Duke baseball player MJ Metz had a day Friday as the Blue Devils took on the UNC Wilmington Seahawks at the college baseball regionals.
Metz hit three home runs Friday as Duke defeated UNCW12-3, and he did it with a torn ACL.
Duke Blue Devils infielder MJ Metz (29) is congratulated after hitting a home run during a college baseball game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Boston College Eagles on April 14, 2023, at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond in Brighton, MA. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Metz, who was the designated hitter on Friday, suffered the injury during last week’s game. Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Metz and Duke coach Chris Pollard had yet to make a decision on his spot in the lineup as of Thursday night, but Pollard said Metz had «earned the right to make this decision» after a great round. batting practice on Thursday, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
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«I thought I could help the team, and that’s all I was trying to do,» Metz said, according to The Observer. «I told (Pollard) I wanted to give it a try and I’d let him know if anything changed. Just grateful for the way it all turned out.»
A baseball sits on the field as the Miami Hurricanes take on the Duke Blue Devils during the ACC Baseball Championship at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on May 26, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Metz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, a two-run home run in the fifth inning, and another two-run home run in the seventh.
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«Definitely a surprise to me,» Metz said. «I didn’t come here trying to do any of that. I’m just very grateful to be back on the field again; grateful to be given a chance, especially after what happened.»
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Metz is the first Duke baseball player to hit three home runs in a single game since RJ Schreck accomplished the feat in the Knoxville Regional during the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Duke Blue Devils infielder MJ Metz (29) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during a college baseball game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Boston College Eagles on April 14, 2023, at the Eddie Pellagrini Diamond in Brighton, MA. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Blue Devils are playing in the Conway Regional where Coastal Carolina is the sole seed and host of the tournament.
Duke will play Rider on Saturday night after the Broncos toppled coastal carolina in 10 tickets on Friday.