Preview: East Carolina Pirates at Duke Blue Devils

DURHAM, N.C. (Interstat) — Two teams with nearly identical records and potent offenses will meet Tuesday afternoon when the East Carolina Pirates visit the Duke Blue Devils in a nonconference baseball matchup.

First pitch is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The Pirates (15-9-1) arrive after a series win over UAB, though they dropped the finale 11-4 on Sunday. The Blue Devils (16-10-1) are coming off a tough Atlantic Coast Conference road series at Virginia Tech, where they lost two of three, including a 7-6, 10-inning defeat on Sunday.

A key matchup will feature two hot hitters in the middle of each lineup. East Carolina’s Grayden Lenahan is a central figure in the Pirates’ attack. The outfielder is coming off a powerful weekend, going 4 for 10 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the three-game set against UAB. His three-run homer was a bright spot in Sunday’s loss.

Duke will counter with shortstop Jake Lambdin, who is also swinging a hot bat. Lambdin went 4 for 8 with a home run and three RBIs in the final two games of the Virginia Tech series, including a 3-for-4 performance with a homer and two RBIs in the extra-inning loss.

On the mound, both teams will look to rebound from weekend series where their staffs were taxed. East Carolina relievers Joseph Webb and Gavin Marley provided effective outings in Sunday’s loss, combining for 4.2 innings of three-hit, one-run ball with six strikeouts. Duke’s bullpen also saw strong work from Roman DiGiacomo and Marcello Mastroianni, who each threw 1.1 scoreless innings in the finale at Virginia Tech.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, East Carolina is projected to win with a final score of 8-4.

This game is the first of a home-and-home midweek series between the programs this season. They are scheduled to meet again in Greenville, North Carolina, on April 7.

Following this contest, East Carolina will travel to face Texas-San Antonio in a weekend series starting Friday. Duke will continue its ACC slate with a road series at Florida State, also beginning Friday.