Quick clarification - Loperfido played one season at 1st base, one season at 2nd base and is a junior now.Some baseball notes
Outfielder Chase Cheek is still rehabbing from knee surgery and will miss fall ball. Fingers crossed on spring.
Combined with the graduation of Kennie Taylor and Kyle Gallagher, outfield is a position of concern.
Therefore Duke moved Joey Loperfido to center field. You may recall that he played first base for two seasons and second base last year. Pollard says CF is Loperfido's pro position. Cheek, R.J. Schreck, Bucknell grad-student transfer Luke Hampton, Kyle Salley, Steve Mann, perhaps a freshman or two, are all in the mix.
Duke might look at seeing if 1B/DH Chris Crabtree can play corner OF. A lot depends on how Duke uses Matt Mervis.
Mervis had a great summer at the Cape. He came to Duke as a pitcher/position player, Duke's Brandan McKay. But he's had arm problems and didn't pitch much last season. But he did pitch some this summer, pitched well, no pain. If Mervis is in the rotation, then he likely DHs to save wear and tear. Or he could move back to 1B, where he excelled last season.
Lots of competition for the vacant 2B job. Look for a true freshman to start next spring, perhaps Grant Norris or Thomas Keehn.
Bryce Jarvis will be the Friday starter. Cooper Stinson and Bill Chilliari are the default second and third starters but Duke has more good arms than any time in its history and Jack Carey, Oliver McCarthy, Aaron Beasley and others will get a long look. Pollard is really high on true freshman RHP Henry Williams. A sleeper.
Matt Dockman and Thomas Girard have the back end of the bullpen locked down.
Duke was set to add LHP Josh Simpson as a grad-transfer from Columbia. But the Marlins drafted him in the 32nd round and he signed.
Lots of freshmen pushing the vets for PT, even the returning starters.
Pollard says he's so excited about this team that his assistant coaches are worried about him.