Blue Devils Return Home to Host Duke Invitational

DURHAM, N.C. – After spending the last six games on the road, the Duke Blue Devils (6-10) return home to Durham to host their final non-conference tournament of 2019, the Duke Invitational.

The Blue Devils open the weekend against Charleston Southern (4 p.m. ET) and Mississippi State (7 p.m.) on Friday before taking on Mississippi State and Kansas on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. Duke closes out the weekend against Ohio on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 12:30 p.m. All five games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Friday, March 1
Game 1 | Ohio vs. Charleston Southern – 10:00 a.m. ET
Game 2 | Ohio vs. Mississippi State – 1:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 | Duke vs. Charleston Southern – 4:00 p.m. ET
Game 4 | Duke vs. Mississippi State – 7:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 2
Game 5 | Mississippi State vs. Kansas – 11:00 a.m. ET
Game 6 | Duke vs. Mississippi State – 2:00 p.m. ET
Game 7 | Duke vs. Kansas – 5:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 3
Game 8 | Kansas vs. Charleston Southern – 9:30 a.m. ET
Game 9 | Duke vs. Ohio – 12:30 p.m. ET

Duke Blue Devils (6-10)
Roster | Coaches | Statistics | Schedule & Results | Game Notes

Charleston Southern Buccaneers (5-12)
Roster | Coaches | Statistics | Schedule & Results | Game Notes

Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-4)
Roster | Coaches | Statistics | Schedule & Results | Game Notes

Game 1
Duke vs. Charleston Southern
When: March 1 \| 4:00 PM (ET)
Duke Invitational
Where: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Duke Softball Stadium
Watch Live: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats

Game 2
Duke vs. Mississippi State
When: March 1 \| 7:00 PM (ET)
Duke Invitational
Where: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Duke Softball Stadium
Watch Live: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats

Game 3
Duke vs. Mississippi State
When: March 2 \| 2:00 PM (ET)
Duke Invitational
Where: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Duke Softball Stadium
Watch Live: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats

Game 4
Duke vs. Kansas
When: March 2 \| 5:00 PM (ET)
Duke Invitational
Where: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Duke Softball Stadium
Watch Live: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats

Game 5
Duke vs. Ohio
When: March 3 \| 12:30 PM (ET)
Duke Invitational
Where: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Duke Softball Stadium
Watch Live: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats

Need To Know

Duke closes out non-conference tournament play with the 2019 Duke Invitational, welcoming Charleston Southern, Mississippi State, Kansas and Ohio to Durham for the weekend.
All four opponents this weekend are first-time foes for the Blue Devils, including their first matchup against a Big 12 opponent in Kansas.
The Blue Devils are looking to rebound from a 3-1 loss at USC Upstate on Wednesday. Despite starting off with a solo home run in the first, the Blue Devils fell victim to Upstate thanks to a two-run sixth inning for the home team.
Duke went 1-4 in its most recent weekend of action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Blue Devils capped their weekend with a 4-3 victory against Utah, earning their first win in program history against a Pac-12 program.
It's been a solid start to the collegiate career of Deja Davis, as the rookie infielder is second on the team with a .278 average and leads with 15 hits and 11 stolen bases. Against NC Central last week, Davis became the second player in school history to record a four-hit performance and stole a trio of bases for the second-straight game, a school record. She is currently five steals away from tying the single-season school record, set by Jameson Kavel.
Securing the lead through the late innings has been key for Duke's success this year. When leading after five the Blue Devils are 5-0. In its two seasons, Duke is 28-0 when leading after six.

Duke Hosts Final Non-Conference Tourney...
This weekend marks the final non-conference tournament of the 2019 season for the Blue Devils. Last year, Team One went 3-1 during the Inaugural Duke Invitational, defeating Yale, Lehigh and Kent State, but falling to North Dakota State to open the weekend. This year's field features a pair of 2018 NCAA Tournament participants in Ohio and Mississippi State.

Team Two Against The Field...
Duke vs. Charleston Southern
First meeting between the two teams … Will be the fourth Big South team Duke has faced this year, going 2-1 in the previous three matchups against Campbell, Liberty and USC Upstate … Duke is 2-6 against teams from the state of South Carolina … CSU is led by Jade Gandara at the plate with a .367 average, 11 hits, 13 RBI, three doubles and a home run … Arizona Pilgrim is the squad's top pitcher with a 3.20 ERA and a pair of wins.

Duke vs. Mississippi State
The first meeting between the two programs in history … MSU is the third team from the SEC that Duke has faced, having played Kentucky once and South Carolina twice since the program began last year … Also marks the first time Duke will play a program from the state of Mississippi … MSU sports six players with batting averages over .300, led by Mia Davidson (.526) … Alyssa Loza tops MSU's staff with a 1.66 ERA and 4-1 record.

Duke vs. Kansas
First meeting between the two teams … Marks the first game against a Big 12 opponent in program history … Will be the first meeting against a team from the state of Kansas for the Blue Devils … Madison Sykes and Shelby Gayre lead KU with .333 clips and 13 and 12 hits, respectively.

Duke vs. Ohio
First time the two teams have met … The Blue Devils are 1-0 against the MAC in school history, defeating Kent State last year at home in the Duke Invitational … Duke is 1-2 against teams from the state of Ohio … Ohio's top batter is Allie Englant (.462), while Mackensie Kohl (2.26 ERA) leads the team's pitching staff.

Sister, Sister...
When Duke opens its weekend against Charleston Southern, the contest will feature a little sibling rivalry. Duke graduate student Marissa Gagliano will square off against her sister, sophomore Meghan Gagliano. The outfielder has played in 14 contests, racking up a .286 average entering the weekend.

This will be the first of two matchups against siblings this year for the Blue Devils, as Rachel Abboud's sister, Alexis, is a freshman with the Syracuse Orange. The Blue Devils head to Syracuse April 12-14.

Go DJ, That's My DJ...
It's been a solid start to the career of Deja Davis, as the rookie infielder enters the weekend with a .278 clip and a team-high 15 hits and 11 stolen bases. Davis put together a 4-for-4 showing against NC Central last week, just the second four-hit performance in program history. She joined teammate Rachel Abboud, who went 4-for-4 against Boston College on March 17, 2018.

Davis has also been a stud on the base paths for Duke, going 11-for-11 in stolen bases, including a pair of 3-for-3 showings to set and then tie the school single-game record. With five more steals, Davis will tie Jameson Kavel for the program record of 16 set last season.

Got The Need, The Need For Speed...
The Blue Devils have been a terror on the base paths for opposing teams so far this year. Duke has 22 stolen bases, six more than where they stood through the first 16 games of last season. Those 22 are third in the ACC, while Duke's 1.38 steals per game average is 72nd nationally. Last week, the Blue Devils tallied six steals against NC Central, which set the program single-game record. That mark had been previously set the game before with five against Penn State on Feb. 17.

Late Lead = Major Key...
Holding the lead late is a major key to success for Marissa Young's squad over the first two years of the program. This year, the Blue Devils are 5-0 when leading after five and 5-0 when taking the lead into the seventh. In their two years, Duke is 28-0 when leading after six innings.

On the flip side, Duke has struggled when trailing late, going 1-8 when down after five and 0-8 when losing through six. The Blue Devils are still seeking their first comeback win when entering the seventh down (0-27).

Duke Earns First PAC-12 W...
Despite a rough weekend, the Blue Devils capped their time at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 4-3 win against the Utah Utes. The victory gives Duke its first win against a Pac-12 program after falling in a tight 1-0 contest to Cal two days prior. Duke now needs a win against the Big 12 and SEC to have at least one victory against a team from each Power 5 conference.

Social Media…
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