THE SERIES |
Duke vs. N.C. Central
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When: May 3, 2015 |
Where: Jack Coombs FIeld |
Duke vs. NCCU: 14-0 All-Time Series |
Leading Off
• Following a week-long break for exams, Duke returns to the diamond Sunday, May 3 for a doubleheader versus N.C. Central ... The first game will start at 1 p.m. at Jack Coombs Field ... Game two will begin 45 minutes following the completion of the opening contest.
Follow the Action
• The Blue Devil Network is set to broadcast both games with Chris Edwards calling the action ... The live video is available to BDN+ subscribers ... GoDuke.com will also provide the audio broadcast free of charge as well as live stats for both Sunday contests.
Duke vs. N.C. Central
• Duke and N.C. Central have met 15 times in program history ... The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 15-0 ... Most recently, Duke and NCCU squared off at Jack Coombs Field Feb. 25, 2015 ... The Blue Devils won that contest 12-1 ... Freshman Jack Labosky totaled a season-high four hits to pace the offense while redshirt junior Conner Stevens pitched two hitless innings to earn the win ... In 2014, Duke took both ends of a home-and-home series, downing the Eagles, 9-1, April 8 at Coombs before earning an 11-2 decision April 16 at the Durham Athletic Park ... Duke and N.C. Central first met in 2008 with the Blue Devils sweeping a doubleheader over the Eagles.
Duke vs. MEAC Teams
The Blue Devils hold an 83-5 record against teams currently in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) ... In addition to the win over NCCU Feb. 25, Duke defeated Delaware State, 9-4, in its second game of the Duke Baseball Classic Feb. 21 at Jack Coombs Field ... In six games against over the past two season, Duke has outscored its MEAC foes, 67-15.
Zyla Leads Team in Batting Average
• Freshman Peter Zyla leads the team with a .325 batting average ... Zyla has at least one hit in 27 of the 31 games he has started this season ... He is on track to become the first Duke freshman to lead the team in batting average since Vaughn Schill in 1997 ... Zyla enters the weekend ranked 16th in the ACC in batting average ... Zyla's .325 batting average is the second highest among ACC freshmen
Koplove Closing
• In addition to starting 33 games at shortstop, junior Kenny Koplove also serves as the team's closer ... Koplove ranks third in the ACC with nine saves ... Over 20.0 innings, he's yielded five runs on 15 hits ... Koplove has also struck out 34 batters, which translates to an average of 15.30 strikeouts per nine innings ... Prior to the 2015 campaign, Koplove had taken the mound just three times during his freshman season and did not pitch at all in 2014 ... Koplove needs just one more save to tie the Duke single-season record.
Youth Movement
• A veteran team in 2014, Duke relies heavily on its bevy of talented underclassmen this season ... The Blue Devil roster features 14 freshmen ... Six freshmen -- Justin Bellinger, Evan Dougherty, Jack Labosky, Max Miller, Michael Smiciklas and Peter Zyla -- have all started 20 or more games ... Duke played a season-high 13 freshmen April 5 at No. 12 Miami ... Five Duke freshmen have pitched 11.0 or more innings: Ryan Day, Mitch Stallings, Jack Labosky, Chris McGrath and Luke Whitten ... Those five Blue Devil rookies have a combined 9-6 record and 3.28 ERA (54 ER, 148.1 IP).
Istler Among Duke Career ERA Leaders
• Senior right-hander Andrew Istler has flourished in a variety of roles during his Duke career and is ranked eighth all-time in career ERA ... Istler's 3.35 ERA is also the fifth best in program history since the start of the aluminum bat era in 1974 ... In addition, Istler has 12 saves to his credit, good for fourth in school history … After turning in a career year as a junior in 2014, Istler currently leads the team in innings pitched (68.2) and strikeouts (66) ... Among ACC pitchers, he is ranked sixth in innings pitched (68.2), eighth in strikeouts (66), first in batters struck out looking (29) and fourth in runners picked off (4).
Perez on the Base Paths
• Senior Andy Perez has been one of the most prolific base stealers in school history ... He enters the weekend with 71 career stolen bases, good for fourth in program history … With 27 stolen bases this season, Perez ranks fourth in the program's single season records ... Over the past 20 seasons, Perez and Will Piwnica-Worms (21, 2011) are the only two Blue Devils to steal 20 or more bases in a single season ... Perez has done it twice in the past two years, registering 22 stolen bases in 2014 … Perez ranks ninth in the nation this season with a career-high 27 stolen bases ... Perez is one of 19 DI players to steal 25-plus bases this season ... Perez has stolen at least one base in 18 games this season, including six contests with multiple stolen bases.
Ohanian Having Career Year
• Senior Sarkis Ohanian has been instrumental for the Duke bullpen ... Ohanian has posted career bests in ERA (2.23), strikeouts (47) and walks (6) ... He is one of just eight ACC pitchers (minimum 15.0 IP) with an ERA under 2.30 in conference play and he leads.
Duke Leads ACC in Pickoffs
• The Blue Devils lead the ACC with 18 runners picked off this season ... Duke is the only league team to feature two pitchers with four or more pickoffs this season in Andrew Istler and Luke Whitten ... Whitten and NC State's Brian Brown are the only freshmen to appear among the ACC's top five in runners picked off ... Istler has ranked among the league's top pitchers in terms of pickoffs over the past two years, totaling 11 in that span.
Blue Devils vs. The ACC
• The Blue Devils enter the weekend with a 5-15 ACC record ... Duke is currently 14th in the overall league standings and sixth in the Coastal Division ... The Blue Devils are 374-776-4 all-time in ACC games ... Duke holds a 605-967-9 record against teams currently in the ACC.
Four Pitchers Sidelined Due to Injury
• Duke is without the services of four of its top pitchers for the remainder of the season ... Junior Michael Matuella will miss the rest of the year due to an elbow injury ... Matuella posted a 0.71 ERA over 25.0 innings this season ... Junior left-hander Nick Hendrix is also shut down for the season while recovering from a head injury ... Both senior Trent Swart and redshirt sophomore James Marvel will miss the entirity of the 2015 campaign ... Marvel posted a 1.78 ERA over 25.1 innings in four starts a season ago ... Swart ranks third in the Duke career records with a 2.99 ERA ... That mark is also the best in program history since the start of the aluminum bat era in 1974 ... Last season, Swart led the ACC with a 1.76 ERA.
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