Not much on the line as Duke, NCSU open ACC tourney pool play
Posted May 24, 2018 5:00 a.m. EDT
Updated July 13, 2018 1:50 p.m. EDT
Durham, N.C. — North Carolina won't play this weekend at the ACC tourney and by the end of Thursday ... well, Duke and NC State will still be no closer to knowing their weekend plans.
The Tar Heels fell 5-4 to Pittsburgh after the Panthers beat Georgia Tech Tuesday, making the Panthers the team the top seed had to beat to advance. Now the 12th-seeded team is the first team in the tourney to know its semifinal fate.
Florida State beat Virginia Tuesday and Louisville beat Wake Forest Wednesday, so the game to decide the Wolfpack's semifinal status will come against FSU. Duke's will be versus Louisville, with those games coming Friday at 7 p.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.
Both Elliott Avent and Chris Pollard's crews could lose Thursday and still play this weekend with Friday wins, but here's what's in store as both teams open play on day three at DBAP.
11 a.m.: Duke vs. Wake Forest
Cardinals (41-16) center fielder Josh Stowers made the difference in Tuesday's first game, going 3-for-4 with six RBI to lead Louisville past Wake Forest (25-31) 10-2 in the first Pool D game of the week. The three-run homer, three-run triple and double shouldn't come as a surprise as it's the second straight game the junior notched six RBI.
Griffin Roberts (5-4, 3.93 ERA) is Wake Forest's starting pitcher. The righty has 124 strikeouts in 89 innings this season.
Duke (39-14) has lost three of its last four games (the series finale versus UNC, then the first two games at Georgia Tech) after winning seven games in a row. The Blue Devils have seen an uptick in offensive production throughout their lineup recently, but haven't gotten what they needed out of their starting pitchers.
Senior RHP Ryan Day (5-3, 4.78 ERA) will start for the Blue Devils. Last start: nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits over 4.1 innings at Georgia Tech in a 20-7 win. Versus North Carolina, he threw 6.0 allowing six hits but just one run.
3 p.m.: NC State vs. Virginia
UVa battled to 11 innings Tuesday before Florida State (40-17) took its third extra-innings win, 3-2, in less than a week.
The Cavaliers trailed 2-1 after three, then tied Nate Eikhoff delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning to tie it for the duration of regulation.
Virginia (28-25) will start senior lefty Derek Casey (6-4, 3.58 ERA) as the Wolfpack (40-14) starts freshman righty Reid Johnston (7-0, 2.97 ERA) in their ACC Tournament opener.
At the plate, Andy Weber, a First Team All-ACC selection, is the Cavalier to watch he bats .340 with 70 hits this season. Meanwhile, NC State’s Josh McLain continues leads the ACC in hits for the fifth straight week.
NC State has won eight of its last 10 games entering the postseason.
7 p.m.: Clemson vs. Miami
The Tigers (44-13) put on a hitting clinic, ending Notre Dame's season (24-30) with a 21-4 (eight innings) win Wednesday.
Four homeruns -- a pair of two-run shots, a three-run blast and a grand slam (including one from each side of the plate by Logan Davidson) -- for 17 runs in the fourth inning pushed Clemson from behind 3-1 to the mercy-rule win.
Miami (28-25) beat Notre Dame 6-2 Tuesday, so winner fills the Pool B semifinal slot.
After watching the offensive explosion set an ACC record for most runs in a single inning.. it's hard to believe the No. 2 seed wouldn't be playing Saturday.
