The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Duke
Zips Travel to Face #10/12 Duke
February 29 | Baseball
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK
The Akron Zips make one more trip south, as they battle No. 10/12 Duke for a three-game series starting March 1. Akron will be facing Duke for just the second time and first since 2014.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Game 1: Video | Stats
Game 2:Â Video | Stats
Game 3:Â Video | Stats
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Duke Leads 1-0Â
First/Last Meeting: Duke 5- Akron 2 (02/23/14 | Durham, N.C.)
STAT LEADERSÂ
Akron:Â Batting Average: Sam Seeker (.400) | Hits: Sam Seeker (7) | Home Runs: Four Tied (1) | RBI: Ian Pennington (7) | Stolen Bases: Three Tied (2) | Wins: Two Tied (1) | Strikeouts: Jared Schaeffer (8) | ERA: Jared Schaeffer (3.00) | Saves: None |
Duke:Â Batting Average: Macon Winslow (.474) | Hits: Ben Miller (14) | Home Runs: Two Tied (4) RBI: Two Tied (12) | Stolen Bases: Zac Morris (3) | Wins: Three Tied (2) | Strikeouts: Jonathan Santucci (17) |
ERA: Jonathan Santucci (0.00) | Saves: Charlie Beilenson (4) |
SCOUTING REPORT
The No. 10/12 Duke Blue Devils continues its 10-game home stand and currently stands 8-0 early in the season.
Duke baseball begins the 2024 season 8-0 for the first time since 2008, after defeating Davidson 17-0 on Tuesday. The 2008 squad won its first 10 games before falling to No. 2 North Carolina in the middle contest of a three-game series.
The Blue Devils only needed seven innings to defeat Davidson. Duke scored in all six innings its offense was able to get out on the field with 12 runs coming around between the fourth through sixth innings. Tim Noone went four innings to collect the mid-week win. He allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out five. Three other Blue Devils saw action in relief with one combined hit, one walk, and five strikeouts between them. Logan Bravo had four RBI on two hits while two other Blue Devils had a multi-hit performance.
Four Blue Devils have 10 or more hits this season, with Ben Miller leading the way with 14. Miller also had four home runs and is second on the squad with 10 RBI. Logan Bravo and AJ Garcia lead the way with 12 RBI. Macon Winslow is Duke's leader in batting average with a .474 while three other Blue Devils are hitting above .400.
Among the eight wins for Duke, three pitchers are tied for the most wins with two each. Jonathan Santucci has an ERA of 0.00 through two starts while holding a WHIP of 1.27. He's allowed just nine hits, and five walks while striking out 17 (a team high).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron will be making its third trip to the Carolinas with a three-game series at Duke. The Zips have visited Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and The Citadel (Charleston, S.C.) so far this season as well.
Sam Seeker leads the Zips in batting average (.400) and hits (7) through the first seven games of the season. Ian Pennington is the leader in RBI while Jared Schaeffer holds the top mark for strikeouts (8) and ERA (3.00) among their pitching staff.
Akron has three batters hitting .270 or higher (Max Bowman, Evan Bottone, and Seeker). Outside of Pennington's seven RBI, Andrew Horvath and Michael Sprockett are second with four RBI this season. Austin Lafferty, Seeker, Bowman, and Horvath are all tied for the lead in home runs with one each.
Schaeffer leads the pitching staff with 9.0 innings of work followed by Dawson Tourney's 8.0 and Anthony Fett's 7.0 out of the pen. Tourney is also second on the Zips in strikeouts with seven.
A GLANCE AT LAST WEEK
The Zips went 0-3 the past week against The Citadel.
Andrew Horvath went 3-for-5 with a .375 batting average that featured a double, a home run, and four RBI against the Bulldogs. Sam Seeker and Fisher Pyatt both tallied three hits against The Citadel and hit .333.
Anthony Fett threw four innings of scoreless relief while striking out two. Yassir Kahook allowed just one run on two hits and struck out two in three innings of relief.
The Zips came up short against the Citadel in game two of the series, falling 12-11 after scoring six runs in the ninth inning.
COMMONÂ OPPONENTS WITH DUKE
Wake Forest (ACC)
Pittsburgh (ACC)
ON DECK
The Zips stay in the state of Ohio when it travels to face Cincinnati on March 6 before hosting Toledo to begin MAC action starting on March 8.
A NEW ERA FOR ZIPS BASEBALL
Akron will have a new face leading the charge this season with Bryan Faulds taking over the Zips in 2024. Faulds, who most recently was the head coach at St. Edward's (Div. II). Faulds led the Hilltoppers to a 72-43 overall record the past two seasons that featured a pair of NCAA Regional appearances. Faulds is no stranger to the MAC with a stint at Ohio University from 2015-17 where he served as the pitching coach.
