ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: DUKE VS. VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — seed Duke (26-30) faces seed Virginia (35-20) on Wednesday evening in the opening round of the ACC Baseball Championship at Truist Field.

The Blue Devils enter after a wild 21-12 win Tuesday at North Carolina State, but their season has been defined by inconsistency. Virginia, which won three of its last four regular-season series, seeks to validate its national seeding.

Players to Watch

Duke designated hitter Kaden Smith provides a power threat but remains streaky. In Tuesday‘s win over NC State, he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and eight RBIs. But in the six games before that, Smith was 5-for-27 with no extra-base hits and a 1-for-3 mark the lone hit. This season, he has shown the ability to carry the lineup — his two-homer game May 5 against Queens and a solo homer May 8 at Georgia Tech — yet also endured an 0-for-11 skid against Wake Forest.

Virginia left fielder Harrison Didawick has been steady amidst a late-season slump by the Cavaliers. In his last game, a 10-5 loss Saturday at Louisville, he went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Over his past five games, Didawick is 8-for-20 with seven RBIs and two walks, including a 3-for-6, four-RBI performance May 12 against Richmond. For the season, he has been Virginia‘s most consistent run producer.

Recent Results

Duke enters with a 3-7 mark in its last 10 games, but the offense showed life Tuesday. The Blue Devils pounded 15 hits and drew 10 walks against NC State, with shortstop Jake Lambdin driving in six runs. Sammy Petrocelli earned the win despite allowing three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Virginia lost two of three at Louisville over the weekend, but the pitching staff showed resilience. In an 8-3 win Thursday, Thomas Stewart and Kyle Johnson combined for 7 2/3 scoreless innings behind four relievers. The Cavaliers have not lost consecutive games since April 25-26.

The teams did not meet during the regular season. Duke must overcome a nine-game road losing streak entering the tournament.