Baseball Series Preview: Duke at Clemson

Game Notes

Duke Blue Devils (22-15, 5-13 ACC) @ Clemson (20-18, 9-9 ACC)

First Pitch: Friday 6:30, Saturday (Doubleheader) Game 1 1:00, Game 2 45 minutes after the end of Game 1

Radio: WCCP 105.5 (local), Clemson Tigers Sports Network, ClemsonTigers.com

Video: ESPN3

Last Year: Clemson's only game against Duke was a 5-3 win in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, NC

Overall Series: Clemson leads 127-66-2, with a 66-25-1 record vs Duke in Clemson

Preview:

The Tigers enter this game with the Dukies coming off a 3 game winning streak after a series clinching Sunday win at Chesnut Hill vs Boston College, and a pair of mid-week wins against Western Carolina and Gardner-Webb. The Tigers are slowly trying to climb their way back into Tournament talks. The Tigers sit at 5th in the Atlantic division, but another series win or sweep and some losses for Wake Forest and Notre Dame would vault the Tigers up to #3. Yes, we actually need Wake to lose so we can jump them in baseball. Welcome to 2015.

As for the Devils, ACC wins have been hard to come by. They were able to squeeze out one win last Saturday against Louisville, but lost the series overall. They sit dead last in the ACC Coastal division. The Devils will be sending lefty Dillon Haviland to face Clemson Friday night starter Matthew Crownover. On Saturday, Duke will start a pair of right handers as Andrew Istler will throw for game 1 and Bailey Clark for game 2. The Tigers will counter with lefty Zack Erwin for game 1 and righty Brody Koerner for 2. Last year, these teams only got to meet in the ACC Tournament due to the new, expanded conference.

In 2013, the last 3 game Duke-Clemson series, Clemson took 2 of 3 in Durham, in another series that featured a Saturday doubleheader, which the Tigers and Devils split. Clemson catcher Chris Okey was named ACC player of the week after going 13 for 23 with 3 homers, 2 doubles, and 7 RBI's in the series at Boston College. Duke faced the ACC pitcher of the week, Louisville's Josh Rogers, who pitched the #5 Cardinals on to a 11-1 victory over Duke.