Tag: Ben Miller

D1Baseball names two Duke Blue Devils to Preseason All-American teams

With the 2025 college baseball season around the corner, two Blue Devils made the D1Baseball Preseason All-American squads on Tuesday.

D1Baseball unveiled its Preseason All-American teams for the 2025 college baseball season on Tuesday, and after a 40-win season for the Blue Devils last spring, two Duke players made the roster.

Third baseman Ben Miller, Duke’s lone returning All-ACC First Team member from 2024, and sophomore outfielder AJ Gracia found themselves on the Third Team.

Miller, now a redshirt senior, led the Blue Devils with a .360 batting average in 2024. He cranked out 18 doubles and 15 home runs, good enough for a .645 slugging percentage, and batted in 49 runs.

As a freshman last season, Gracia hit .305 with 220 at-bats. He ended up with 14 doubles and home runs apiece, and his 58 RBIs are the most of any returning Blue Devil.

Duke won the ACC Tournament for the second time in school history, defeating the Florida State Seminoles 16-4 in the title game. However, the Blue Devils couldn’t advance out of the Norman Regional, losing to the Connecticut Huskies and hosting Oklahoma Sooners.

The Blue Devils open the 2025 season on February 14 against the Cincinnati Bearcats, the first part of a three-game weekend series.

Duke baseball starts at No. 11 in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings

The Duke Blue Devils will start the season at No. 11 in the D1Baseball preseason rankings.

It’s spring sports season, and the Duke Blue Devils look set to dominate on the diamond.

Already at the top of the basketball world thanks to freshman sensation[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the Blue Devils also start near the top of the baseball and softball standings.

Duke came in at No. 11 in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings for the 2025 season. That is good for fourth among ACC programs behind the Virginia Cavaliers (No. 2), North Carolina Tar Heels (No. 6), and Florida State Seminoles (No. 9).

The Texas A&M Aggies beat out Virginia for the top overall spot with the LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Arkansas Razorbacks rounding out an SEC-heavy top five.

The Blue Devils will look to build on a strong 2024 season which saw them win the conference tournament. They finished 40-20 overall, the second 40-win season in school history, and 16-14 in conference play.

After Duke’s dream run through the ACC Tournament bracket, which concluded with a 16-4 win over the Seminoles in the final, the Blue Devils advanced to the Norman Regional. They fell to UConn in the opening round before the hosting Oklahoma Sooners bounced them from the elimination bracket.

Duke outfielder Devin Obee set to enter transfer portal

Duke baseball will need to replace a major two-way player after outfielder Devin Obee opted for the transfer portal.

Chris Pollard and his staff will have a new hole to fill on their roster in the coming months.

Senior outfielder Devin Obee opted for the transfer portal and will leave the Duke baseball team after graduating this summer, according to a Tuesday report from D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.

His name officially began appearing in the transfer portal database that same day.

The loss is significant for Duke from an on- and off-field perspective, as Obee was a leader amongst the team. As a junior, he was a terrific defender with great instincts and provided some significant power with 16 home runs last year alone. He also batted .309 with 11 doubles and two triples, one of two Blue Devils to reach all four of those numbers in 2024.

Duke has seen many departures from the program this past summer due to graduation, the MLB draft, and other transfers out of the program.

Chase Krewson, a terrific freshman expected to have a significant role in the future, opted to transfer to UCF. At the same time, Ben Miller shocked everyone by announcing his return to the Duke program for one more season. Pitchers Jonathan Santucci, Charlie Beilenson, and others were drafted to the professional ranks this summer.

With Obee on the way out, Duke will need contributions from players who played minor roles or weren’t even on the team last year to supplement guys like Miller, AJ Gracia, Kyle Johnson, and Ben Miller as they attempt to defend their ACC Tournament title and break through to Omaha for the first time in 2025.

All-ACC third baseman Ben Miller surprises everyone by returning to Duke baseball team

Duke baseball’s All-ACC third baseman Ben Miller announced on Monday that he will return for the 2025 season.

As we speed towards the start of football season and drool over what could happen fin Cameron Indoor Stadium starting in November, the Duke baseball team just received some major news of its own on Monday.

Ben Miller, a significant part of Duke’s team in 2024, announced on Monday that he would return for one final season with the Duke team.

Miller is no stranger to Durham. He grew up there. Before Duke, Ben played collegiate baseball at Penn, the Ivy League school. He then transferred home to play his fourth year of college baseball.

With one final year of eligibility, Miller decided to play with the Blue Devils for one more season instead of seeking professional opportunities. He started in all 55 games in 2024, leading the team with a .360 batting average. He scored 56 runs from the top of the lineup while tallying 82 hits, including 18 doubles, one triple, and 15 home runs. He drove in 49 runs for an explosive Duke offense.

Last year, he posted 13 two-hit days, six three-hit days, and one four-hit day. In short, he was a firestarter for Chris Pollard and the Duke team. At the end of the season, he was named the All-ACC First Team third baseman and was a big force in the conference tournament as Duke clenched an ACC Tournament title.

Miller’s return can’t be overstated. It gives Duke leadership and instant offense and fills a significant hole in the infield that Duke could’ve struggled to fill.

 

Duke baseball sets program’s single-season home run record after ACC Tournament performance

Lost in the shuffle of Duke’s 16-4 victory over Florida State during Sunday’s ACC title game, the Blue Devils reached 112 home runs for the year.

Duke baseball didn’t just win its second ACC Tournament on Sunday with a 16-4 victory over Florida State, but the Blue Devils set a program record on the way.

Duke hit three home runs during Sunday’s title game, giving them 112 homers for the season. The figure broke a single-season record of 109 home runs set just one season ago.

The Blue Devils broke the record in spectacular fashion, too, when third baseman Ben Miller smashed a grand slam during Sunday’s fourth inning.

Second baseman Zac Morris, who hit three home runs during Duke’s two games in pool play to begin the tournament, leads the Blue Devils with 18 on the season. Logan Bravo sits second on the team with 17, and Miller and centerfielder Devin Obee both finished the ACC Tournament with 15 for the season.

Obee, the ACC Tournament MVP, hit a home run in each of Duke’s last three games of the conference tournament. His slugging weekend crescendoed with a grand slam against the Seminoles on Sunday, giving the Blue Devils a 10-run lead.

Catcher Alex Stone and freshman AJ Gracia, the final two Duke players in double-digits, have 13 home runs for the season. Stone, who also hit two home runs during the ACC Tournament, joined Obee on the All-Tournament Team.

Duke baseball hits two grand slams during ACC title game victory over Florida State

Duke baseball outscored Florida State 16-4 in Sunday’s ACC title game thanks to two grand slams from Ben Miller and Devin Obee.

Duke baseball scored 16 runs during Sunday’s dominant victory over Florida State in the ACC title game, a 12-run victory to give the Blue Devils their second conference title in four years.

Half of those runs came in two fell swoops when Ben Miller and Devin Obee both hit grand slams during the middle innings of the game, growing Duke’s lead from three runs to 10 over the course of one hour.

In the top of the fourth inning, Duke led 5-2 but loaded the bases without any outs to give themselves a chance to create some distance. Miller, the All-ACC First Team third baseman, dug his feet into the box. On his second pitch of the at-bat, he pummeled a ball straight up into the air that kept going…and going…and going all the way over the right-field wall for a grand slam.

Miller’s teammates gifted him the team hard hat for the effort, too, a fun look into how loose Chris Pollard’s team seems to be ahead of the postseason.

Obee, who was later named the tournament’s MVP, also strode to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth. He promptly launched his third home run in three games, Duke’s second grand slam of the afternoon.

The Blue Devils tacked on two more runs after Obee’s slam, but with a 10-run lead entering the final three innings, it didn’t mean much. The two Duke sluggers ended the game themselves with two cracks of the bat.

Duke uses two grand slams to demolish Florida State 16-4 and capture second ACC Tournament Title

Duke uses two grand slams to propel them to second ACC Tournament Title.

A new champion has emerged in the ACC Baseball realm, and they hail from Durham, NC.

On a Sunday afternoon, Chris Pollard and his team showcased their resilience, demolishing a top 10-ranked Florida State squad 16-4 to claim Duke’s second-ever ACC Tournament title.

Duke entered the tournament as the sixth seed, and while there was no doubt about their inclusion in next week’s NCAA Tournament, the Duke players had a chip on their shoulder to perform better against the ACC’s best of the best than they had in the regular season. They lost a few close games, ultimately the difference between Duke finishing as a three-seed or higher in the conference tournament.

After losing two of three in the regular season to them, Duke knew the Seminoles would be challenging. 

And from the outset, things were dicey quickly as James Tallon served up a two-run home run to Cam Smith of FSU to start the game.

Down two runs, Duke didn’t panic, and in the top of the second, the Blue Devils hit the gas and would never look back.

After loading the bases, Oklahoma transfer Wallace Clark came up with a chance to do damage. He would get hit by the at-bat’s first pitch, which cut into Florida State’s lead to 2-1.

FSU brought in Noah Short for Carson Dorsey, and Duke star freshman Kyle Johnson roped a two-run double down the left field line, pushing Duke ahead for a 3-2 lead. Later that inning, AJ Gracia blooped a two-run single to give the Blue Devils a 5-2 lead.

In the fourth, Ben Miller left his handprint on the game when he hammered a grand slam to make it 9-2. The Seminoles got two runs back in the bottom of the inning with a Jaime Ferrer two-run homer, but the Duke offense was still going strong.

 

Outfielder Chase Krewson drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth to make it 10-4, and then senior Devin Obee smashed the second Blue Devil grand slam of the day moments later.

Duke would allow no more runs and would cruise to the title the rest of the way.

Duke’s offense was remarkable this tournament, and they showcased why on Sunday. They did it in many ways, piecing together rallies and using the long ball to score. Devin Obee was named ACC Tournament MVP after he hit three home runs in the final three games.

The win improved the Blue Devils to 39-18 on the season.  Duke is looking to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1961 and eventually pursue the first national championship in program history. After being dropped to a No. 2 seed in most postseason projections, the Blue Devils did their best to make a case to host at least a regional round.

Duke uses explosive 5th inning to crush NC State 8-1 to clinch ACC Tournament semifinal berth

Duke uses three-homer fifth inning to run away from the NC State Wolfpack and advance to ACC Semifinals.

This Duke offense can turn the heat up on anyone. And if there’s a likely culprit doing damage in the middle of it, his name is probably Zac Morris.

That was the case on Thursday night as the Blue Devils used an explosive fifth inning and ran away from their fellow Triangle rivals, the NC State Wolfpack.

Duke and NC State battled it out in Charlotte for the right to advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals in a win-or-go-home scenario. Only one team could advance from Pool C, and it was whoever walked out with two wins on Thursday night.

Sophomore starting pitcher Andrew Healy was a tone-setter for the Blue Devils as he came right out and had an uneventful one-two-three inning to kick the game off. He settled into a groove and ended his night throwing five innings of shutout baseball. He struck out four batters and walked none on a very economical 59 pitches.

During the top of the fifth inning, his teammates decided to help him out. Left fielder Chase Krewson took NC State’s Sam Highfill the opposite way for a solo home run to put Duke up 1-0. Devin Obee and Wallace Clark singled, and Highfill walked All-ACC freshman Kyle Johnson to load the bases.

Zac Morris, who already had a team-high 17 homers for the season, then took a 1-2 pitch deep to left-center field for a grand slam.

Ben Miller flew out before AJ Gracia got in on the action with a solo home run himself. Like that, Duke was up 6-0, and they never looked back.

Krewson would walk to start the sixth inning, and Devin Obee hit a laser of a line drive that was initially ruled a double before an umpire’s review deemed it a home run, giving Chris Pollard’s team an 8-0 lead.

James Tallon and Tim Noone combined for four innings of one-run ball to close the game, and Duke would eliminate NC State from the ACC Tournament.

From now on, the ACC tournament will be single elimination, so Duke will remain in do-or-die mode. Duke will have Friday off before taking on the winner of Pool D, Virginia, or  Florida State on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Seven Duke baseball players named to All-ACC teams

Duke baseball set a team record with seven Blue Devils named to the All-ACC teams, including four First Team members.

Duke baseball set a program record on Monday with seven Blue Devils named to the All-ACC teams, including four First Team members.

Starting pitcher Jonathan Santucci, reliever Charlie Beilenson, third baseman Ben Miller, and second baseman Zac Morris all made the top squad in the conference.

Miller, who transferred from Penn before the 2024 season, led the Blue Devils with a .383 batting average this season. He racked up 17 doubles and 13 home runs in 48 games, and he finished the regular season with 42 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .465.

Morris, another 2024 transfer who joined from VMI, had a batting average of .335 and an on-base percentage of .432 in his own right. In 53 games, he raked in 49 RBIs and mashed 15 home runs for a slugging percentage of .600.

On the mound, Beilenson finished the season with a 1.88 ERA across 29 appearances, ending up with a 6-3 record and 11 saves on his resume. He struck out 78 batters in 52.2 innings pitched, and he allowed just 50 walks and hits combined. Opposing batters finished with an average of .178 against the closer.

Santucci, Duke’s ace southpaw, sat out the North Carolina series as he nursed a rib injury on his non-throwing side. However, he finished with a 6-1 record and a 3.54 ERA in 12 starts. He averaged 13.82 strikeouts per nine innings, and he surrendered 1.30 walks and hits per inning pitched.

Catcher Alex Stone made the All-ACC Second Team after he batted .326 with 11 home runs.

Newcomers AJ Gracia (.311, 12 HRs, and 51 RBI) and Kyle Johnson (.295, 5 HRs, and 9 RBI as a batter, 4.47 ERA and a 3-1 record as a pitcher) both made the Freshman Team, with Gracia making the All-ACC Third Team.

Duke’s postseason starts on Tuesday against Virginia Tech, the first game in pool play of the conference tournament.

Two Blue Devils baseball players named semifinalists for Dick Howser Trophy

The Dick Howser Trophy is awarded to the nation’s best college baseball player every year, and two Blue Devils are among the players still in contention.

The Dick Howser Trophy Committee revealed its 68 semifinalists for the award on Thursday, and two Duke Blue Devils made the cut.

The award is given to the nation’s best baseball player every year, as voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Duke reliever Charlie Beilenson and third baseman Ben Miller both appeared on the trimmed list.

Beilenson leads the Blue Devils with 27 appearances on the mound so far this season. His 2.01 ERA is the second-lowest on the team among pitchers with 10 trips to the mound, and he’s racked up a 5-2 record with 11 saves.

Across 49.1 innings pitched this season, the Duke closer has allowed 31 hits against 72 strikeouts. He’s only allowed a run in five of his 27 appearances.

At the plate, Miller has batted .410 for the season. He’s hit 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and batted in 42 runs, adding up to a slugging percentage of 0.727. He’s also drawn 15 walks, meaning he gets on base in 49.1% of his at-bats.

The two get a chance to make more of a statement for the award over the weekend with a three-game series against North Carolina at home.