Two more Blue Devils are off the board.
A pair of Duke relievers, graduate closer Charlie Beilenson and senior right hander Nick Conte, were selected on the second day of the Major League Baseball draft Monday. Beilenson — a first-team All-American last season for the Blue Devils — was selected in the fifth round with the 154th overall pick by the Seattle Mariners. Conte, a four-year letter winner in Durham, was selected with the 227th overall pick in the eighth round by the Kansas City Royals.
Duke’s shutdown closer and most reliable arm all season long, Beilenson was the epitome of durability in Durham. Head coach Chris Pollard called on the Brown transfer a team-high 34 times last season, leading to 62.2 innings pitched, 92 strikeouts and 12 saves. That impressive statline came after 60.2 innings and 78 strikeouts last season, and it helped him become a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award.
Conte, on the other hand, was mired by injury throughout his career as a Blue Devil. He missed all of the 2023 campaign and appeared in just seven games in 2024, but he will head into the Royals’ farm systems with one of the most electric arms out there. He has thrown upwards of 98 miles per hour, and he still has even more room to grow. While he may not have been a superstar in Durham, Conte’s best days on the mound are likely ahead of him.
All three of Duke’s selections thus far in the draft — Beilenson, Conte and second round pick Jonathan Santucci — came from the arm barn, which has thrived under Pollard and pitching coach Brady Kirkpatrick. A fourth pitcher on the draft boards, sophomore Andrew Healy, still may hear his name called Tuesday.
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Dom Fenoglio is a Trinity junior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.