The regular season doesn't begin until Feb. 13, but Duke is already facing its first bout with adversity.
Starting pitcher Trent Swart will miss the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, the team announced in a press release Tuesday. The senior is expected to make a full recovery and should be back on the mound for the Blue Devils for the 2016 campaign.
“It’s a really tough blow to lose a pitcher like Trent Swart for the season,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said in a press release. “Trent has consistently proven himself as one of the best starting pitchers in the ACC over the past three years. We will miss not only his production and competitive fire but also his leadership on the field.”
Swart was sidelined for part of the 2014 season with a forearm strain, but still turned in one of the best seasons in program history. Making 11 starts, the southpaw went 5-2 with an ACC-leading 1.76 ERA. In one of his most impresive outings of the season, the Carlsbad, Calif., native tossed eight innings of six-hit, three-run ball in the regular-season finale against then-No. 4 Florida State, and also put together a streak of 17 scoreless innings.
With Swart out of the rotation for 2015, Pollard's staff will rely even more heavily on junior Michael Matuella. The right-hander posted a 2.78 ERA in 11 starts last season and was recently ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect by MLB.com for the 2015 MLB Draft.
In addition to Matuella, the Blue Devils return 10 other pitchers from last year's staff, which posted the lowest team ERA in 43 years last season. Pollard will also add four freshmen arms to the mix.
Although Swart's production will be hard to replace, the young staff will get the opportunity to pitch meaningful innings early in their careers.
“This injury provides a tremendous opportunity for some young pitchers in our program to step forward and play a more meaningful role as we continue to grow this program towards national prominence,” said Pollard.
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