The Blue Devils have lost just one non-conference game all season, but the ACC has been less friendly so far.
Duke will host Coastal Division foe Pittsburgh at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this weekend for its third conference series of the year. Friday’s first pitch is set for 6 p.m. in downtown Durham, N.C., with Saturday and Sunday’s contests set to play at 1 p.m.
“We’re healthier than we were two weeks ago on the [mound],” head coach Chris Pollard said. “We’re still a work in progress offensively and we’re still searching for that right mix that maximizes our run-scoring potential. We’ve been really good at times, but unfortunately we’ve been really bad at times too.”
Class of 2015 No. 2 major league prospect Michael Matuella will start on the mound in Friday’s opener with senior Andrew Istler and sophomore Bailey Clark on the bump Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Friday will be the first start since the season opener against California Feb. 13 for Matuella that he will not be on a strict pitch count, Pollard said. The Great Falls, Va., native experienced forearm tightness shortly after that outing and was subsequently scratched from his next start. The junior has been limited to one, three and four innings in his last three starts.
Having their best pitcher at full capacity will be key for the Blue Devils (16-5, 2-4 in the ACC) going forward. Matuella has yet to surrender a run in 2015 and has a WHIP of 1.00 and is averaging 8.4 punchouts per nine innings.
“It’s huge [having Matuella back],” Pollard said. “In each of his last three starts we've had to go to the bullpen early by design and to have that guy available for six, seven innings, it really saves our bullpen and makes us a deeper team. He’s proven that he can be one of the most effective arms in the country…and I’ve been impressed with the job he’s done.”
Both Istler and Clark have been impressive on the mound as well through the early stages of the season. Istler led Duke to its lone win in the series last weekend against Georgia Tech, tossing 7.2 innings and allowing just three runs in the victory.
Clark led the Blue Devils to their only victory against North Carolina, giving up one earned run in eight innings of work. The sophomore’s ERA sit at 1.64, the second lowest among starters on the team in his first year as a starter for Duke.
Pittsburgh (9-10, 3-3) has also been strong on the mound this year. The Panthers’ 2.79 team ERA trails only Duke and Virginia in the ACC. Pittsburgh can overpower hitters and is sixth in the ACC in strikeouts per game, which could spell trouble for a Blue Devil offense that is second in the conference in strikeouts.
Like Duke, the Panthers have been inconsistent at the plate and have struggled at times against top pitching. Pittsburgh is 12th in the ACC in batting average, has scored three runs or fewer 10 times and has been shutout twice.
In comparison, the Blue Devils rank 10th in batting average, eighth in runs scored, have scored three runs or fewer nine times and been shutout once.
“It helps that we're playing at home,” Pollard said. “It’s two staffs that have thrown the ball really well—it’s two guys [Friday] night that have thrown the ball really well…. You don’t hit as many extra-base hits against really good arms, but at the same time you get a lot more opportunities for extra-base hits at the DBAP than at Coombs.”
Duke’s on-campus ballpark, Jack Coombs Field, is known for being a pitcher's paradise with a deep fence around the outfield, making home runs a rarity for most teams. Durham Bulls Athletic Park, on the other hand, is 20 feet closer than Coombs in left field and 10 feet closer in right field.
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