8th Annual ALS Game Highlights BC vs. Duke Series

WEEKEND PITCHING MATCH-UPS

Friday, 4 p.m.: LHP-Dan Metzdorf (4-2, 3.62) vs. RHP-Ben Gross (5-2, 3.18)
Saturday, 2 p.m.: RHP-Mason Pelio (4-2, 2.94) vs. LHP-Bill Chillari (2-2, 4.08)
Sunday, 1 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

Record: 21-22 (7-14 ACC)
Coach: Mike Gambino
Career Record/Years: 198-270/9
Rank: NR RPI: 64

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Record: 25-16 (11-10 ACC)
Coach: Chris Pollard
Career Record/Years: 467-372-1/15
Rank: 25^CBN RPI: 44

The Boston College baseball team returns home for an ACC series against Duke beginning Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m. Saturday's game against the Blue Devils at 2 p.m. will be Boston College's 8th Annual ALS Awareness Game. This weekend's series will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

ABOUT THE EAGLES

Boston College won a pair of midweek games to lift its record to 21-22 overall. The Eagles', who are 7-14 in the ACC, top hitter is freshman right fielder Sal Frelick at .372 with 32 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Senior third baseman Jake Alu is hitting .358 and is 8-for-10 this week. He has scored 39 runs and collected 13 doubles. BC has five hitters at .300 or better, including junior first baseman Jack Cunningham at an even .300. He has slugged a team-high seven home runs to go with 10 doubles and 29 RBI. Senior lefty Dan Metzdorf gets the series started in the Friday spot. He is 4-2 with a 3.62 earned run average.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS

Duke is 25-16 overall, 11-10 in the ACC and ranked No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball News after sweeping Clemson on the road last weekend. Designated hitter Matt Mervis is the Blue Devils' top hitter at .340 with five home runs. Duke has hit 33 long balls as a team with four players having gone deep five times or more. Center fielder Kennie Taylor has hit five home runs and driven in a team-high 35 runs, while hitting .328. RHP Ben Gross started in the Friday role last weekend and is 5-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

ALL-TIME VS. DUKE

Boston College is 18-12 all-time against Duke with all 30 match-ups coming in the Eagles' ACC era. BC is 8-7 in home games played at Shea Field and swept a neutral field series as the home team in Newark, Del. in 2015. The first series between the two sides was in 2006 as the Blue Devils took two of three in Chestnut Hill.

LAST TIME THEY MET

The Eagles wrapped up a series win at Jack Coombs Field in Durham by Saturday with wins of 3-1 and 15-6 in 2017. The Blue Devils salvaged the weekend with a 9-2 win on Sunday. Right fielder Donovan Casey posted a multi-hit day in each game of the series; compiling seven hits in 12 at-bats. In the opener, Jacob Stevens tossed seven innings of one-hit and one-run ball to get the win. BC scored nine runs and sent 12 batters to the plate in the sixth inning of game two to pull away from a one-run game. Catcher Gian Martellini hit a grand slam in the fourth.

8^th ANNUAL ALS AWARENESS GAME

Saturday marks the 8th Annual ALS Awareness Game at 2 p.m. in honor of former BC captain Pete Frates. Admission is free. BC is 4-3 in its annual ALS game. The Eagles lost to No. 17 FSU (4/21/18) last year in front of 5,433 at Fenway Park.

BY THE NUMBERS: THE EAGLES vs. THE DUKIES

Jake Alu: .429 (6-for-14) with a four-hit game... Brian Dempsey: .500 (5-for-10), two runs, two stolen bases... Gian Martellini: Grand slam, five RBI game (4/15/17)... Jacob Yish: .333 (4-for-12), three runs, two RBI.

#FORMERBIRDBALLERS

Thirteen former BC baseball players are scattered across the minor leagues this season, including Eric Campbell, Tony Sanchez and Chris Shaw, who have all reached the majors. Shaw, who debuted with the Giants in August 2018, is ranked as the No. 11 prospect in San Francisco's farm system. Justin Dunn was traded from the Mets for MLB All-Stars Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz and is the No. 3 prospect in the Seattle Mariners' organization. Michael King quickly rose through the ranks upon arriving in the New York Yankees' system last year and is now the team's No. 12 prospect.