Tag: Charlie Beilenson

D1Baseball ranks the Blue Devils as a top-30 program in the country

D1Baseball moved the Duke Blue Devils within their top 30 programs this week, the latest step in a meteoric rise.

With each passing year, the Duke baseball team moves closer and closer to the national forefront.

D1Baseball ranked the Blue Devils as the No. 28 program in the country this week, a far cry from being left off the rankings just nine years ago.

“It wasn’t too long ago that Duke was a proverbial punching bag in the ACC,” D1Baseball co-owner Kendall Rogers wrote. “Now, it is routinely one of the league’s best programs.”

Duke hired head coach Chris Pollard for the 2013 season, and the progress has been steady over the 11 years since. After just two 30-win seasons in the 14 years before Pollard’s arrival, the Blue Devils have reached that threshold in nine of their last 10 full seasons.

The growth culminated with a 40-win 2024 season that included Duke’s second ACC Tournament title in four years. Six different members of the team averaged at least .300 at the plate with more than 10 home runs, and closer Charlie Beilenson finished with a 2.01 ERA in 34 appearances.

The Blue Devils climbed up to 82nd in the 2017 D1Baseball rankings, broke into the top 50 as the No. 39 team in 2019, and finished 33rd in the 2022 edition of the rankings.

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.

100 Duke baseball players have now been drafted into the MLB

With the Los Angeles Angels drafting Fran Oschel III on Tuesday, MLB teams have now drafted 100 former Duke baseball players.

The Duke Blue Devils baseball team, with the Tuesday selection of Fran Oschell III, has now produced 100 MLB draft picks across program history.

Oschell, who went in the 12th round to the Los Angeles Angels, became the fourth pick of the 2024 MLB draft, following Jonathan Santucci (second round to the New York Mets), Charlie Beilenson (fifth round to the Seattle Mariners), and Nick Conte (eighth round to the Kansas City Royals).

Two Duke players have gone in the first round, both of whom left for the MLB within the last 15 years. Marcus Stroman became the first first-round pick in school history back in 2012 when the Toronto Blue Jays took him 22nd overall. Bryce Jarvis repeated the feat when the Diamondbacks took him 18th overall in 2020.

Other notable recent picks include Houston Astros outfielder [autotag]Joey Loperfido[/autotag], a seventh-round pick back in 2021 who finally reached The Show earlier this year, and right-hand pitchers Henry Williams and Marcus Johnson, who went within the first four rounds in 2022.

Outside of an abbreviated 2020 draft, the Blue Devils have now produced at least four MLB draft picks every year since 2018.

Duke baseball coach Chris Pollard reacts to closer Charlie Beilenson getting drafted

With All-ACC closer Charlie Beilenson headed to the Seattle Mariners, Duke coach Chris Pollard took to social media to praise his star.

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 heโ€™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.

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.

Duke closer Charlie Beilenson goes to the Seattle Mariners in fifth round of 2024 MLB draft

Duke’s second draft pick of the 2024 MLB Draft is closer Charlie Beilenson, who’s headed to the West Coast after getting taken in the fifth round.

Duke’s pitching this past season was supposed to be a high mark for the team as it prepared for another year in the ACC, and when it came down to it, the pitching was incredible for the Blue Devils.

One of those pitchers, ace lefty Johnathan Santucci, was taken by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft. Another one of Duke’s dynamic arms, closer Charlie Beilenson, came off the board next as Duke’s second pick of the draft during the second day of the draft.

Beilenson is headed to the Seattle Mariners after they selected him with the 154th overall pick in the fifth round.

Beilenson was a crucial part of Duke’s team over his time in Durham and has the accolades to prove it. In just 2024 alone, Charlie Beilenson went 7-3 with 12 saves, posting a 2.01 ERA (14 earned runs across 62.2 innings pitched) with 92 strikeouts for Duke. He finished the year as an ABCA/Rawlings, NCBWA, and Perfect Game First Team All-American. He was also an All-ACC First Team Relief Pitcher, one of seven Blue Devils on the all-conference squads.

His durability was displayed in 2023 as he broke the school record for appearances in a single season at 39.

He routinely put out fires or shut the door on opposing teams. His versatility is truly impressive, as he can be a one-inning closer, a multi-inning middle or long reliever, or a set-up man. In short, he’s as versatile a bullpen weapon as a team can wish for, leaving fans and analysts in awe of his skills.

He doesn’t throw hard, but it’s reasonable to believe that under the eyes of major league pitching instruction, he may be able to maximize his potential and add a few more miles to his fastball.

With the way the Mariners develop pitchers as an organization and value pitching (they lead the American League in ERA, WHIP, and average against), it stands to reason they will know exactly what buttons to push to maximize Beilenson’s talent.

Charlie Beilinson and Zac Morris named NCBWA All-Americans

Two of Duke baseball’s best senior contributors earn All-America honors.

While Duke’s season was far from what they wanted it to be, Chris Pollard, his staff, and his players had one heck of a baseball season. They reached new heights in the polls, had a historic offensive season, and won the second ACC Tournament title in program history. Bowing out before making it to Omaha in the NCAA Tournament will sting and inevitably serve as fuel for next year’s squad.

Replicating some of this year’s team’s magic will be difficult, considering the Blue Devils must replace some significant contributors in the offseason.

Two of those contributors are major holes because they were good players, great leaders, and all-American caliber players.

Charlie Beilenson was one of the nation’s best relievers and was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first-team All-American. His 2024 was remarkable. In 2024, he appeared in 34 games on the mound, posting a 7-3 record with a 2.01 ERA. He worked 62.2 innings, allowing 14 earned runs and striking out 92 of the 226 batters he faced. Beilenson held opponents to a .181 average and walked just 18 batters. Earlier this week, he was named a Perfect Game First Team Relief Pitcher and an ABCA/Rawlings First Team Relief Pitcher. If that wasn’t enough, he’s a Stopper of the Year finalist. Whenever Chris Pollard needed outs from the seventh inning onward, Beilenson was available and almost always answered the call. He was as consistent a player as Pollard had all year.

If Beilenson was the most consistent pitcher Pollard could depend on, Zac Morris was the bat his coaches could believe in every time he came to the plate. It shouldn’t be surprising that he was named NCBWA third-team All-American. The former transfer from VMI, Morris, was named the third team’s second baseman. He was an All-ACC First Team second baseman during the 2024 campaign. In his 60 games played, Morris produced a .343 average at the plate, posting a robust OPS of 1.068. He registered 245 at-bats, scoring 69 runs and collecting 84 hits to lead the Blue Devils. Morris added 12 doubles, two triples, a career-high 18 home runs, 59 RBI, and walked 39 times.

He was a walking offensive powerhouse at the top of the Duke lineup. He played a terrific second base in the field, too.

Both players are set to move on to professional endeavors and will look to be drafted in the upcoming 2024 MLB Draft.

Duke baseball staves off elimination with 6-2 win over Oral Roberts

Duke eliminates Oral Roberts 6-2 to keep season going.

The 2024 Duke Blue Devils baseball team will live to play another day after they survived an elimination game in the Norman Regional on Saturday afternoon, beating Oral Roberts 6-2.

Friday was a bit of shell shock for the Blue Devils, who came into the NCAA Tournament red-hot, especially offensively. After a 16-run performance against Florida State in the ACC Tournament title game, Duke only managed one run on Friday against Big East regular-season champion Connecticut.

UCONN used some situational hitting and terrific pitching to put Duke away 4-1 and force Duke into the loser’s bracket. In a double-elimination system, the Blue Devils woke up knowing they’d be heading back to Durham by nightfall if they didn’t win.

Staff ace Jonathan Santucci received the start against Oral Roberts and pitched for the first time since he was injured in the regular season. He didn’t go long for obvious reasons, as he had been out for a little while, and Duke didn’t want to over-extend him.

He only pitched two innings but gave up no runs while striking out four and walking two. He escaped a jam to keep the scoreboard blank while his offense continued to find its footing.

James Tallon came on to handle the third inning and did so smoothly. He gave up no hits and didn’t walk anyone. In the top of the fourth, Duke finally broke through on a Devin Obee RBI single to score Alex Stone. The Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead.

Talented two-way freshman Kyle Johnson relieved Tallon in the bottom of the fourth and started the first of three innings. In the top of the sixth, Duke hit the gas to separate themselves from the Golden Eagles. Alex Stone led off with a double and scored on a one-out double from Chase Krewson. Wallace Clark made sure he made it home after he doubled to the left-center gap to make it 3-0 Duke.

Jimmy Evans connected on a two-run homer for his only hit of the afternoon to make it 5-0 for the Blue Devils in the sixth. ORU would respond with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but Duke quelled any other threats. Devin Obee smoked a solo home run for insurance in the top of the eighth, and Charlie Beilenson nailed down the final inning to end Oral Roberts’ season.

Duke’s bounceback couldn’t have been better, as they needed all hands on deck to make this work. The Blue Devils will play on Sunday afternoon in yet another elimination game. The loser of Oklahoma vs. UCONN will have their backs pushed up against the wall and face elimination. That game will start at 2 p.m. local time and be broadcast on ESPN +.

Three Blue Devils named to ACC Baseball All-Tournament team after title game victory

It should come as no surprise that Tournament MVP Devin Obee earned ACC Baseball All-Tournament Team honors, but which two Blue Devils joined him?

The ACC released the All-Tournament Team for the conference baseball tournament shortly after Duke took home the title, and a trio of Blue Devils appeared on the honored list.

Centerfielder Devin Obee won Tournament MVP honors after he hit three home runs and drove in eight RBIs over the four-game postseason run, so no fans should be surprised to see him among the three outfielders honored.

None of his hits mattered more than Sunday’s grand slam against Florida State in the title game, a blast that gave Duke a 10-run lead.

Duke catcher Alex Stone, who hit home runs against Miami and Virginia Tech, earned the catcher spot after he finished with four hits and three RBIs for the week.

Reliever Charlie Beilenson rounded out the three Blue Devils honorees after he spent 6.1 innings on the mound and allowed just two earned runs. He shut out both the Hurricanes and the Seminoles over the weekend, giving up just one hit in both appearances, and he finished the tournament with nine strikeouts.

Despite both players hitting multiple home runs, second baseman Zac Morris and third baseman Ben Miller both missed out on the roster.

The runner-up Seminoles were the only other team with three nominees, and Wake Forest earned two.

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, Dukeโ€™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.

Dukeโ€™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.