Walker McDuffie records seven strikeouts in No. 5 UNC baseball's win over VCU

Top of the fourth. Tie game, 4-4. Bases loaded. Two outs.

After first-year pitcher Ryan Lynch’s last pitch hit a batter to put the Tar Heels in a jam, head coach Scott Forbes made a call to the bullpen.

Yet, it wasn’t a more experienced pitcher he was opting for.

Avenged Sevenfold’s “Hail to the King” rang from the speakers of Boshamer Stadium as Walker McDuffie, the first-year pitcher from Broadway, N.C., trotted to the mound from the left field dugout. It was clear from the first warmup pitch that McDuffie would bring the heat to VCU on Tuesday night.

“I trust myself and trust all the practice we put in,” McDuffie said. “It gives me all the confidence, and my teammates and coaches believing in me, so it helps me go in and play my game.”

In No. 5 UNC baseball's 9-4 win over VCU on Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium, McDuffie threw 3.1 innings in relief. The right-handed pitcher struck out seven batters, giving up one hit and one walk en route to his second win of the year. McDuffie has utilized his short time in Chapel Hill to develop himself as a collegiate level pitcher. 

McDuffie brought gas on the first pitch. 93 mph. Right up the middle.

“He’s just a stud,” Forbes said.

He followed that up with a sweeping slider that had the right-handed batter reaching. After getting worked into a 2-2 count, an off-speed pitch forced an infield popup handled by senior second baseman Jackson Van De Brake. 

Crisis averted.

McDuffie picked up his first strikeout in the fifth inning with a 95 mph heater that forced a full count swing and miss. The growth of this velocity was an emphasis for McDuffie when he first began training in Chapel Hill over the summer.

“Coming here and not really focusing on the pitching part, more just developing my body — gained weight, gained muscle,” McDuffie said. “The throwing program and learning mechanics that I wouldn’t have been taught in high school [have] helped my fastball become a pitch I can actually use.”

His development has led to what Forbes has coined a “boomerang slider.”

“You think it’s gonna be in one spot, and the last minute, it’s turning left,” Forbes said.

With the combination of pure power and sneaky movement, McDuffie toyed with the VCU bats in the sixth inning. The first-year struck out the first two batters swinging. After walking the next batter, his lone walk of the night, McDuffie closed out the side with a corner-painting inside strike three.

“Not many guys with that good of stuff have with that good of control,” Forbes said. “So we’re lucky that he’s here.”

Heading into the seventh inning — which would end up being his final frame — McDuffie knew he had an advantage. 

He picked up right where he left off. McDuffie utilized outside fastballs and inside off-speed pitches throughout the frame, striking out the side in order. 

“[It] helps a lot just going into the next inning knowing that you got an advantage and knowing that you’re gonna keep getting them,” McDuffie said.

By the time McDuffie returned to the bullpen, the UNC bats had reignited and the Tar Heels found themselves up four after trailing by four in the third.

The righty was one of three first-year relief pitchers used by North Carolina against VCU.

For Forbes, seeing McDuffie — and his other first-year pitchers — succeed in situations like these has been a bright spot on the season.

And for a Tar Heel squad that boasts a talented pitching staff, McDuffie showed he can be a reliable arm out of the bullpen.

@dylanstalterr

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