Fall Report: Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke had plenty of heroes during its run to the first ACC championship in program history last spring, but a strong case can be made that the backbone of that club was the trio of up-the-middle mainstays who also helped lead the Blue Devils to super regionals in 2019: catcher Michael Rothenberg, shortstop Ethan Murray and center fielder Joey Loperfido.

So it makes sense that Duke coach Chris Pollard might feel some anxiety about heading into 2022 without those three pillars of the program — especially given the team’s youth at those critical up-the-middle spots.

“I looked[…]