Duke put together one of their most complete performances of the season at the perfect time on Thursday night in the 2024 ACC Baseball Tournament. And they used it to knock off the No. 3 seed NC State Wolfpack, and punch their tickets to the ACC Tournament Semifinals in the process. Duke prevailed 8-1 and a big part of it was a dynamic performance from pitcher Andrew Healy, who allowed zero runs and fired four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Following the win, Healy spoke with the ACC Network broadcast crew.
What’s been the biggest key to his turnaround? “Honestly, just kind of fixing up my process. Stuff like that. Working on the routines and just fixing up some mechanical things. Just going back out here and just throwing strikes honestly. It’s the biggest thing throughout pitching,” the sophomore said.
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What was working best for him outside of firing strikes? “I would say, you know, the first pitch. The first pitch strike was pretty key. And helpful to be able to work on that with my slider and fastball,” Healy noted.
After NC State put up 19 runs recently on Virginia Tech, did he know he had to come out sharp? “I mean, I had to be on my A-game regardless. N.C. State’s good. They’re a really good team. They had us earlier in the season. You know, at the end of the day, it’s just competing. At the end of the day, you just have to win. Previous night didn’t matter much. It’s a new day. But you know, the goal is just winning,” Healy explained.
He only threw five innings on Thursday night. Was there any talk with Coach Pollard about going back out on the mound? “Not so much. You know, I’ve been trying to struggling with some stuff throughout the year. I don’t know if I’m on a pitch count or not, but we know we’ve got a long season ahead of us still. So, try to be cautious. Get ready for Regionals and honestly, first off, just winning the series, or the ACC Tournament,” Healy continued.
How does it feel to have his defenders out there making plays for him? “Usually, I’m more composed. But you know, having all the guys behind me and trusting them. Like Chase Krewson making the diving play in left field. When I walked a guy and having Zac Morris turn a double play. It gets you hype. This is why you have seven guys behind you that help you out a lot,” the 6-6, 200-pounder said.
With Duke winning on Thursday night, the Blue Devils still control their own destiny in terms of hosting a Regional in the upcoming 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament. How does it feel as a team to have a chance to make history for the Blue Devils program?
“It’s pretty cool. You know. Duke’s never hosted a regional yet. So, we might be the first team that does that. It’d be pretty special,” Healy explained.
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