1952 Duke Blue Devils baseball team

The 1952 Duke Blue Devils baseball team represented Duke University in the 1952 NCAA baseball season. The Blue Devils played their home games at Jack Coombs Field. The team was coached by Jack Coombs in his 24th year at Duke.

1952 Duke Blue Devils baseball
Southern Conference champions District III champions
College World Series, T-5th
Conference	Southern Conference
Division	Southern
Record	31–7 (10–2 SoCon)
Head coach	Jack Coombs (24th season)
Home stadium	Jack Coombs Field
Seasons ← 1951 1953 →

1952 Southern Conference baseball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Northern
Richmond  x‍‍‍	6	–	2		.750			13	–	6		.684
George Washington  ‍‍‍	7	–	3		.700				–			–
West Virginia  ‍‍‍	7	–	3		.700				–			–
Washington and Lee  ‍‍‍	6	–	5		.545				–			–
William & Mary  ‍‍‍	5	–	6		.455				–			–
Maryland  ‍‍‍	4	–	6		.400			11	–	9		.550
Virginia Tech  ‍‍‍	3	–	6		.333			4	–	9		.308
VMI  ‍‍‍	1	–	8		.111				–			–
Southern
Duke  x‍‍‡‍	18	–	3		.857			31	–	7		.816
NC State  ‍‍‍	10	–	5		.667				–			–
North Carolina  ‍‍‍	10	–	7		.588			18	–	10		.643
South Carolina  ‍‍‍	8	–	7		.533				–			–
Clemson  ‍‍‍	10	–	10		.500			10	–	12		.455
Wake Forest  ‍‍‍	7	–	11		.389			13	–	12		.520
Furman  ‍‍‍	6	–	11		.353				–			–
Davidson  ‍‍‍	3	–	9		.250				–			–
The Citadel  ‍‍‍	3	–	12		.200				–			–
x – Division champion ‡ – Tournament champion As of June 30, 1952[1] Rankings from Collegiate Baseball

The Blue Devils won the District III playoff to advanced to the College World Series, where they were defeated by the Western Michigan Broncos.

Roster

1952 Duke Blue Devils baseball team
Players	Coaches
# Pos. Name B/T Height Weight Year Home town OF John Carroll / — — Sr Malden, Massachusetts P George Carver / — — Jr OF Benny Cavaliere / — — Sr Norristown, Pennsylvania Gordon Clapp / — — So P Bob Davis / — — Sr Dick Denny / — — Sr Bill Donigan / — — Johnny Gibbons / — — Jr Billy Goodman / — — INF Dick Groat / — — Sr Earle Hannel / — — OF Footer Johnson / — — Sr Bill Lea / — — Jr Lynchburg, Virginia RHP Joe Lewis /R — — So Jack McGuire / — — Sr OF Red Smith / — — So C John Tarr / — — So Bill Ward / — — Sr INF Bill Werber / — — Jr	Head coach Jack Coombs Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Current redshirt

Schedule

1952 Duke Blue Devils baseball game log
Regular season
March (4–1) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 1 March 25  at South Carolina Unknown • Columbia, South Carolina 3–1 1–0 1–0 2 March 26  at Furman Unknown • Greenville, South Carolina 6–1 2–0 2–0 3 March 27  at Furman Unknown • Greenville, South Carolina 4–1 3–0 3–0 4 March 28  at Clemson Riggs Field • Clemson, South Carolina 14–8 4–0 4–0 5 March 29  at Clemson Riggs Field • Clemson, South Carolina 9–10 4–1 4–1
April (14–1) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 6 April 2  Yale Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 9–2 5–1 4–1 7 April 3  Yale Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 12–3 6–1 4–1 8 April 4  Michigan State Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 10–9 7–1 4–1 9 April 7  Penn Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 13–4 8–1 4–1 10 April 8  Penn Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 13–4 9–1 4–1 11 April 9  at North Carolina Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina 4–2 10–1 5–1 12 April 11  Ohio Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 1–4 10–2 5–1 13 April 12  at NC State Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina 13–2 11–2 6–1 14 April 14  Clemson Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 6–2 12–2 7–1 15 April 16  Davidson Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 16–1 13–2 8–1 16 April 17  at NC State Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina 18–9 14–2 9–1 17 April 18  Furman Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 20–5 15–2 10–1 18 April 19  North Carolina Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 13–5 16–2 11–1 19 April 22  at Wake Forest Unknown • Winston-Salem, North Carolina 8–1 17–2 12–1 20 April 24  at Davidson Unknown • Davidson, North Carolina 11–2 18–2 13–1
May (6–2) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 21 May 1  North Carolina Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 10–2 19–2 14–1 22 May 3  Wake Forest Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 6–4 20–2 15–1 23 May 6  NC State Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 2–13 20–3 15–2 24 May 7  at Wake Forest Unknown • Winston-Salem, North Carolina 8–7 21–3 16–2 25 May 9  Wake Forest Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 14–11 22–3 17–2 26 May 10  at North Carolina Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina 9–13 22–4 17–3 27 May 12  NC State Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 6–0 23–4 18–3 28 May 15  NC State Jack Coombs Field • Durham, North Carolina 6–0 23–4 18–3
Postseason
Southern Conference Tournament (4–1) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 29 May 15  vs George Washington Devereaux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina 7–5 24–4 18–3 30 May 16  vs NC State Devereaux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina 4–5 24–5 18–3 31 May 17  vs George Washington Devereaux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina 8–4 25–5 18–3 32 May 18  vs NC State Devereaux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina 6–0 26–5 18–3 33 May 18  vs NC State Devereaux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina 8–3 27–5 18–3
District III Playoff (3–0) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 34 June 5 vs Tennessee Unknown • Annapolis, Maryland 7–1 28–5 18–3 35 June 6 vs Rollins Unknown • Annapolis, Maryland 5–4 29–5 18–3 36 June 7  vs Florida Unknown • Annapolis, Maryland 4–3 30–5 18–3
College World Series (1–2) # Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Overall record SoCon Record 37 June 12 vs Oregon State Omaha Municipal Stadium • Omaha, Nebraska 18–7 31–5 18–3 38 June 13 vs Penn State Omaha Municipal Stadium • Omaha, Nebraska 7–12 31–6 18–3 39 June 14 vs Western Michigan Omaha Municipal Stadium • Omaha, Nebraska 3–5 31–7 18–3

Awards and honors

Dick Groat

• All-Southern Conference Team
• First Team All-American American Baseball Coaches Association

Footer Johnson

• All-Southern Conference Team

Joe Lewis

• All-Southern Conference Team
• First Team All-American Coaches

Red Smith

• All-Southern Conference Team

Billy Werber

• All-Southern Conference Team
• Second Team All-American Coaches^[2]