Duke Baseball 2021 ACC Champions

[Bob Green]

For those of you who don't read the front page.

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...teers-nc-state

Thanks Jim. Informative article. Duke pitching great and team confidence is high. Team really needs to start with a win over Liberty.

[arnie]

Alleva retired recently.

That’s a very nice way to describe it. He was “ousted” from his AD role and bumped to special assistant in 2019. As Jim put it, he retired from that role when his contract ran out.

[chrishoke]

For those of you who don't read the front page.

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...teers-nc-state

Great preview Jim, thanks - must reading for any Duke baseball fan.

[sagegrouse]

That’s a very nice way to describe it. He was “ousted” from his AD role and bumped to special assistant in 2019. As Jim put it, he retired from that role when his contract ran out.

Joe Alleva learned something, however. When LSU was busy covering up Les Miles' predatory behavior toward coed volunteers and workers in the athletic department, Alleva warned the LSU president and counsel that it would look very bad in the future not to have taken action in the face of such wrongs.

Sure enough, his bad behavior from his years at LSU came to light and Miles got fired at Kansas, despite the absence of similar allegations.

[devilirium]

Joe Alleva learned something, however. When LSU was busy covering up Les Miles' predatory behavior toward coed volunteers and workers in the athletic department, Alleva warned the LSU president and counsel that it would look very bad in the future not to have taken action in the face of such wrongs.

Sure enough, his bad behavior from his years at LSU came to light and Miles got fired at Kansas, despite the absence of similar allegations.

Good that Joe learned this after his second ouster, and rest be assured he was on borrowed time here after he bungled lacrosse.

[sagegrouse]

Good that Joe learned this after his second ouster, and rest be assured he was on borrowed time here after he bungled lacrosse.

Joe "was on borrowed time after he bungled lacrosse." I am totally at a loss to understand what you mean, given that the entire Duke response to the crisis was handled personally by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Robert Steel.

[devilirium]

Joe "was on borrowed time after he bungled lacrosse." I am totally at a loss to understand what you mean, given that the entire Duke response to the crisis was handled personally by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Robert Steel.

PM me...

[diablesseblu]

Good that Joe learned this after his second ouster, and rest be assured he was on borrowed time here after he bungled lacrosse.

I think one of Alleva's worst missteps during his tenure was the hiring and handling of Bill Hillier as the Duke baseball coach. Hillier was truly "Alleva's guy." What was happening in the program was well known on campus. Plus, J.D. Alleva was on the team.

[jimsumner]

I think one of Alleva's worst missteps during his tenure was the hiring and handling of Bill Hillier as the Duke baseball coach. Hillier was truly "Alleva's guy." What was happening in the program was well known on campus. Plus, J.D. Alleva was on the team.

Worst hiring in Duke sports history. Worse than Franks. Worse that Roof. Worst ever.

And absolutely, completely, totally on Alleva.

[jv001]

I think one of Alleva's worst missteps during his tenure was the hiring and handling of Bill Hillier as the Duke baseball coach. Hillier was truly "Alleva's guy." What was happening in the program was well known on campus. Plus, J.D. Alleva was on the team.

To cheat like a tarheel is bad but then have a 121-214 record in his six years is very sad and disgraceful . To be clear, I had to Google his record. I knew it wasn't good. Yeh, terrible hire by Alleva.

GoDuke!

[diablesseblu]

Worst hiring in Duke sports history. Worse than Franks. Worse that Roof. Worst ever.

And absolutely, completely, totally on Alleva.

And from the "you can't make this up" department, Bill Hillier III (known as "Three") is a freshman catcher for the Flames.

[jimsumner]

For those of you who don't read the front page.

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...ville-regional

[DoubleBlue]

Thanks, Jim... great article. The question is... who will be the fourth starter, after Carey, Stinson and Fox?

[jwillfan]

Thanks, Jim... great article. The question is... who will be the fourth starter, after Carey, Stinson and Fox?

Gotta hope we don't need 4 games, but have to think both Seidl and Williams are in play, especially after how well Seidl pitched against FSU. Game four is an "all hands on deck" game so even game 1 starter might be available since it'll be a win or go home scenario. Love our chances and how this rotation and bullpen improved all season.

[jimsumner]

Thanks, Jim... great article. The question is... who will be the fourth starter, after Carey, Stinson and Fox?

I think any game four would assume a starter going no deeper than three innings and then turning it over to the pen. Seidl did that quite well in Charlotte. Then again Seidl has more experience than Williams coming out of the pen. Then again Williams hasn't pitched in almost two months, so do you want him in a high-leverage situation? We also could see somebody like Josh Allen or Josh Nifong try to eat an inning or two.

That's where the fun begins. But carts and horses and all that. Start with beating Liberty and go from there.

[duke2x]

Gotta hope we don't need 4 games, but have to think both Seidl and Williams are in play, especially after how well Seidl pitched against FSU. Game four is an "all hands on deck" game so even game 1 starter might be available since it'll be a win or go home scenario. Love our chances and how this rotation and bullpen improved all season.

You actually have to think about 5 games like we played in Athens. Liberty has already seen Fox and the bullpen liberally in their two losses. Pollard has some tough decisions on when to pitch Carey, Williams, etc. I doubt we will see Cooper before Sunday.

[jimsumner]

You actually have to think about 5 games like we played in Athens. Liberty has already seen Fox and the bullpen liberally in their two losses. Pollard has some tough decisions on when to pitch Carey, Williams, etc. I doubt we will see Cooper before Sunday.

If Duke plays Tennessee in the winner's bracket, you absolutely have to go with Stinson, IMO. The winner of that game has a huge advantage in being able to rest.

If Duke is in the loser's bracket Saturday, you cannot take the gamble of going home without even using Stinson.

The only way I could see Stinson sit until Sunday would be if Duke were to play Wright State in the winner's bracket. But Wright State is a dangerous four seed. They can put runs on the board in big numbers. It would be a big gamble.

The best-case scenario would be a blow-out win over Liberty in the opener, one in which the starter-probably Carey, maybe Fox-doesn't have to go more than four or five innings, thus saving some gas for later on. But Liberty may be too good for that to happen.

As an aside on Hillier, his overall record cited earlier is pretty bad. But his ACC record was epically bad, 34-114, including a 2-21 season. No, that's not a typo. Two wins, 21 losses.

[jwillfan]

Can't lose sight with all the K news that there's a big game tomorrow, Noon vs Liberty. Will be a double header for me as my son starts on the mound vs Hillside HS in his conference tournament. Looking forward to seeing what rabbit Coach Pollard pulls out of his hat, a la starting Seidl in the semis vs Virginia. Will probably listen to Chris Edwards's call on TuneIn radio, he's baseball's version of Bob Harris.

[DoubleBlue]

The Knoxville Regional opening game starts in a few minutes with Duke's Jack Carey (4-2, 4.41 ERA) starting vs. Liberty's Trevor Delaite (11-1, 1.98 ERA). Let's Go Duke!

[chrishoke]

Liberty takes a 2-0 lead in the 1st. Not the start we were looking for.,