While watching Donovan Bailey going head to head against Michael Johnson down the track can certainly be intriguing, watching John Goodman trying to catch Chris Farley down the backstretch is often more entertaining.
This weekend, Maryland and Duke-the Farley's and Goodman's of Atlantic Coast Conference baseball-square off at Shipley Field in College Park, Md., for a three-game series, hoping to avoid that dreaded angioplasty known as the play-in game when the ACC Tournament begins May 12.
The two teams, who have combined for an 8-26 conference record, are both trying to steer clear of the conference cellar. The more important goal, however, would be to finish in at least seventh place, thus escaping the No. 8 vs. No. 9 elimination game in the tournament. Maryland (19-22, 3-14 in the ACC) currently occupies the ninth and final position in the conference, while the Blue Devils (33-14, 5-12) are tied with Virginia for seventh place.
"I don't think anyone wants to be in the play-in game," Duke coach Steve Traylor said. "The cellar is pretty bad-I don't think anyone wants to finish there, but more importantly, if you're going to win the tournament, you don't want to be in the play-in game."
The real disadvantage to the play-in game is that both teams are forced to throw their top pitcher for that game. The winner would then have to come back the next day with their second-best pitcher to face the top-seeded team.
"Our guys want to win now so we don't have to play in that doggone play-in game," Maryland coach Tom Bradley said. "It just puts a lot of pressure on [the teams]. You win the first game and you're looking at playing either Clemson or Florida State in that second game, and that makes it tough.
"I don't like the play-in game at all. Your student-athletes deserve, after going through a real rigorous schedule, an opportunity to play at least two games."
Traylor certainly recognizes the importance of this series, as he will trot out his ace-Stephen Cowie (9-1, 2.90 ERA)-to the mound for game one of the series. By virtue of his solid performance on the mound against North Carolina last weekend, Brad Dupree (4-1, 4.10) will get the nod for Duke in game two. Traylor will adopt a wait-and-see attitude as to who will start Sunday.
Mike Wooden (1-6, 7.20) will tackle the task of opposing Cowie on Friday. He will be followed by Tom Curtiss (1-1, 5.40) on Saturday and Brandon Agamennone (4-6, 5.85) on Sunday.
It's difficult to point to pitching as the only reason why the Terps are the only team in the conference with an overall record under .500. While seven Blue Devil regulars are hitting above the .300 clip, only two Terps-Casey Trout and Scott Bronowicz-can claim the same.
That is not to say, however, the Terps' pitchers have been hard-luck losers-Maryland's three primary starters combine for a rather unsightly 6.43 ERA.
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