Completed Event: Baseball versus Murray State on June 9, 2025 , Loss , 4, to, 5
/
Final
Baseball
4
vs Murray State
5
Friday, February 21
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
4 p.m.
Duke University
vs
Cornell
Photo by: Duke Athletics
No. 16 Duke Welcomes Cornell This Weekend
2/20/2020 2:46:00 PM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – Winners of three straight, No. 16 Duke looks to carry that momentum into the weekend, as the Blue Devils are set for a four-game home stretch. First up, Duke will welcome Cornell for a three-game series beginning on Friday afternoon, as the two teams will meet for the 17th time in program history.
The Blue Devils and Big Red are set for a 4 p.m. start in Friday's series opener, while the first pitch for Saturday's and Sunday's games are both set for 1 p.m. Following the weekend series, Duke will host Air Force on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m., for a midweek matchup to conclude its eight-game homestand. Fans can catch all four games on ACC Network Extra.
Series History with Cornell
Duke and Cornell will meet for the 17th time in program history when the two schools square off in Friday's series opener. Duke owns the series advantage, 11-4-1, including a seven-game winning streak and a 9-1 mark across games in Durham. The series marks the second meeting between the Blue Devils and Big Red in the past three seasons, as Cornell made the trip to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2018 during the third week of the season. Duke picked up the sweep over the Big Red, winning all three games by a five-run margin. Head coach Chris Pollard owns a 5-1 all-time record against Cornell, including a 3-0 mark during his time at Duke.
Scouting the Big Red
Cornell looks to open its 2020 season this weekend against the Blue Devils with a three-game series at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Last season, the Big Red posted a 14-24 overall record, including an 8-13 mark across Ivy League play. Cornell lost its top two hitters from a season ago in Adam Saks and William Simoneit -- a 2019 All-Ivy League honorable mention honoree. The Big Red return the majority of their pitching staff from last year, highlighted by senior John Natoli, who was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League First Team a season ago. Cornell welcomes 11 freshmen to its 2020 roster, which is also comprised of 10 sophomores, five juniors and 10 seniors.
Trending for Duke
Duke takes a three-game winning streak into the weekend, after defeating William & Mary, 5-0, on Tuesday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils used a combination of pitchers to thwart the Tribe offense, surrendering only four hits to pick up the team's second shutout of the season. Last weekend, Duke bounced back with a pair of wins in the final two games of the three-game set with Army West Point to claim its first series victory of the 2020 campaign. The Blue Devils rallied from behind to secure a 9-8 walk-off win on Saturday afternoon, before battling to a 7-0 victory in the series finale with the Black Knights.
Duke vs. Air Force
Following its three-game series with Cornell, Duke is set to host the Air Force Academy on Monday afternoon for a midweek matchup. The Blue Devils and Falcons will meet for just the second time in program history, as Duke trails in the all-time series, 0-1. Air Force is set for a three-game weekend series against Navy in Kingston, N.C., before making the trip to Durham to square off against Duke.
Patience is a Virtue
The Blue Devils have showed discipline in their offensive approach throughout their first four games, drawing 26 walks and 13 hit-by-pitches for a total of 39 free passes at the plate. Duke's 13 hit-by-pitches rank third in the nation and place the team first in the conference. The Blue Devils tallied 21 free passes (15 walks and 6 hit-by-pitches) in last Saturday's 9-8 win over Army West Point, as all nine starters registered at least one walk or hit-by-pitch at the dish, while the duo of Ethan Murray and Michael Rothenberg drew three walks apiece. Murray ranks 20th in the country in walks with a total of 10 on the season, while placing second in the ACC.
Duke's Deadly Three-Four Combo
The Duke offense boasts one of the toughest three-four combos in its lineup with three-hole hitter Michael Rothenberg and cleanup man Matt Mervis. The two have combined for five of the Blue Devils' nine extra-base hits and 11 of the team's 17 RBI over the first four games of the 2020 campaign. Mervis launched his first career grand slam in last Saturday's contest against Army West Point, while Rothenberg lifted a two-run shot in Sunday's series finale to clinch the series win over the Black Knights. Rothenberg ranks within the top 10 of the ACC in both on-base percentage (.588) and slugging percentage (.900), ranking seventh OBP and fifth in slugging.
Pitching Staff Success
The Duke pitching staff is tied for first in the ACC and fourth in the nation in ERA with a mark of 1.25 (5 ER/36.0 IP), entering the weekend. The Blue Devils have worked 19.0 consecutive scoreless innings, notching back-to-back shutouts against Army West Point and William & Mary, while only allowing eight hits and two walks across the span. Duke's strenghth has proved to be in the bullpen throughout the first four games, as the Blue Devil relievers have only allowed three earned runs across 22.2 innings pitched and only one run past the fourth inning. The pitching staff has posted scoreless outings in 10 of their 12 relief appearances, combining for a 1.19 ERA out of the pen.
Follow Duke Baseball on Social Media
For more information on Duke baseball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeBaseball". You can also find all-access coverage of all Duke athletic programs on SnapChat by searching for "dukeathletics".
#GoDuke
The Blue Devils and Big Red are set for a 4 p.m. start in Friday's series opener, while the first pitch for Saturday's and Sunday's games are both set for 1 p.m. Following the weekend series, Duke will host Air Force on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m., for a midweek matchup to conclude its eight-game homestand. Fans can catch all four games on ACC Network Extra.
Series History with Cornell
Duke and Cornell will meet for the 17th time in program history when the two schools square off in Friday's series opener. Duke owns the series advantage, 11-4-1, including a seven-game winning streak and a 9-1 mark across games in Durham. The series marks the second meeting between the Blue Devils and Big Red in the past three seasons, as Cornell made the trip to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2018 during the third week of the season. Duke picked up the sweep over the Big Red, winning all three games by a five-run margin. Head coach Chris Pollard owns a 5-1 all-time record against Cornell, including a 3-0 mark during his time at Duke.
Scouting the Big Red
Cornell looks to open its 2020 season this weekend against the Blue Devils with a three-game series at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Last season, the Big Red posted a 14-24 overall record, including an 8-13 mark across Ivy League play. Cornell lost its top two hitters from a season ago in Adam Saks and William Simoneit -- a 2019 All-Ivy League honorable mention honoree. The Big Red return the majority of their pitching staff from last year, highlighted by senior John Natoli, who was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League First Team a season ago. Cornell welcomes 11 freshmen to its 2020 roster, which is also comprised of 10 sophomores, five juniors and 10 seniors.
Trending for Duke
Duke takes a three-game winning streak into the weekend, after defeating William & Mary, 5-0, on Tuesday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils used a combination of pitchers to thwart the Tribe offense, surrendering only four hits to pick up the team's second shutout of the season. Last weekend, Duke bounced back with a pair of wins in the final two games of the three-game set with Army West Point to claim its first series victory of the 2020 campaign. The Blue Devils rallied from behind to secure a 9-8 walk-off win on Saturday afternoon, before battling to a 7-0 victory in the series finale with the Black Knights.
Duke vs. Air Force
Following its three-game series with Cornell, Duke is set to host the Air Force Academy on Monday afternoon for a midweek matchup. The Blue Devils and Falcons will meet for just the second time in program history, as Duke trails in the all-time series, 0-1. Air Force is set for a three-game weekend series against Navy in Kingston, N.C., before making the trip to Durham to square off against Duke.
Patience is a Virtue
The Blue Devils have showed discipline in their offensive approach throughout their first four games, drawing 26 walks and 13 hit-by-pitches for a total of 39 free passes at the plate. Duke's 13 hit-by-pitches rank third in the nation and place the team first in the conference. The Blue Devils tallied 21 free passes (15 walks and 6 hit-by-pitches) in last Saturday's 9-8 win over Army West Point, as all nine starters registered at least one walk or hit-by-pitch at the dish, while the duo of Ethan Murray and Michael Rothenberg drew three walks apiece. Murray ranks 20th in the country in walks with a total of 10 on the season, while placing second in the ACC.
Duke's Deadly Three-Four Combo
The Duke offense boasts one of the toughest three-four combos in its lineup with three-hole hitter Michael Rothenberg and cleanup man Matt Mervis. The two have combined for five of the Blue Devils' nine extra-base hits and 11 of the team's 17 RBI over the first four games of the 2020 campaign. Mervis launched his first career grand slam in last Saturday's contest against Army West Point, while Rothenberg lifted a two-run shot in Sunday's series finale to clinch the series win over the Black Knights. Rothenberg ranks within the top 10 of the ACC in both on-base percentage (.588) and slugging percentage (.900), ranking seventh OBP and fifth in slugging.
Pitching Staff Success
The Duke pitching staff is tied for first in the ACC and fourth in the nation in ERA with a mark of 1.25 (5 ER/36.0 IP), entering the weekend. The Blue Devils have worked 19.0 consecutive scoreless innings, notching back-to-back shutouts against Army West Point and William & Mary, while only allowing eight hits and two walks across the span. Duke's strenghth has proved to be in the bullpen throughout the first four games, as the Blue Devil relievers have only allowed three earned runs across 22.2 innings pitched and only one run past the fourth inning. The pitching staff has posted scoreless outings in 10 of their 12 relief appearances, combining for a 1.19 ERA out of the pen.
Follow Duke Baseball on Social Media
For more information on Duke baseball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeBaseball". You can also find all-access coverage of all Duke athletic programs on SnapChat by searching for "dukeathletics".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
Duke Baseball - Corey Muscara Opening Press Conference
Friday, June 27
Press Conference: Corey Muscara Introduction
Wednesday, June 25
Press Conference: Durham Super Regional Sunday
Sunday, June 08
Press Conference: Durham Super Regional Saturday
Saturday, June 07
