Catching up with Duke, UNC, NC State baseball; ACC tournament just three weeks away

As Duke’s baseball players gathered at Jack Coombs Stadium for practice Thursday, the construction going on around them signified how swiftly their season changed in April.

Because the Blue Devils won 15 of 18 games in the month, including winning three consecutive series over ranked opponents, their 92-year-old campus stadium is getting temporary upgrades because it could be a host site for NCAA tournament play.

Duke (31-13 overall, 14-9 ACC) shot into the national rankings in April, climbing to No. 10 this week after winning two of three games at then-No. 13 Virginia last weekend. With an RPI of No. 7, the Blue Devils are in strong position to earn a top eight national seed, which would mean NCAA tournament home games in the regional and super regional rounds.

With the ACC tournament set for Durham Bulls Athletic Park from May 23-28, Duke very well could not leave their hometown during the postseason until a possible trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series.

It’s been quite a whirlwind for Duke, which was just 16-10 overall when it suffered a 13-1 loss to Pittsburgh on March 31.

“I think chemistry sometimes gets to be an overused or a cliche term in sports,” Duke coach Chris Pollard said. “But, you know, this team has an it factor about it. It truly does have chemistry, and it truly does contribute to their success. These guys really care about each other.”

Pollard is not into NCAA tournament projections. His ACC Coastal Division-leading Blue Devils still have 11 regular-season games to play, including ACC series with Georgia Tech (26-18, 8-13) and Miami (28-16, 14-10). He knows Duke has to keep playing well there and in the ACC tournament to get home NCAA tournament games.

But Duke’s athletics department has to start getting ready now.

Though Duke plays home games at both 2,000-seat Jack Coombs Field on campus and downtown at the larger and more modern DBAP, the NCAA tournament games would have to be played on campus because the Bulls have home games June 1-4 when regional games would be played.

So temporary seats will need to be added, plus expanded concession areas and additional camera wells in several areas of the stadium so ESPN can televise the games on its family of networks.

Were it not for the Blue Devils playing their way into this position in April, none of this would be necessary. But Duke won two of three at then-No. 11 Boston College, swept then-No. 12 Louisville at the DBAP and won two of three at Virginia last weekend. In between, Duke beat Campbell (33-10) twice in April midweek games when the Camels were ranked No. 14 and No. 9.

“We’ve had a pretty good run so far and obviously super excited about what’s to come,” said Duke first baseman MJ Metz, who is batting .323 with 11 home runs. “I’m just really proud of the way that you guys have come together.”

Duke catcher Alex Stone leads the team with 12 home runs, one of four Duke players who have hit 10 or more homers. Stone will carry and 18-game hitting streak into this Sunday’s nonconference doubleheader with Longwood.

The Blue Devils have blasted 78 home runs as a team, fourth in the ACC behind only Miami (84), Wake Forest (83) and Virginia Tech (80).

“I felt like coming into this year that the ability hit the ball out of the ballpark was gonna be a strength for this team,” Pollard said.

While Duke is in strong position for the postseason, UNC and N.C. State both have work to do before the ACC tournament to shore up their NCAA tournament positions.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels (29-17, 11-11 ACC), at No. 34 in the RPI, have two crucial ACC series left to solidify their NCAA tournament resume. UNC plays rival NC State (29-14, 8-12 ACC) in a three-game set at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill on May 11-13 before closing the regular season at Clemson (28-17, 11-10) on May 18-20.

UNC also plays a non-conference game at Coastal Carolina (28-15) on May 16.

Mac Horvath leads the Tar Heels in home runs (19) and RBI (56) while batting .312. But UNC is 10th in the ACC in team batting average (.282) while Tar Heels pitchers have allowed 63 home runs, the second most in the league.

NC State

The Wolfpack is not only battling to earn an NCAA tournament bid, it is in danger of missing the cut for the 12-team ACC tournament field.

After losing 9-7 Thursday night in the first game of a three-game ACC series at Notre Dame, the Wolfpack (29-15, 8-13) is tied with Georgia Tech (26-18, 8-13) with only Florida State (15-28, 6-18) below them in the ACC standings. The teams with the two lowest winning percentages in the final ACC regular-season standings don’t quality for the tournament.

NC State needs to play well in its final three ACC three-game series at Notre Dame (26-17, 14-11) this weekend, at UNC on May 11-13 and at home with Pittsburgh (20-22, 8-11) on May 18-20.

NC State was No. 24 in the RPI entering the Notre Dame series, so the Wolfpack is in position to get an NCAA tournament bid. But finishing strong to make the ACC tournament field is a must or else the Wolfpack will be in danger of missing the NCAA tournament.

The Wolfpack is No. 4 in the ACC in batting average (.304) and No. 5 in team earned run average (4.16), so the talent is there.