Spring sport spotlight: Duke baseball finds improved bullpen consistency

With spring sports thoroughly underway, the Blue Zone is highlighting different squads and their accomplishments. This week, we take a look at changes in Duke baseball’s bullpen:

Flashback to the 2024 ACC Tournament in Charlotte, where Duke baseball, for the second time in program history, took home the championship after dominating Florida State 16-4. With a five-run sixth inning, two grand slams and another home run, the Blue Devils were electric. However, when the season ended, key pitchers Charlie Beilenson and Jonathan Santucci ended their time with the program. The aging team was going to have to make some adjustments as it began preparing for the 2025 season. 

After falling to then-No. 18 Stanford in a series sweep last weekend, energy was low as the Blue Devils made their cross-country return home to Durham. But Duke was on a mission to prove its performance on Klein Field at Sunken Diamond was not going to be a pattern, and it did just that in its midweek domination of UConn. Stepping off Jack Coombs Field with a 12-2 victory and two homers, it had the appearance of a whole new team. 

To secure this win, the Blue Devils had to completely change the game they played. One of the most crucial changes was their utilization of the bullpen. Mark Hindy, pitching for part of the first inning and continuing through the second, slowed down UConn offenses. But more could be done to stifle the Huskies. So in the top of third, Henry Zatkowski stepped out of the bullpen and up to the mound. This freshman earned the win in relief for Duke with three no-hit innings and four punchouts, allowing the Blue Devils to put distance on the scoreboard. 

Zatkowski, a star in the game against UConn, made his first collegiate appearance on the mound on Feb. 26 at Jack Coombs Field, when then-No. 17 Duke fell to Liberty 12-4. With major cracks in their defenses, the Blue Devils gave the Flames optimal space to slip through. A good pitch in baseball can make the difference between one run and multiple. In this case, it was a major reason the Blue Devils left the field in defeat. The freshman struggled to find his footing and ended after pitching two innings, allowing five runs on five hits. 

This contrast shows how the bullpen, although very easily overlooked, is crucial to a strong defense. In Duke’s game against UConn, a well-managed bullpen led to the win. While in the Blue Devils’ game against Liberty, it led to their defeat. 

As Duke travels to Charlottesville, Va., to face No. 23 Virginia this weekend, the focus remains on how the Blue Devils will address their inconsistencies this spring — not just in managing the bullpen or reading the field, but in the unforced errors that resulted in a four-run inning from what should’ve only been one against Stanford.