Duke Hosts Quinnipiac And Richmond For Mid-Week Matchups

DURHAM, N.C. ? The Duke baseball team will host a pair of non-conference matchups this week at Jack Coombs Field, beginning with a 3 p.m. meeting against Quinnipiac on Tuesday, March 12 and another 3 p.m. bout against Richmond on Wednesday, March 13.

Duke (12-2, 1-2 ACC) is coming off of a 13-4 upset over second-ranked North Carolina over the weekend for its 12th win of the season. The Blue Devils rattled off 12 straight wins to open 2008 before dropping the final two games of the series against North Carolina 9-3 and 9-0. Duke's 12-2 start is among the best in school history, trailing a 15-0 mark set by the 1995 squad.

Duke's offensive lineup is among the best in the ACC, as the Blue Devils lead the conference in hits (158) and doubles (37) and second in batting average (.324), runs scored (121) and extra base hits (48). Duke's 13-run outburst against the Tar Heels marked the seventh time this season that the Blue Devils reached double-digit runs and the ninth time that Duke scored eight or more. Duke has pounded nine or more hits in all but two games this season and boasts six starters with batting averages over .300, including conference batting average and RBI leader Jeremy Gould.

The Blue Devils knocked out 29 hits in the three-game series against the Tar Heels, with eight coming from Gould. The 6-3, 200 pound left fielder brings a 10-game hitting streak into this week's games after finishing 8-for-11 (.727) in the North Carolina series. Gould also launched his second home run of the season while driving in four RBI in a 4-for-4 outing in the game one win over the Tar Heels. His 17 RBI are the most on the team and tied for the most in the ACC.

Senior designated hitter Kyle Kreick also had a successful series against North Carolina, picking up a hit in every game, including three in the series opener. Kreick drove in four RBI in the 13-4 victory and knocked doubles in back-to-back games. The 5-10, 190 pound Kreick has batted primarily in the No. 5 spot and is putting together a tremendous senior campaign with hits in all but three of his 13 games played for a .358 average.

Junior catcher Matt Williams is coming off a 3-for-4 outing on Sunday after ripping a pair of doubles in game three for his first extra base knocks of the season. Williams is batting .390 this season with a .479 on base percentage and has been a valuable asset behind the plate for the Blue Devils. He has already thrown out two runners trying to steal second, including one against North Carolina, while also picking off another at first base.

Cleanup hitter Nate Freiman has anchored Duke's offense as well, as the 6-8, 240 pound first baseman owns a .339 batting average along with 15 RBI and 17 runs scored. He has mashed three home runs this season while slugging .571.

It took only 13 games for freshman shortstop Jake Lemmerman to hit his first career home run, as the 6-2, 180 pound middle infielder launched a three-run bomb down the left field line in game two against North Carolina. The shot gave Duke a temporary 4-3 lead in the game and was his fifth extra base hit of the season. After starting every game this season, the Newport Beach, Calif., product has put together a .283 average, paced by at least one hit in all but two games and at least one run in all but four contests.

Duke's pitching staff is anchored by a number of upperclassmen, with several freshmen also making significant contributions. The Blue Devils have issued the fewest walks per game in the conference (2.14 BB/9) while ranking third in ERA (2.36). Junior Andrew Wolcott (2-0) has put together a 1.59 ERA through a team-high 17.0 innings pitched and picked up his most recent win in the 13-4 upset over the Tar Heels. Sophomore Michael Ness has emerged as one of Duke's top bullpen options, as the 6-4 right hander has maintained a 1.50 ERA through a team-leading five relief appearances. Junior Kyle Butler has also provided a consistent options, putting together a 1.00 ERA and a pair of saves through four appearances out of the bullpen. Senior Ryan Perry has been nearly untouchable as of late, as the Houston, Texas native is holding opposing hitters to a team-low .111 batting average through 8.1 innings of work.

Freshman Dennis O'Grady brings a 0.00 ERA and a 2-0 record into the week's matchups after going his first 9.2 innings without allowing a run. He is holding batters to a .161 batting average after surrendering just five hits through three appearances, including one start. Sophomore Christopher Manno is also among Duke's top arms, as the 6-1 southpaw has struck out 15 batters through his first 10 innings of work. Manno has made two mid-week starts, picking up a win in one while putting together a 4.35 ERA overall.

Scouting Quinnipiac

The Quinnipiac Bobcats (1-2, 0-0) got a late start to their season, playing their first games on March 8 against Davidson. Quinnipiac routed the Wildcats 15-10 in the opener, but dropped game two 10-7 before falling to Appalachian State 11-4. The Bobcats have had little trouble scoring runs thus far after batting .313 as a team with four home runs and a combined .496 slugging percentage.

John Delaney leads the squad with a .467 (7-for-15) clip, while Michael Amanti and Pete Kummerfeldt each boast .444 averages. Two of Kummerfeldt's four hits have been home runs, as the left-handed first baseman also shares the team lead with six RBI. Freshman infielder Tyler Turgeon has also driven in six runs with a home run and a double.

Quinnipiac's offense has had to offset a troubled pitching staff that has a combined ERA of 9.78. Todd DeFrancesco owns the group's lowest ERA at 5.40 while also making a team-high two appearances.

Scouting Richmond
The Richmond Spiders (4-9-1, 0-0 Atlantic-10) have picked up wins over UNC-Wilmington, Longwood, Seton Hall and George Mason, but are coming off three straight losses to Princeton. Like Quinnipiac, Richmond is more than capable of putting up runs, as the Spiders have scored less than five runs just once this season. Through 14 games, Richmond has driven 145 hits, including 27 doubles and nine long balls.

Junior Ryan Metzroth has been Richmond's most productive hitter, as the 6-3, 205 pound outfielder has put together a .418 batting average with a team-high 16 runs scored and two home runs. Evan Stehle has been the Spiders' top run producer, driving in a team-high 16 RBI. Hank Coogan has also been a focal point of the lineup after driving in 12 RBI and scoring 10 times on six doubles and a home run.

Richmond's pitching staff is led by senior Alex Hale, who owns a 3-0 record and a 2.08 ERA through five appearances out of the bullpen and one start. Freshman Daniel Clark has also become a solid option out of the bullpen and boasts a 3.00 ERA through five relief appearances.

On Deck For The Blue Devils

Following the mid-week matchups, Duke will continue ACC play with a three-gmae home series against No. 14 Virginia this weekend. Duke will open the series with a 3 p.m. meeting on Friday, March 14 at Jack Coombs Field.

-d-u-k-e-

Duke Hosts Quinnipiac And Richmond For Mid-Week Matchups

Players Mentioned

Kyle Butler

Nate Freiman

Jeremy Gould

Kyle Kreick

Jake Lemmerman

Christopher Manno

Michael Ness

Dennis O'Grady

Ryan Perry

Matt Williams

Andrew Wolcott

Duke information

Duke Hosts Quinnipiac And Richmond For Mid-Week Matchups

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Players Mentioned

Kyle Butler

Nate Freiman

Jeremy Gould

Kyle Kreick

Jake Lemmerman

Christopher Manno

Michael Ness

Dennis O'Grady

Ryan Perry

Matt Williams

Andrew Wolcott

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Duke information