACC tournament and beyond. Duke opens play Tuesday night against N.C. State.