From the outset of this season, the Blue Devils have had only one thought on their minds: earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Duke was the only team from the ACC Tournament not invited to an NCAA regional, and the feelings from the snub still linger.
“We’ve shown flashes of being capable of achieving that goal,” head coach Sean McNally said. “We certainly haven’t been consistent enough throughout to really make it a reality at this point in the season. That’s been a frustration for our club.”
As of now, the Blue Devils (25-18, 7-14 in the ACC) sit two games out of eighth place in the ACC, the cutoff point for the conference playoffs. Yet, after winning a pitcher’s duel with North Carolina A&T on Tuesday, 2-1, and a slugfest with High Point the following day, 13-11, Duke feels primed to win any type of matchup.
And with only nine league games remaining, the Blue Devils need to make up ground quickly—a task made more difficult this weekend by No. 1 Virginia. The two teams begin their three-game series Friday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Ranked no lower than No. 4 nationally all season, the Cavaliers (36-9, 15-6) are the most balanced team in the ACC, boasting the highest batting average, .342, and the lowest team ERA, 3.62, in the conference. Duke, on the other hand, has no players batting above .327, and only one pitcher with a minimum of ten appearances who has an ERA of less than 3.62.
“Virginia does everything well,” McNally said. “They pitch well, they’ve got a lineup that’s tough to get through, and they defend well. They are as complete a team as we’ll face all year.”
Perhaps the most striking contrast between the two teams can be found in starting pitching. Virginia has used the same three starters all season with great success, while Duke’s rotation has taken a different form nearly every weekend with little to show for it.
“We’re still searching for some consistency,” McNally said. “We just have to put it all together. Obviously, it’s late in the year, so it’s time for these guys to step it up and get it done.”
Duke’s staff will be tested by a Cavalier offense that has scored eighty runs over a current seven-game winning streak. Friday, Dennis O’Grady will take the mound for the Blue Devils. Indicative of the struggles faced by the staff this season, O’Grady sports an ERA of 4.56 and has yet to win a start.
After making overpowering appearances out of the bullpen, freshman Marcus Stroman will attempt Saturday to match his debut as a starter last Friday when he spurred the Blue Devils to their only win in the series against Wake Forest.
“That decision was just made out of the fact that I think he’s our best arm and he’s had the most success,” McNally said. “You want the starter who’s going to give you the best chance to win on that particular day, and we’re expecting him to finish strong.”
McNally added that Sunday’s starter remains to be decided and will be chosen based on the previous days’ results. Eric Pfisterer appears to be the favorite after piling together three quality starts over the last few weeks. With an ERA of 2.22 over that span, he has struck out 21 batters and walked just six in 24 innings.
Will Piwnica-Worms will continue to anchor a Blue Devil lineup that has been streaky of late. After beating Wake Forest behind ten runs last Friday, Duke was held to only six runs over its next three games before pounding out 13 Wednesday against High Point. Piwnica-Worms has been a stable bat all season, hitting a team-best .327 with 22 extra base hits. But without any support, the Blue Devils won’t stand a chance against the consistent strength of the Cavaliers.
“The box score on our season hasn’t been written,” McNally said. “We’re in about the seventh inning, and we’ve got to close it out strong and finish strong. Our guys will continue to work hard individually and collectively all the way through.”
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