| GAME 1 | ||||||||||||
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| When: April 1, 2016 | 7 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| Where: Russ Chandler Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Duke Starter: RHP Bailey Clark | ||||||||||||
| GT Starter: RHP Brandon Gold | ||||||||||||
| Follow: Video | Audio | Stats | ||||||||||||
| GAME 2 |
| When: April 2, 2016 | 4 p.m. |
| Where: Russ Chandler Stadium |
| Duke Starter: RHP Kellen Urbon |
| GT Starter: RHP Zac Ryan |
| Follow: Video | Audio | Stats |
| GAME 3 |
| When: April 3, 2016 | 1 p.m. |
| Where: Russ Chandler Stadium | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Duke Starter: RHP Brian McAfee |
| GT Starter: TBA |
| Follow: Video | Audio | Stats |
| DUKE (12-13, 2-7 ACC) | ||||||||||||
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| Roster | ||||||||||||
| Coaches | ||||||||||||
| Stats | ||||||||||||
| Schedule & Results | ||||||||||||
| Notes | ||||||||||||
| GEORGIA TECH (18-5, 5-4 ACC) | ||||||||||||
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| Coaches | ||||||||||||
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| Schedule & Results | ||||||||||||
| CONNECT | ||||||||||||
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LEADING OFF
Duke hits the road for its second straight ACC series, traveling to Atlanta to face No. 21 Georgia Tech in a three-game series Friday-Sunday, April 1-3 at Russ Chandler Stadium ... Games times are set for Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. ... Duke is 12-13 (2-7 ACC) following a 6-1 midweek victory over Liberty ... Georgia Tech owns a 19-5 (5-4 ACC) record after defeating Georgia Southern 6-1 Wednesday ... Fans unable to attend can catch the action on Ramblin Wreck All-Access via Georgia Tech's official website (ramblinwreck.com) ... The Blue Devil Network will provide an audio broadcast free of charge with Chris Edwards on the call for all three games.
DUKE vs. GEORGIA TECH
Duke and Georgia Tech have met 124 times in program history ... The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 89-35 ... The series is Duke's fourth-oldest against current ACC teams, dating back to May 4, 1903 ... In their most recent meeting, Georgia Tech took 2-of-3 from Duke at Jack Coombs Field in Durham, N.C., this past season ... Georgia Tech won the 2015 series opener, 5-2, before Duke rallied for a 6-3 victory ... The Yellow Jackets shut out the Blue Devils, 4-0, in the finale to clinch the series victory.
BLUE DEVILS vs. THE ACC
After the third weekend of conference play, the Blue Devils are 2-7 in league action following their road series against Wake Forest ... Duke was picked to finish fifth in the ACC Coastal Division in the 2016 ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll ... The Blue Devils have won a program-best 16 ACC games in a season twice, in 2014 and 1994 ... Duke is 377-782-4 all-time in ACC games ... Duke holds a 609-972-9 record against teams currently in the ACC ... Duke has won three ACC titles since joining the league in 1954 and has had 93 All-ACC selections in program history.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Duke relies heavily on its corps of talented underclassmen ... The Blue Devils have not featured a lineup with more than three upperclassmen this season ... Duke has had as many as nine underclassmen in the starting lineup ... The Blue Devils regularly start four freshman: Griffin Conine, Jimmy Herron, Zack Kone and Chris Proctor ... In addition, Jalen Phillips is the only Duke upperclassman to start in the infield this season and Duke has not started a single upperclassmen in the outfield all year ... The Blue Devil roster features 24 underclassmen (12 freshmen and 12 sophomores), compared to 12 upperclassmen (five graduate students, two seniors and five juniors).
IMPACT FRESHMEN
Freshmen Jimmy Herron and Zack Kone have been mainstays in the Duke lineup this season ... Those two are batting a combined .282 on the year, compared to a .231 clip for the rest of the team ... Herron leads the team and ranks third in the ACC with 10 stolen bases ... He is also one of the toughest ACC players to strike out, averaging 0.29 strikeouts per game to rank sixth in the league ... Kone has started all but one game at shortstop, committing just one error in 104 chances ... Kone is hitting a team-high .438 versus left-handed pitchers.
PEREZ HEATS UP
Over the past 10 games, junior Cris Perez has hit .467 (14-for-30) with seven doubles, raising his batting average from .156 to a team-best .295 during that span ... Over the past 10 contests, he is also slugging .700 and owns a .500 on base percentage ... The Miami native currently leads the team in batting average (.295), slugging percentage (.492) and doubles (9).
CLARK ASSUMES ROLE AS FRIDAY STARTER
Junior right-hander Bailey Clark has made six Friday night starts this season ... He leads the team in total strikeouts (33) ... He also leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC, averaging 10.01 strikeouts per game ... Clark is one of eight ACC pitchers averaging double-digit strikeouts per game ... Clark was named an alternate for the 2015 U.S. Collegiate National Team and joined the squad for its five-game series against Cuba July 1-6 in Cary, N.C. ... He made two appearances with Team USA, coming out of the bullpen in both ... The United State won the series, 3-2 ... Clark is the second Blue Devil to compete with the U.S. Collegiate National Team ... Former Duke right-hander and current Toronto Blue Jay Marcus Stroman was a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Team in 2011 ... In addition, Clark was tabbed No. 41 on Perfect Game's list of top 150 college prospects for the 2016 MLB Draft.
| ACC Strikeout Per Game Leaders | |||
| Rk. | Name | School | K/GM |
| 1 | J.B. Bukauskas | North Carolina | 13.23 |
| 2 | Ryan Williamson | NC State | 12.67 |
| 3 | Brian Brown | NC State | 11.85 |
| 4 | Brendan McKay | Louisville | 11.20 |
| 5 | Zac Gallen | North Carolina | 10.42 |
| 6 | Alex Eubanks | Clemson | 10.05 |
| 7 | Bailey Clark | Duke | 10.01 |
| 8 | Michael Mediavilla | Miami | 9.84 |
| 9 | Pat Krall | Clemson | 9.76 |
| 10 | Charlie Barnes | Clemson | 9.62 |
URBON, McAFEE JOIN BLUE DEVILS
After graduating from Cornell University with a year of eligibility remaining, graduate students Kellen Urbon and Brian McAfee enrolled in Duke's Fuqua School of Business and joined the Blue Devils for the 2016 season ... Both former Big Red right-handers have made key contributions, making a combined 12 starts and 17 appearances for Duke ... McAfee has stepped into the Sunday starter role, while Urbon has made five midweek starts, five weekend relief appearances and one weekend start ... Those two have combined for seven quality starts, 76.2 innings pitched, a 2.70 ERA and a 3.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
URBON MOVES TO WEEKEND ROTATION
After making five midweek starts, graduate student Kellen Urbon transitioned to the Saturday starter role against Wake Forest ... Urbon has made a team-high 11 appearances and leads the Blue Devils in ERA (1.51), opposing batting average (.188) and wins (3) ... Urbon enters the weekend ranked seventh in the ACC in ERA (1.51), seventh in opposing batting average (.188) and seventh in hits allowed per game (6.06).
| ACC ERA Leaders | |||
| Rk | Name | School | ERA |
| 1 | Jacob Stevens | Boston College | 0.53 |
| 2 | Pat Krall | Clemson | 0.65 |
| 3 | Brendan McKay | Louisville | 1.10 |
| 4 | John McCarren | Wake Forest | 1.32 |
| 5 | Drew Harrington | Louisville | 1.42 |
| 6 | Zac Gallen | North Carolina | 1.49 |
| 7 | Kellen Urbon | Duke | 1.51 |
| 8 | Kade McClure | Louisville | 1.64 |
| 9 | Connor Jones | Virginia | 1.71 |
| 10 | Brandon Gold | Georgia Tech | 2.17 |
LIMITING FREE BASES
Graduate student Brian McAfee ranks among the top pitchers nationally in walks allowed per nine innings ... McAfee averages just 1.10 walks per contest to rank second in the ACC and 36th in the nation ... McAfee also ranks fourth nationally among active career leaders in fewest career walks per nine innings (1.13).
| ACC Walks Per Game Leaders | |||
| Rk | Name | School | BB/GM |
| 1 | Drew Harrington | Louisville | 0.95 |
| 2 | Brian McAfee | Duke | 1.10 |
| 3 | Zac Gallen | North Carolina | 1.49 |
| 4 | Pat Krall | Clemson | 1.63 |
| 5 | Mike King | Boston College | 1.64 |
| 6 | Connor Johnstone | Wake Forest | 1.73 |
| 7 | Sean Guenther | Notre Dame | 1.88 |
| 8 | Kade McClure | Louisville | 1.91 |
| 9 | Brandon Gold | Georgia Tech | 1.93 |
| 10 | Michael Hearne | Notre Dame | 1.96 |
| NCAA Active Career Leaders -- Walks Per Game | |||
| Rk | Name | School | BB/9 |
| 1 | Jeffrey Stovall | Northwestern State | 0.93 |
| 2 | Sterling Koerner | Florida Gulf Coast | 0.98 |
| 3 | Thomas Belcher | Indiana | 1.07 |
| 4 | Brian McAfee | Duke | 1.13 |
| 5 | Adam Niemeyer | Ohio State | 1.14 |
MCAFEE NAMED ACC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Graduate student Brian McAfee was named ACC Pitcher of the Week March 14 after tossing his first career shutout against No. 14 Virginia ... The Cavaliers entered the game as one of the top offenses in the ACC, but McAfee needed just 94 pitches – 72 for strikes – to keep Virginia off the board for nine innings ... A graduate student from Bothell, Wash., McAfee scattered five singles, struck out three and did not walk a batter ... McAfee's shutout was the first by a Blue Devil since Drew Van Orden tossed a scoreless complete game May 22, 2014, against Georgia Tech.
| Duke Complete Game Shutouts Under Coach Pollard | |||
| Name | Opponent | Score | Date |
| Brian McAfee | No. 14 Virginia | 3-0 | 3/13/16 |
| Drew Van Orden | Georgia Tech | 6-0 | 5/22/14 |
| Robert Huber | No. 15 Georgia Tech | 3-0 | 4/7/13 |
| Robert Huber | Boston College | 6-0 | 3/30/13 |
SWART AMONG DUKE CAREER ERA LEADERS
Graduate student Trent Swart owns a 3.00 career ERA, good for third all-time at Duke and also the top Blue Devil mark since the beginning of the aluminum bat era in 1974 ... In 2014, Swart led the ACC with a 1.76 ERA, the sixth-best single-season ERA in program history ... For his career, Swart owns a 14-15 record with 220 strikeouts over 243.0 innings ... He is the only Blue Devil pitcher start over 40 games in his career and post an ERA under 3.90 ... Swart is also three strikeouts shy of tying for 10th on Duke's career strikeouts list.
| Duke Career ERA Leaders (Minimum 150 IP) | |||
| Rk. | ERA | Name | Years |
| 1. | 1.61 | Don Altman | 1960-61 |
| 2. | 2.42 | Al Schwartz | 1969-72 |
| 3. | 3.00 | Trent Swart | 2012-Present |
| 4. | 3.04 | Gordon Jackson | 1969-73 |
| 5. | 3.10 | Larry Brooks | 1977-80 |
POLLARD APPROACHES 500 CAREER WINS
With a 486-407-3 record in 16 seasons as a head coach, Chris Pollard is 14 wins shy of reaching 500 ... In addition, Pollard owns a 102-87 record as head coach of the Blue Devils ... Pollard recorded his 100th win at Duke Tuesday, March 15 against UMES, becoming the fastest Blue Devil head coach to reach 100 wins in program history ... He is also the first Blue Devil head coach to guide the team to two 30-win seasons in his first three campaigns.
IN SEARCH OF THIRD STRAIGHT 30-WIN SEASON
With a 31-22 overall record in 2015, the Blue Devils recorded 30 wins for the 12th time in program history and back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 ... Head coach Chris Pollard is the first Blue Devil head coach to guide the team to two 30-win seasons in his first three campaigns ... Should Duke reach 30 wins in 2016, it would mark the program's first stretch of three-straight 30-win seasons since the Blue Devils compiled a run of seven consecutive 30-win ledgers from 1992-98.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE MLB DRAFT
The Blue Devils have had eight players selected in the MLB Draft over the past two seasons, marking the second-highest two-year total in program history (A school record 11 Blue Devils were taken from 2009-10) ... Five Blue Devils were selected in the 2015 draft: junior RHP Michael Matuella, senior RHP Sarkis Ohanian, junior RHP Kenny Koplove, senior RHP Andrew Istler and redshirt sophomore RHP James Marvel ... Duke's five selections in the 2015 MLB Draft marked the program's highest total since seven Blue Devils were taken in the 2009 MLB Draft ... In addition, Matuella and Ohanian became the first Duke teammates picked in the first 10 rounds of the draft since 2002 (Larry Broadway | 3rd Round & Kevin Kelly | 5th Round) ... Duke also had five pitchers taken in a single draft for the first time in program history.
| 2014-15 Duke MLB Draft Selections | |||||
| Name | Pos | Year | Rd | Overall | Organization |
| Michael Matuella | RHP | 2015 | 3rd | 78 | Texas Rangers |
| Sarkis Ohanian | RHP | 2015 | 9th | 265 | Cincinnati Reds |
| Kenny Koplove | RHP | 2015 | 17th | 504 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Andrew Istler | RHP | 2015 | 23rd | 702 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| James Marvel | RHP | 2015 | 36th | 1,087 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Drew Van Orden | RHP | 2014 | 5th | 154 | Washington Nationals |
| Jordan Betts | 3B | 2014 | 18th | 554 | Boston Red Sox |
| Robert Huber | RHP | 2014 | 26th | 792 | Oakland Athletics |
DUKE EXPANDS PARTNERSHIPS WITH DURHAM BULLS
Duke renewed its agreement with the Durham Bulls to play home games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays ... Beginning in 2016, the contract renewal is a seven-year agreement that allows Duke to play up to 36 exhibition and home games at the DBAP each year ... The Blue Devils also gain a new, permanent locker room and clubhouse at the facility as well as coaches' office in Diamond View II ... Duke and the Durham Bulls began their original partnership prior to the Blue Devils' 2010 season ... Over the past five seasons, Duke has played 81 games at the DBAP, posting a 36-45 record at the venue during that span.
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