FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
DURHAM, N.C. – Series against eight teams that qualified for the 2010 NCAA Baseball Championship highlight the Duke baseball team’s 2011 schedule, as announced on Tuesday by head coach Sean McNally.
Duke will face eight squads that qualified for NCAA Regionals, four that advanced to an NCAA Super Regional and two – Florida State and Clemson – that moved on to the 2010 College Baseball World Series. Along with those conference foes and fellow ACC squads N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Miami, Duke will also face Southern Conference Champion The Citadel.
The Blue Devils will play 34 games at home in Durham, N.C., including six series at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Thirteen of the remaining home games will take place at the newly renovated Jack Coombs Field on the West Campus of Duke University, while the venue for the Villanova series on Feb. 25-27 has yet to be determined.
Duke’s home series includes bouts against ACC foes N.C. State (March 11-13), Georgia Tech (April 1-3), Boston College (April 8-10), Virginia Tech (April 29-May 1) and Wake Forest (May 13-15). The Blue Devils will also host Richmond (Feb. 18-20), Villanova (Feb. 25-27), La Salle (March 4-6) and Charleston Southern (May 9) in non-conference home series along with single-game home meetings with Campbell (Feb. 22), High Point (March 1), N.C. Central (March 15), Charlotte (March 16), Ohio (March 22), Wofford (April 5), UNC Greensboro (April 19) and Davidson (April 26).
A tough road slate awaits the Blue Devils as Duke faces perennial ACC powers Clemson (March 18-20), North Carolina (March 25-27), Virginia (April 15-17), Florida State (April 22-24) and Miami (May 19-21) on the road. Duke will also make a trip to the Durham Athletic Park to face N.C. Central (Feb. 23) along with non-conference treks to High Point (March 8), William and Mary (March 9), Campbell (March 29), UNC Greensboro (April 6), Davidson (April 12) and The Citadel (May 17).
Following the season finale at Miami on May 21, Duke will take part in the ACC Baseball Tournament on May 26-30. The road to the conference crown once again returns to Durham, N.C., where the ACC’s best will play at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Duke returns 13 letterwinners and six starters from the 2010 squad, including ACC Freshman of the Year Marcus Stroman. The Blue Devils will also welcome 14 freshmen and one sophomore to the squad, which has posted four consecutive winning seasons.
