DURHAM, N.C. – Junior third baseman Jordan Betts and sophomore second baseman Andy Perez garnered second team All-ACC recognition as announced by the league Monday. The second team citations are the first career all-conference honors for both Blue Devils.
Betts and Perez are the first Duke position players to earn All-ACC honors since Nate Freiman and Jeremy Gould appeared on the second team in 2009. Betts is the first Blue Devil third baseman named all-conference since Jeff Becker in 1999, while Perez is the first Duke second baseman tabbed all-league since Quinton McCracken in 1992.
Betts has been a consistent presence in the Duke lineup over his three seasons in Durham, starting all 164 games in his career. A native of Wilmington, N.C., Betts' 48 RBI in 2013 ranks tied for 12th in the ACC and is the most by a Blue Devil since Freiman drove in 62 in 2009. He registered at least one RBI in 30 games this season, including a streak of nine-straight games from March 23 to April 5. Batting mainly from the cleanup spot, Betts also tagged a career-high seven home runs on the way to 102 total bases, which is tied for the most on the Duke roster.
Perez enjoyed an outstanding season in his second campaign with the Blue Devils, leading the team in batting average (.316), hits (67), triples (5) and stolen bases (18). Perez, a native of Roswell, Ga., was the only league second baseman to rank in the top 15 in the ACC in either hits or total bases (97). He was especially effective in ACC games, hitting .351 with six doubles, five triples and three home runs. Batting primarily from the leadoff spot, Perez had at least one hit in 23-of-30 conference contests, including multiple hits in 16 ACC games.
Virginia led all schools with six selections on the 32-member team, which was chosen via a vote of the league's head coaches. Coastal Division champion North Carolina placed five on the squad, including ACC Player of the Year Colin Moran.
Florida State and Georgia Tech had four selections each, followed by NC State with three. Duke, Maryland and Virginia Tech had two players each on the team.
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