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Duke Baseball: Griffin Conine Selected by Toronto Blue Jays in MLB Draft

By Kevin Connelly

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 24: Manager John Gibbons #5 (L) of the Toronto Blue Jays and coaches stand as first responders are saluted the day after an attack that killed ten people during MLB game action against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 24, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 24: Manager John Gibbons #5 (L) of the Toronto Blue Jays and coaches stand as first responders are saluted the day after an attack that killed ten people during MLB game action against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 24, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Baseball sluggers Griffin Conine was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2018 MLB Draft.

June 4, 2018.

A day Griffin Conine will never forget.

The Duke slugger went into the day needing two wins over the Georgia Bulldogs to send the Duke Blue Devils to their first-ever Super Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

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In his first nine at-bats of the Regional, Conine was 0-9 with seven strikeouts but he turned it around quickly.

On Monday Conine blasted three home runs, two in the winner take all Game 7.

Hours after Duke advanced to the Super Regional Conine was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Second Round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

Conine was the No. 52 pick and he joined Jordan Groshans as the first two draft picks of the Blue Jays in this year’s draft.

Conine is in his third season in Durham where his growth as a player has been on display for all three seasons.

In 2016 Conine played in 30 games hitting .206 with no home runs, three doubles, and six RBI.

The following year in 2017 was Conine’s breakout year where he started all of the Blue Devils 58 games and hit a very good .298. The power numbers soared for Conine in his second season, hitting 13 home runs, 11 doubles, three triples, and 56 RBI, while only striking out in 45 times in 218 at-bats.

This season Conine was in a slump to start the season, but he has recovered tremendously.

Conine is currently hitting .278 and has once again started all of the Duke games this season.

The slugger has 18 home runs, 52 RBI, and 14 doubles in his junior campaign. However, the strikeout numbers have been on the rise dramatically for Conine this year as he has struck out 72 times in 216 at-bats.

Conine was a Second Team All-ACC selection for the second straight season while becoming the first Blue Devil to record back to back 10+ home run seasons since Nate Freiman and having at least 50 RBI in back to back seasons since Sean McNally.

In his Duke career, Conine has hit .276 with 31 home runs and 114 RBI.

Should Conine sign with the Blue Jays, MLB.com lists the value of his contract at $1.4M.

There is still a lot to happen before Conine needs to make a decision about his draft status with the Blue Jays as he and the rest of the Blue Devils prepare for the Super Regionals against Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon.

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