The Duke baseball team slid down to 11th in Monday’s newest USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll after a series loss to Georgia Tech.
The Blue Devils offense put on a show during Saturday’s 14-10 victory over Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets struck more often with an 11-8 win on Friday and an 8-6 victory in the series-deciding Sunday game.
The Blue Devils scored five runs in the top of the seventh on Sunday, surging ahead to a 6-4 lead, but Georgia Tech drove him four runs in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead immediately.
Duke’s showdown with North Carolina next weekend seems even more important now. The Blue Devils might drop from contention to host a regional with a series loss, but the Tar Heels just jumped to No. 5 in the rankings, the highest-ranked team in the ACC.
Head coach Chris Pollard will need to beat UNC without star pitcher Jonathan Santucci. The team announced on Monday that the team ace, who currently sports a 6-1 record and leads the Blue Devils in innings pitched, would miss a week or two with a rib injury on his non-throwing side.
Duke gets a Tuesday night battle with the College of Charleston before the home series against North Carolina begins on Thursday.