Duke opened its season with a big series win against No. 10 California, but the Blue Devils have no time to rest on their laurels.
After two dramatic walk-off wins to close out the Golden Bears Saturday and Sunday, Duke returns to the diamond Tuesday at 4 p.m. to take on Campbell at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils got strong play in all phases last weekend, but their consistency and pitching depth will be put to the test against the Fighting Camels.
“I told our guys, ‘Enjoy it for the rest of the night.’ That steak should taste a little better, that pasta should taste a little better, but it’s a long, long season,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said after Sunday’s win. “You have to bury your head in the moment and get right back to work on Tuesday.”
Last weekend, Duke (2-1) relied heavily on freshmen in its lineup, with left fielder Jimmy Herron and shortstop Zack Kone among the early team leaders in hits and batting average. Freshman designated hitter Griffin Conine also made an impact with the walk-off double Sunday afternoon for the first hit of his career.
These rookies teamed with sophomores Max Miller, Peter Zyla, Ryan Day and Evan Dougherty—who hit the game-winning single Saturday—to make up a lineup laden with underclassmen. Junior Cris Perez and redshirt junior Jalen Phillips were the only veteran Blue Devils to step to the plate during the season’s opening weekend, but all 11 players got at least one hit during the series.
“I anticipated it would be a close series because I thought both teams would pitch well,” Pollard said. “Both teams swung it a little better than I thought they would, being this early in the year and the quality of pitching that both teams saw.”
Duke may be young at the plate, but it is very experienced on the mound, with junior Bailey Clark and graduate students Trent Swart and Brian McAfee making up the weekend rotation. This trio gives the pitching staff a solid foundation, but it is yet to be seen whether the Blue Devils can back that up with solid pitching during mid-week games.
Pollard said that sophomore Jack Labosky will start Tuesday against Campbell, but he will likely go to the bullpen early and throw several different pitchers. Labosky pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief and allowed one earned run Friday night, taking the first loss of his career after going 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA during his freshman campaign.
The Clovis, Calif., native is one of Duke’s most versatile players, starting most games at third base or as the designated hitter when he is not on the mound.
Labosky will have his work cut out for him against the Fighting Camels (2-1), who took two of three games against Miami (Ohio) to start their season and are two years removed from a Big South championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
“You talk about a team in Campbell that won [41] ballgames a couple years ago, so there’s no complacency and you can’t be victimized by your success. You work hard every day,” Pollard said. “We just have to stay hungry every day, and we have to play with this sense of urgency and this type of competitiveness every single ballgame.”
Last season against Campbell, Duke’s bullpen gave up seven runs in the last seven innings as the Blue Devils coughed up an early 5-0 lead in a 9-6 loss. The defeat came in the middle of a season-long seven-game losing streak and marked Duke’s third straight loss against the Fighting Camels, dating back to 2013. First baseman Matt Parrish and outfielder Brian Taylor drove in three runs apiece in Campbell’s first two games, and catcher J.D. Andreessen smacked a home run in the series finale against the Red Hawks.
The bullpen will have to improve this year if the Blue Devils are to get over the hump against the Fighting Camels, and Duke’s relievers are already off to a good start this season. James Ziemba, Karl Blum and Nick Hendrix led the bullpen to six straight shutout innings in tie games Saturday and Sunday, which bodes well for the Blue Devils’ chances at a third straight win Tuesday.
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