The Blue Devils and Spartans are set to meet for the first time this season—just a few months later than anticipated.
Duke's game against UNC Greensboro originally scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Jack Coombs Field has been pushed back to Wednesday due to the possibility of inclement weather. The Blue Devils were supposed to travel to Greensboro, N.C., for the first of a home-and-home set with the Spartans, but that contest was canceled due to a late February snowstorm.
After a busy week that included five games in six days, Duke is looking to shake off a four-error performance in its final contest of the season at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park that led to an 11-1 defeat at the hands of No. 5 Louisville.
"[Sunday's] ballgame leaves a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth because we didn't play well," Duke head coach Chris Pollard told GoDuke.com. "We also need to remind ourselves that we did a lot of really good things in the course of the past week, and that's something that can't be forgotten."
The Blue Devils (22-15) will also try to right the ship at the plate, where they were held to just four runs in the three-game set against the Cardinals. The dearth of runs on the scoreboard was not for lack of opportunities, as Duke stranded 21 runners in the three-game set, including 10 in the series finale.
One key cog in the Blue Devil lineup of late has been freshman Peter Zyla. The right fielder leads the team with a .333 batting average and picked up four hits during the weekend to extend his hitting streak to six games. Pollard praised the Alpharetta, Ga., native's ability to ignite scoring opportunities late in innings.
"He likes to hit early in the count, and he hunts the fastball," Pollard said. "He's been the best on our team at extending innings with two outs.... If you [set the table] consistently, somebody's going to step up and get a hit."
Duke's offense this season has often relied on manufacturing runs—the Blue Devils' first run Saturday came after consecutive sacrifice bunts, and the second came as Zyla zoomed around to score from first after an outfield collision. In the opposing dugout Tuesday, UNC Greensboro has taken the opposite approach.
The Spartans (15-17) have launched 34 home runs in their 32 games this season, powered by seven from Hunter King—who leads the team with 25 RBIs—and six from Aaron Wright, who hits for average as well at .315.
"They're really good offensively. They've got some power...that's not an easy ballpark to hit home runs in," Pollard said. "They sit back and they play for the big inning."
Duke's pitching staff—which has lost numerous arms to injury in recent weeks and was taxed in the five-game stretch last week—will try to keep the Spartans in the ballpark Tuesday and should get an assist in that pursuit from the cavernous outfield at Jack Coombs Field.
The Blue Devils have used a small army of arms on the mound in midweek games all season, and the loss of starter Michael Matuella and reliever Nick Hendrix have continued to stretch the bullpen thin. Third baseman Jack Labosky and shortstop Kenny Koplove each threw multiple innings last week, and left fielder Jalen Phillips continues to nurse a bruised knee sustained during Duke's trip to Miami two weekends ago.
Pollard said the slew of injuries to his team has forced the coaching staff to back off a little in practice to give players a chance to recover, but added that he hopes to ramp things up again in the next two weeks.
UNC Greensboro is 2-3 against ACC teams this season, posting midweek victories against N.C. State and Wake Forest since March 17.
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