Baseball Game Notes: Duke vs. Temple (March 5-7)

Duke Baseball Game Notes
Duke vs. Temple
March 5-7, 2010
Durham, N.C. (Durham Bulls Athletic Park)

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Friday, March 5 (5 p.m.)
Duke Starter: Michael Ness, RHP (1-0, 3.60 ERA)
Temple Starter: Matt Mongiardini, RHP (0-2, 9.82 ERA)

Saturday, March 6 (3 p.m.)
Duke Starter: Eric Pfisterer, LHP (1-1, 8.68 ERA)
Temple Starter: Ben White, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Sunday, March 7 (1 p.m.)
Duke Starter: Jonathan Foreman, RHP (1-0, 3.75 ERA)
Temple Starter: Steve Nikorak, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Duke Storylines

Duke Goes 3-0 In DBAP Debut

The Blue Devils swept the Fordham Rams in a three-game series last weekend in their home debut at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Duke outscored Fordham 24-11 in the three-game set and had eight extra-base hits, including the first DBAP home run from senior OF Gabriel Saade.
This weekend's series against Temple will be Duke's second three-game set at the DBAP this season.
The Blue Devils will play 18 home games - six total series - at the park this season.

Loaded In The Bullpen

Duke's bullpen was key in the three-game sweep over Fordham last weekend, combining for a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings.
Duke relievers surrendered just one earned run on five hits while striking out 10 and walking just two batters.
Sophomore RHP Ben Grisz made two appearances and totaled 4.0 scoreless innings.
Junior RHP Dennis O'Grady also contributed 3.0 hitless innings in Saturday's win.
On the season, the Blue Devil bullpen is 2-1 with one save and a 4.05 ERA.

Foreman Shuts Down Fordham

In his second straight weekend start, senior RHP Jonathan Foreman shut down Fordham for 7.0 innings in an 8-3 win.
Foreman earned the win and improved to 1-0 after surrendering just two hits and two runs in the series finale on Sunday.
He retired the side in order five times and held the Rams hitless in six of his seven frames.
As a sophomore, Foreman logged a 2.87 ERA as Duke's Sunday starter.

On The Rise

Under fifth-year head coach Sean McNally, Duke posted back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2008 and 2009 for the first time since the 1992-98 seasons.
Duke went 35-24 overall in 2009 and 15-15 in the ACC to make the eight-team ACC Tournament for the first time since 2005.
The 15 ACC wins were the second most in school history, trailing only the 16-8 record posted by a 1994 Duke team that included current head coach Sean McNally.
McNally is the fastest coach in Duke history to reach 100 wins and boasts a career record of 117-110-1.
Duke had not won 30 games in seven years prior to McNally's arrival, but has done so in each of the last two seasons.

McCurdy Makes Debut At Catcher

Duke senior Ryan McCurdy, who was converted from a 3B to catcher during the fall, made his debut behind the plate last weekend against Fordham.
McCurdy caught all 27 innings in a three-game sweep and let just one wild pitch and one passed ball get by him.
He also threw out one of two runners who tried to steal against him.
McCurdy batted .333 (3-for-9) and also logged a .571 OBP in the three games.

Duke Freshmen Making Impact

Duke has used four different freshman in the starting lineup, including 3B Eric Brady and 2B/RHP Marcus Stroman, who have both started all seven games.
Brady is tied for the team lead with a .346 batting average and nine hits, while Stroman is hitting .280 with two doubles, a triple and two stolen bases.
Stroman is also 1-0 with one save and a 2.25 ERA on the mound.
Freshman OF Mike Carroll has also earned five starts as the DH and is hitting .333, while classmate Devin Burke was Duke's fourth starter on opening weekend.
Freshman RHP Chase Bebout also tossed two innings out of the bullpen in his debut.

Gould Standard

Duke senior Jeremy Gould has emerged as one of the best pure hitters in the ACC.
Gould, a 6-4, 220 pound first baseman, has a career .337 batting average, 11 homers and 40 doubles in his four-year career.
Gould has hit at least .340 in each of the last three seasons, including a .346 batting average this season.
Gould has reached base safely in 33 consecutive games, dating back to 2009.

Leadership On Pitching Staff

Duke has five seniors and one redshirt-junior on the pitching staff this season, which is the most in school history.
That group includes weekend starters Christopher Manno and Michael Ness and key arms Will Currier, Jonathan Foreman and Jeremy Gould.
Michael Seander, a former Freshman All-America, is also a member of that class. He took a medical redshirt in 2009.
Those five have combined to throw 620.1 innings during their time at Duke and are a combined 39-27.

Duke = Defense

Duke ranked among the top five teams in the nation in defensive fielding percentage for the second straight year in 2009, posting a school-record .979 clip.
That clip broke the previous school record of .978 that Duke compiled in 2008 when the Blue Devils led the nation in the category.
Duke was the only team in the ACC to finish the year with more double plays (54) than errors committed (47).
Duke boasts a .971 fielding percentage this season and has turned six double plays in seven games. Duke has eight errors.

Moving On

Duke had a school-record seven players drafted in 2009, including four seniors and three juniors.
Duke will have to replace several key pieces of the 2009 team, including first baseman Nate Freiman, catcher Matt Williams, staff ace Andrew Wolcott and outfielder/closer Alex Hassan, all of whom were drafted.
With the loss of the five seniors and Hassan, Duke lost 31 home runs, 177 RBI, 12 wins and eight saves from a year ago.

Strength Of Schedule

The Blue Devils' 2010 schedule includes seven top-25 opponents, according to the Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball Insider polls.
Six of those teams are ranked in the top 15.
Nine opponents on Duke's schedule were NCAA Regional Teams.
Four advanced to a Super Regional.
Two - North Carolina and Virginia - played in the College World Series.

Gould, Ness Tabbed Preseason All-Conference

Duke seniors Jeremy Gould (1B) and Michael Ness (RP) were each named to the Preseason All-ACC Second Team by SEBaseball.com.
Gould was one of two first basemen in the second team, while Ness earned a spot as a closer on the second team.
Gould hit .340 as a junior with seven home runs and 37 RBI. He also hit .341 in conference play. He is batting .346 through the first seven games of 2010.
Ness logged a career-low 2.44 ERA as a junior while going 2-2 with three saves. He is now a member of the starting rotation and will make his second straight Friday start this weekend.

Duke Knocks Off No. 22 Georgia

Duke wasted little time in claiming its first win over a top-25 opponent, taking down No. 22 Georgia 9-5 on Feb. 20.
Duke, which was 8-10 against top-25 teams in 2009 with series wins over No. 1 North Carolina and No. 7 Georgia Tech, is now 1-1 on the year against top-25 teams.
The Blue Devils have at least two top-25 wins every year since 2007, including four in 2008 and eight in 2009.

Closing Duties Up For Grabs

With the loss of all-time saves record holder Alex Hassan to the MLB Draft, Duke's closing duties are up for grabs.
Candidates for the job include senior southpaw Jeremy Gould, sophomore right-hander Ben Grisz and freshman right-hander Marcus Stroman.
Stroman notched Duke's first save of the year with a three-inning appearance against No. 22 Georgia and followed by notching a ninth-inning win against Fordham.

Cape Cod League

Duke baseball has sent several players to the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League over the past three seasons and will send four for the 2010 summer season.
Freshmen Devin Burke (RHP) and Marcus Stroman (RHP) and sophomores Eric Pfisterer (LHP) and Will Piwnica-Worms (OF) will play in the Cape in 2010.
In 2009, Duke had five players listed on Cape Cod League rosters after sending five the previous season.
In 2009, Jeremy Gould, Alex Hassan, Michael Ness, Eric Pfisterer and Jake Lemmerman all played in the CCBL.
Playing for the Wareham Gatemen was Eric Pfisterer and Jake Lemmerman.
Current senior left-hander Christopher Manno also played in the CCBL in 2008 and was an All-Star and All-League selection for the Harwich Mariners.
Senior Gabriel Saade and redshirt-junior Michael Seander also played in the Cape Cod League in 2008.

-d-u-k-e-

Baseball Game Notes: Duke vs. Temple (March 5-7)

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