Duke baseball hopes to end 64-year World Series drought. Up first: Murray State
Duke baseball head coach Chris Pollard could barely contain his enthusiasm as he slid into the plastic chair to take the mic at Friday’s news conference.
For the first time in program history, he previewed the upcoming super regional series sitting in Durham — only a few yards away from Jack Coombs Field, where Duke’s NCAA Tournament fate will unfold this weekend. A few minutes prior, the Blue Devils practiced on their own turf.
“This is really, really cool,” Pollard said. “[It’s] something that we’ve been working toward for 10 years now.”
In the program’s fourth appearance in the super regional, Duke will battle Murray State at Coombs in a best-of-three series beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Blue Devils are two wins away from advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1961.
No. 4 regional seed Murray State upset No. 10 national seed Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional on Monday. So, Duke — the No. 2 seed from the Athens Regional — earned hosting privileges, welcoming postseason action to Coombs for the first time. It’s an unconventional path to hosting, as the Blue Devils have yet to play a regional on their home field.
“It’s been cool because it’s just a different comfort level,” Pollard said. “Even today’s practice was so much more comfortable. You’re not having to pace yourself and time yourself. You’re not on somebody else’s clock. You’re sleeping in your own bed. Our guys are hanging out in our locker room. I can understand how it feels different now for those who’ve had the luxury to be able to host. We’re really comfortable in this ballpark.”
And while the facility management team worked to install temporary metal bleachers behind each dugout, camera stations around the stadium to accommodate TV demands and NCAA Tournament banners this week, Pollard said the team has focused on blocking out the “white noise” — both sounds of construction and the pressure of the moment.
“Breaking down the door [to host], there might be a little bit of a mental block,” said senior shortstop Wallace Clark. “We haven’t done it historically yet. But if we just go back, stick with our process, take each game pitch by pitch and win the little battles, that’s where our main focus is right now. The results will come from that.”
‘Unfinished business’
A 64-year Omaha drought. A 2024 season that “got away from” Duke and ended in the Norman Regional. All of it weighed on Clark and graduate third baseman Ben Miller.
Both passed on the opportunity to start a professional career because of a sense of “unfinished business.”
“It’s incredibly special to represent all the guys that have come before,” Miller said. “They’ve been super close to getting [to Omaha] and couldn’t get it done. We know that they’re all with us. They’re gonna be following us and hopefully gonna be at the game supporting us. We’re gonna try to do it for them.”
But Duke’s usual starting roster is in flux.
Miller, who leads the team with 20 home runs this season, was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the 6-3 win over Georgia last Saturday. He did not play in Sunday’s regional final.
Despite appearing at Friday’s news conference, Miller said he is waiting to see how he feels when he wakes up Saturday.
The Blue Devils will also compete Saturday without star centerfielder AJ Gracia. The sophomore is sitting out a one-game suspension after an ejection in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Oklahoma State.
“I don’t agree with the ejection,” Pollard said. “I’ve been really public about that. I think it’s a misinterpretation and misappropriation of the rule. I think the NCAA will take a hard look at that.”
Despite Duke appealing the suspension, the NCAA told Pollard it will be reviewing the incident during the offseason. Gracia, who hits .295 as the second batter in the lineup, will not be available and will not be allowed in the team’s dugout during the game Saturday.
“That doesn’t help us tomorrow, and that doesn’t make a wrong right for AJ,” Pollard said. “But AJ’s handled it like he’s handled a lot of adversity since he’s been here — like he handled the adversity early in the year when he was really struggling. He’s a very even person.”
Instead, two-way player Kyle Johnson will be stepping into Gracia’s place at center field. The sophomore has appeared in 18 games on the mound for 38.1 innings. He has also stepped up to bat 25 times for the Blue Devils.
Pollard said the staff cut back Johnson’s pitching reps in practice Friday, but he will still be available to pitch if needed.
“He’s done it a lot over his career,” Pollard said. “We’ll let him go. He’s an athlete. We’ll just let him go out there and be himself.”
Ending Murray State’s Cinderella story
In the first meeting between both teams, Duke is looking to end the Cinderella run for Murray State. The Racers (42-14) went 3-1 in the Oxford Regional to make their first-ever super regional appearance, batting .362 with 59 hits and six home runs.
Comparatively, the Blue Devils swept the Athens Regional in three games, recording a .307 batting average with 32 hits and seven homers.
“They don’t strike out,” Pollard said. “They move the ball with two strikes. Their pitchers throw strikes. They’re not afraid to pitch inside. They’re not afraid to pitch their off-speed. They’re a really complete team, and we’ve got a great challenge in front of us.”
Murray State ranks top-30 in the NCAA in batting average with .306 on the season and is 11th in the nation in scoring with 8.8 runs per game.
Meanwhile, the Racers allow an average of 9.29 hits per nine innings, ranking 97th in the country. The Blue Devils are 32nd in the nation at 8.39 hits per nine innings.
“We talked about it in our pre-practice meeting today: [The Racers] want to rely on five to six arms,” Pollard said. “We’ve been good at grinding starters out of the game and forcing teams to have to go deeper in their pen and try to beat us with the back end of their pen. That’s a challenge we’ll accept tomorrow.”
How to watch
Saturday’s game will air on ESPNU at 1 p.m.
The second game of the best-of-three series will be played at noon Sunday.
Streaming is yet to be announced.