Griffin Conine, Duke looking to bounce back against struggling Virginia Tech on the road

<p>Griffin Conine launched two home runs in Saturday's regular season finale.</p>

Griffin Conine launched two home runs in Saturday's regular season finale.

After going 3-3 in six contests against top-15 opponents Florida State, East Carolina and N.C. State last week, Duke will return to action Friday looking to take care of business against a struggling conference opponent away from home. 

The 12th-ranked Blue Devils will head to Blacksburg, Va., where Duke will do battle with Virginia Tech in a three-game series at English Field at Union Park. The teams will kick off the series Friday at 6 p.m. before taking the field once again Saturday and Sunday with first pitches coming at 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. respectively. Friday’s contest will end the Blue Devils’ longest layoff of the season at five days after Tuesday’s contest against Davidson was postponed due to inclement weather.

Despite struggling to break through offensively in the first two contests against N.C. State last weekend, the Blue Devils' offense—averaging more than six runs per contest—came alive Sunday against the then-No. 2 Wolfpack with an 11-run outburst. Junior Griffin Conine ignited the offense with a first-inning grand slam as he continues to show signs that his dismal start to the season may be behind him.

“I thought that was great for him…. That was a big moment for him, but also a big moment for our team,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said. “He’s putting a lot of pressure on himself to perform. Not just for himself, but for this team…I think he’s handled it great.”  

After entering the season as a top-20 MLB Draft prospect, Conine has seen a significant drop in his numbers from last season. The Weston, Fla., native has seen his batting average drop from .298 to .229—which is seventh-best on the team—and his strikeout total has already surpassed that of last year despite there being more than a dozen regular-season games remaining. 

Freshman Joey Loperfido’s emergence has been key for the Blue Devils’ explosive offense this season. Loperfido is the lone Duke starter hitting better than .300 on the season, and he’s also tied for first on the team with 29 RBIs and tied for second in home runs with five. The Blue Devils (31-10, 13-7 in the ACC) need Loperfido and their offense to get going against a pesky Hokie rotation, since Virginia Tech’s bullpen has been dismal this season. 

The Hokies (17-24, 7-14) have been able to compete in the early innings behind starters Ian Seymour, Connor Coward and Luke Scherzer, who each own sub-4.00 ERAs, while holding opposing hitters to batting averages less than .265. However, the bullpen simply has not been able to get the job done. Nine players boast ERAs north of 5.00, while six of those Virginia Tech arms have ERAs higher than 9.50. 

“They’ve got a lot of guys that candidly scare you,” Pollard said of the Hokies’ starters. “Connor Coward has a really good arm....  Luke Scherzer, before his injury was one of the better pitchers in the ACC and now he’s healthy and pitching again. So, they’ve got some guys on the bump that certainly scare you a little bit.”

At the plate, the Hokies have been productive, scoring nearly six runs per contest, while batting .268 as a team. Virginia Tech’s offense has four players hitting better than .290, including Luke Horanski and Tom Stoffel, who’ve combined for 21 doubles, 10 home runs and 58 RBIs on the season, while leading the team with slugging percentages of .493 and .474.

The Hokies' offense could have a hard time getting around the bases this weekend, facing a red-hot Blue Devil pitching staff. Senior Mitch Stallings is coming off a dominant six-inning, nine-strikeout performance Saturday against N.C. State, bringing his strikeout total up to 68 on the season. Sophomore Adam Laskey has also been solid, posting a 6-3 ledger while holding opponents to just two home runs over 55 2/3 innings.

“I thought that Saturday was as good as he’s thrown the ball during his entire time at Duke,” Pollard said of Stallings. “Mitch has been doing it for four years and he’s got a swing-and-miss changeup, and on Saturday he also had a swing-and-miss breaking ball…. He’s ultra-competitive, one of the more competitive players I’ve ever coached. The bigger the moment, the better he is and the more he likes being out there on the mound.”

Following this weekend’s series, Duke will have a week off for exams before hosting Gardner-Webb in a home doubleheader May 6. 


Michael Model

Digital Strategy Director for Vol. 115, Michael was previously Sports Editor for Vol. 114 and Assistant Blue Zone Editor for Vol. 113.  Michael is a senior majoring in Statistical Science and is interested in data analytics and using data to make insights.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Griffin Conine, Duke looking to bounce back against struggling Virginia Tech on the road” on social media.