The Duke baseball program will be without star outfielder AJ Gracia for game one of its Super Regional matchup in Durham against Murray State, as Gracia will serve a one-game suspension for a violation of NCAA rules. The Blue Devils appealed the ruling, but lost, and Gracia will serve the suspension.
The event took place during Duke's electric come-from-behind victory in the Athens Regional against Oklahoma State last week. In the eighth inning, Gracia hit a solo home run to bring the score to 2-1 in favor of the Cowboys. As anyone could expect, Gracia, along with his teammates, celebrated the solo shot.
However, later on, Gracia came out of the dugout in a prop construction helmet, which is a prop the Blue Devils use after homers as a sort of tradition. Gracia was then ejected from the ball game as this was a violation of NCAA rules. The helmet was seen as a "celebratory prop."
After the game, Blue Devils head coach Chris Pollard was absolutely furious with the ruling.
"I'm incredibly disappointed in the rule, and in the way the rule was interpreted and executed tonight...And this type of action by the umpire is why people get so frustrated with the NCAA. I'm disappointed for AJ Gracia that he won't play in one of the biggest games of his life when we start the Super Regional. I'm disappointed for Duke baseball and I'm disappointed for college baseball," Pollard said postgame after Gracia's ejection.
Duke's appeal to the ruling did not edge in its favor, and Gracia will officially miss the first game of the Blue Devils' three-game Super Regional series against Murray State.
In a series as big as this one, it's an absolute killer for Gracia and the rest of the Duke baseball program that a slight mistake like this results in a suspension right at the start of potentially the biggest series of the outfielder's life. Rules are rules, but coming onto the field with a prop helmet on, without doing any taunting, deserves no punishment of this caliber.
The Blue Devils will begin the Durham Super Regional series against the Racers this Saturday, June 7th, at 1:00 pm EST. This is the first Super Regional the Blue Devils have hosted in program history.