It wouldn’t shock any Duke baseball fans to know Jonathan Santucci and Charlie Beilenson were the first two Blue Devils off the board in the 2024 MLB draft.
After the Mets took Santucci in the second round, the Seattle Mariners took Beilenson in the fifth round to add him to their farm system. Duke baseball coach Chris Pollard took to X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) to sing his closer’s praises.
“What a story,” Pollard wrote. “Bet on himself. Now he’s got two Duke masters degrees, an ACC championship ring, consensus all-American honors, and a fast track to the MLB.”
As Pollard noted, Beilenson leaves Duke after a massively successful 2024 season. He made a trio of First Team All-American squads (ABCA/Rawlings, NCBWA, and Perfect Game) and ended up as an All-ACC First Team member. He ended the season with a 2.01 ERA, piling up a 7-3 record and 12 saves in 34 appearances.
What a story. Bet on himself. Now he’s got two Duke masters degrees, an ACC championship ring, consensus all-American honors, and a fast track to the @MLB. 100 #bluecollar https://t.co/Kr6JI2HCOT
— Chris Pollard (@coachchris14) July 16, 2024
Over Duke’s last two games in the ACC Tournament against Miami and Florida State, he threw a combined 3.1 shutout innings with two combined hits. The run resulted in a conference tournament title, yet another bullet on Beilenson’s 2024 resume.