One MJ took the "Flu Game" to a completely different level during the regionals of the 2023 college baseball tournament.
Duke designated hitter MJ Metz suffered a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament on May 23. In the sports world, that injury is typically followed by surgery and a months-long recovery process.
But Metz made his return to the Blue Devils' lineup for their NCAA Tournament opener on Friday, just 10 days after sustaining the injury. Even more mind-blowing, the graduate transfer hit three home runs to power Duke's 12-3 win over UNC Wilmington at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
After striking out in his first at-bat, Metz led off the fourth inning with a game-tying solo homer.
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In the next inning, Metz padded the Blue Devils' lead with a two-run shot.
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Metz then capped off his unbelievable performance by going yard for a third consecutive at-bat in the seventh with a 423-foot two-run homer.
Three straight home runs in one game is an incredible feat for a player with two intact ACLs. But with only one?
“It’s unbelievable,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said, via the Raleigh News & Observer. “It kind of defies logic a little bit. But he’s an exceptionally tough person.”
As the No. 2 seed in the Conway Regional, Metz and the Blue Devils will next face the winner of No. 1 Coastal Carolina versus No. 4 Rider.
