Duke baseball looks to right the ship in exhibition contest against the Durham Bulls

<p>Kennie Taylor was one of the few Blue Devils hot at the plate this week.</p>

Kennie Taylor was one of the few Blue Devils hot at the plate this week.

In the past several weeks, Duke has limped through a brutal stretch of missed opportunities and bad breaks. Squaring off against a professional team ahead of yet another busy week would hardly seem to be the optimal situation for the Blue Devils, but the chance to return to familiar turf and let loose against one of the most recognizable minor league teams in the country could be the break they need.

After a frustrating sweep at the hands of rival North Carolina this weekend, Duke will get a breather of sorts from what has been a tough stretch of conference play to face the Durham Bulls Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils last faced their in-town minor league counterparts in 2017, when the Bulls escaped with a 2-1 win after cutting down the tying run in Aaron Therien, a Durham native, on an extremely close play at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. For Duke, the exhibition—an opportunity to get some fresh faces in the lineup—couldn’t come at a better time, as the Blue Devils have dropped seven of their last nine to slide towards the bottom of the ACC standings. 

“We’re going to mix up the order a little bit, we’re going to play some younger guys, we’re going to give some guys that have been every day guys days off, so you’ll see a lot of different guys in there tomorrow night,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said. “This game has an opportunity to be a good reset button for us as we head into the second half of the season.”

One of the primary culprits for the Blue Devils (14-14) during their recent skid has been situational hitting—in its 16-6 loss to the Tar Heels on Sunday, Duke left 15 runners on base as they slid to .500 for the first time all season. Kennie Taylor was one of the bright spots for a Duke lineup that created opportunities that were ultimately failed to capitalize on. The senior captain from Tampa, Fla. is batting .333 this season with a .403 on-base percentage on top of providing sparkling defense in center field. 

Pollard also hinted at the potential return this week of first baseman Joey Loperfido, who led the team in batting average last year but has been sidelined for over a month since suffering an injury in the Blue Devils’ series opener against Northwestern.

“Kennie’s played great all year, and he’s been a great leader as a captain for us. I think when we get Loperfido [back] that’s a really good one-two punch at the top of the lineup,” Pollard said. I’m just very proud of ken and the job he’s done, as a player and as a leader, and he’s playing hard and he’s playing smart, and he’s being really productive right now. 

Loperfido’s return later this week could prove to be the piece that Duke’s lineup has missed at times in the past several weeks. The game against the Bulls also gives Pollard a chance to rotate in new bats in his lineup and tinker with different orders. 

The busy week will also mean the Blue Devils will have to be careful not to waste too many pitchers early on, and opens the door for different arms to take the hill against Durham. 

“We’re going to throw a lot of young guys, candidly,” Pollard said.  “We’re not going to throw anyone tomorrow night that we could potentially need on Wednesday, so you’ll see some young guys and some guys who haven’t thrown a lot yet.”

The new faces in the lineup for the Blue Devils will have their hands full against Durham, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bulls are two-time defending champions in the International League—one of two Triple-A leagues in the country—and return 16 players from last season’s roster. Although most of the Rays’ top prospects remain with lower level affiliates, there are a number of players in Durham who have a chance at seeing extended time this year with in the big leagues. 

Headlining this group is Nathaniel Lowe, a first baseman who has hit .303/.393./.476 in his past three seasons since being drafted out of Mississippi State in 2016. Lowe struggled in Spring Training but could slot in at designated hitter this year for Tampa Bay, especially after the club dealt Jake Bauers to Cleveland this offseason.

On the bump, the Bulls, like the Blue Devils, will likely throw a wide variety of pitchers as they go through the motions one last time before officially opening their season Friday in Charlotte. Jake Faria and Austin Pruitt have both spent time bouncing between Durham and Tampa Bay, and could potentially work an inning or two apiece against Duke. The Blue Devils are fortunate not to have to worry about top pitching prospect Brent Honeywell, though, as he will open the season on the injured list. Durham fans should keep an eye out for Honeywell when he returns, however, as the 23-year-old could be pitching alongside Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow for the big-league club by mid-summer.

After the exhibition game against the Bulls, Duke continues with a stretch of four more official games in five days, beginning with East Carolina at home on Wednesday and continuing with a three-game home stand against Pittsburgh this weekend.

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