No. 23 Duke Set for Opening Weekend vs. VMI

Saturday, February 19

Durham, N.C.

3:00 P.M.

Duke University

Virginia Military Institute

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No. 23 Duke Set for Opening Weekend vs. VMI

2/17/2022 12:21:00 PM | Baseball

LIVE STATS VARSITY APP (RADIO)TICKETS PROGRAM DUKE NOTES VMI NOTES GAMEDAY INFORMATION

DURHAM – The 23rd-ranked Duke baseball team opens the 2022 season this weekend with a three-game series against VMI at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in downtown Durham.

LEADING OFF
Duke is set to open the 2022 season with a three-game series against Virginia Military Institute Feb. 18-20 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Duke leads the all-time series 13-5, but the two teams have not faced each other since 1998. Head coach Chris Pollard, entering his 10th season at Duke, has never faced VMI. All three games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Chris Edwards will also broadcast the contest via radio on the Varsity App or GoDuke.com. Duke will follow the weekend by hosting its first midweek game against Appalachian State on Tuesday, Feb. 22, before traveling to Baylor for a three-game series Feb. 25-27.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, 4 p.m. – Varsity App (radio) – Live Stats – Watch – Tickets
Saturday, 3 p.m. – Varsity App (radio) – Live Stats – Watch – Tickets
Sunday, 1 p.m. – Varsity App (radio) – Live Stats – Watch – Tickets

PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday:
DU - Marcus Johnson (5-3, 3.05 ERA)
VMI - Tyler Bradt (2-3, 3.20 ERA)

Saturday:
DU - Luke Fox (2-2, 3.05 ERA)
VMI - Nathan Light (3-10, 6.72 ERA)

Sunday:
DU - Cooper Stinson (3-4, 6.12 ERA)
VMI - Trey Morgan (2-2, 8.20 ERA)

WELCOME TO K-VILLE
The Blue Devil pitching staff has ascended to new heights over the past four seasons, shattering the school's single-season strikeout record in 2018 and 2019. Last season, Duke continued to strike out batters at record rates, fanning 527 batters in just 483.2 innings pitched. Now sophomore Luke Fox led the team with 76 strikeouts in 56.0 innings pitched last season.

Duke season strikeout totals (Team records)
Rank     K/9        Strikeouts           Season
1.           9.82       527        2021
2.           9.72       598        2019
3.           9.12       575        2018
              11.51    183        2020*
*Season cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic

EXPERIENCE IN THE PEN
While the Blue Devils offense will feature a lot of new faces, Duke's pitching staff remained largely intact and added multiple quality arms to bolster the staff. Duke returns over 75 percent of multiple pitching statistics for the 2022 season.

Duke pitching returning
Category                           Returning           Total     Percent
Innings Pitched               102.2                  483.2    78.8 %
Strikeouts                         417                      527        79.1 %
Wins                                 28                        33          84.8 %

JOHNSON EMBRACING NEW ROLE
After a stellar year as Duke's closer, junior Marcus Johnson is set to be the Friday night starter for the Blue Devils in 2022. Johnson will be making his first start on opening weekend after recording a 3.05 ERA with five wins and seven saves out of the bullpen last year. He made 30 appearances, ranking in the top 10 in program history, and put together a 0.93 WHIP and a .196 opposing batting average. He showed excellent control and pounded the strike zone, allowing the fewest hits and second-fewest walks in the conference with a minimum of one inning pitched per game.

SCHRECK OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Senior RJ Schreck enjoyed one of the best offensive seasons in program history in 2021, breaking onto the scene for the Blue Devils. The Los Angeles, Calif., native boasted 18 home runs, good for fourth in program history, and a slugging percentage of .635, ranking ninth in school lore. A Third Team All-ACC and Second Team ABCA All-Atlantic selection, Schreck also belted three home runs against Wright State in the 2021 Knoxville Regional, becoming the first Blue Devil to hit three home runs in a game since 2015. Schreck enters the season on the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Watch List.

WELCOME BACK TO THE BALLPARK
After 712 days without fans at Duke baseball home games, the Blue Devils are ecstatic to welcome patrons back to Durham Bulls Athletic Park and Jack Coombs Field. The 712-day span was longer than three U.S. presidencies - Zachary Taylor, James A. Garfield and William Henry Harrison.

YOUTH ON DECK
The Blue Devils will feature a lot of new faces in the offensive lineup in 2022. Duke lost five of its eight starters in the field and its designated hitter. The Blue Devils will return less than half of its offensive production in multiple categories.

Duke OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION LOST
Category             Returning           Total     Percent
At-Bats               731                      1912      38.2 %
Hits                     198                      545        36.3 %
RBIs                     131                      315        41.6 %
Runs Scored       132                      397        38.3 %

HIGHLY-TOUTED NEWCOMER CLASS
Duke's newcomer class of 12 freshmen and four graduate transfers were tabbed ninth by Baseball America, the highest ranked class in program history. Freshmen Alex Mooney, Jonathan Santucci and Devin Obee, who each rank in the top-50 freshmen nationally per Perfect Game. The Blue Devils were the lone school in the rankings with two players in the top 10 and three players in the top 50.

ALL-AMERICA HONORS FOR DUKE DUO
Junior right-handed pitcher Marcus Johnson and senior outfielder RJ Schreck each earned preseason All-America honors heading into the 2022 season. Johnson was named to the Perfect Game Second Team and D1Baseball Third Team. Johnson, a native of Fontana, Calif., was stellar out of the bullpen for the Blue Devils in 2021 and is expected to make his first collegiate start on opening day in 2022. He ranked tied for third in the ACC with a 3.05 ERA and tallied a team-leading five wins. Schreck earned Third Team honors from Collegiate Baseball. Schreck jumped onto the scene for Duke and will be the programs lone returning outfielder in 2022. He boasted a .337 batting average with a staggering 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. His 18 home runs ranked fourth all-time by a Blue Devil in a single season.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Graduate students Chris Crabtree, Chris Davis and Wil Hoyle and junior Marcus Johnson will serve as captains for the 2022 Duke baseball season. In addition to the four captains, each class elected a representative for the teams leadership council in freshman Andrew Yu, sophomore Luke Fox, Johnson and senior RJ Schreck. Head coach Chris Pollard and the coaching staff appointed three positions – Duke Student-Athlete Advisory Council members Hoyle and junior Grant Norris and time management liaison junior Graham Pauley.

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