Behind a steady outing from starting pitcher Graeme Stinson, Duke kept Maryland Eastern Shore in check as the Blue Devils picked up a comfortable 10-3 victory Tuesday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
In Sunday’s rubber match, the Blue Devils were not able to overcome eight walks, five hit-by-pitches and four errors, dropping an 11-2 contest to Wake Forest at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The matchup was moved up a day due to inclement weather, but it did not prove to make a difference as the Pirates recorded their 15th consecutive win against Duke.
Although his team was unable to complete the sweep, Duke head coach Chris Pollard was pleased with a young pitching staff that is still coming into its own, particularly given that the team began the season with no clear starting rotation.
Although the Blue Devils were not able to finish off Liberty, an offensive explosion in the fourth inning at home against Mount St. Mary’s kept them at better than .500 heading into this weekend’s ACC series against Virginia Tech.
Duke allowed the Tigers to score just five runs during the series and its starters lasted at least five innings in each contest, an encouraging sign for a unit with four new weekend starters that will be tested by ACC talent starting Friday.
Duke's sense of urgency paid off, with the Blue Devils taking the first three games of their series against Princeton Friday and Saturday to get back to .500 this season.
The Blue Devils will host Princeton this weekend for a four-game, three-day series starting Friday at 4 p.m. before a Saturday doubleheader and series finale Sunday.
Pitching was expected to be the Blue Devils' biggest weakness entering the season, but Duke's bats remained silent Monday against Power-5 competition as the team continued to stumble out of the gates. The Blue Devils lost a 2-0 pitcher's duel to USC at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, only managing five hits all afternoon.
After a rocky opening showing in Arizona, a transitioning Blue Devil team had to make a statement in Durham if they want to show that they are just as dangerous as the team that made the NCAA tournament last year. Thanks to a commanding presence on the mound throughout the weekend, Duke did just that. The Blue Devils secured two out of three games against Army this weekend at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Despite an abundance of familiar bullpen arms, last year's four primary starting pitchers are gone from Durham—leaving Duke head coach Chris Pollard to figure out who will fill their shoes this season.
Led by juniors Jack Labosky and Justin Bellinger, Duke returns seven starters and three key reserves to its batting order.
Although the Blue Devils’ offensive struggles continued through the first six innings, Duke pulled away late, defeating N.C. Central 14-6 Tuesday at Durham Athletic Park for its first win in five tries.
Following losses to Gonzaga and No. 7 Oregon State Friday, The Blue Devils dropped a 4-1 decision to the Bulldogs Saturday before getting blown 11-2 by the Beavers Sunday at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz.
Both Duke starters—James Ziemba and Mitch Stallings, who each primarily worked out of the Blue Devil bullpen last year—struggled to find their footing and put their team in early holes during both games.
Last year, Duke defied everyone’s expectations during their run to the NCAA Tournament. This season, they face a more difficult task: proving it wasn’t just a fluke.
After freshly-converted wide receiver Johnathan Lloyd’s standout 2016 season, he will no longer be playing baseball, a sport he starred in during high school. Although Lloyd saw playing time as a freshman on the baseball diamond, his steady rise up the depth chart last fall on the gridiron following two position changes led him to stick to one sport.
Duke baseball beat several ranked ACC teams on its way to the NCAA tournament.
Justin Bellinger may be a star infielder for the Blue Devils, but many of his hits come from outside the diamond. While many of his classmates and teammates choose to spend their free time going out or relaxing, Bellinger prefers to spend down time pursuing a side-passion of his—making music.
Coming off its first NCAA tournament appearance in 55 years, Duke highlighted its fall schedule with a scrimmage against the Academy of Baseball Canada Oct. 18.
