CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) — In an Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament that has seen the top four seeds miss the semifinal round, sixth-seeded Duke has a chance to win the championship and join the other Triangle teams as hosts during the NCAA regional round next week.
But first, the Blue Devils will have to get past upset-minded Miami. Duke (37-18 overall, 16-14 ACC) and the No. 11. Hurricanes (26-29, 11-19) square off in the second semifinal game at Truist Field. The game’s first pitch was pushed back to 7 p.m. due to bad weather in the area.
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The Blue Devils reached the semifinals by winning Pool C, topping No. 10 Virginia Tech on Tuesday night and knocking out No. 3 NC State Thursday night. Miami came out victorious in Pool B, upsetting No. 7 Louisville on Tuesday afternoon and No. 2 Clemson on Thursday afternoon.
While Duke will be playing in the NCAA tournament whether they win or lose, two more victories this weekend could mean home games in Durham to start the postseason. Miami, meanwhile, will have to win the ACC tournament championship to earn a spot in the NCAA regionals.
The winner of this game will move on to Sunday’s final, where they’ll face No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles held off Wake Forest in the first semifinal game Saturday afternoon.