Duquesne is in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference nearing the midway point of the baseball season.

Never before has that sentence been written.

Duquesne took two of three games against La Salle this past weekend to improve its record to 10-2 in the league.

"It's too early to get too excited," coach Mike Wilson said. "This game can humble you real quick. But it's great to be in this position because it helps the kids feel good about themselves and gives them confidence they know how to win. It gives us some breathing room."

This is uncharted territory for the Dukes (15-15), who have spent most of the previous 26 years near the bottom of the league standings. Entering this year they were 163-304 in the A-10, with a 15-9 record and second-place finish in the West Division in 2003 the best showing.

Duquesne's only overall winning record in the past 19 seasons was 26-23 in 2002.

"Things have come together for this team," Wilson said. "These guys are buying into you have to use your brain out there. This may not be our most talented team, but, for the most part, they've been able to keep their focus and concentrate on each pitch. We can't afford to relax."

This season already has been a wild ride for the Dukes, who followed an 0-10 start -- against nationally ranked Florida State and South Carolina, and powers LSU and West Virginia -- with a school-record 11-game winning streak.

Picked to finish 12th in a preseason vote of the league coaches, Duquesne has been the surprise team in the A-10. The schedule stiffens considerably with upcoming three-game series against the three teams right below Duquesne in the standings: At Temple this weekend, at Charlotte (April 25-27) and at home against Xavier (May 2-4).

With 15 remaining league games, Duquesne is in good position to earn one of the six spots in the A-10 tournament, which sends its champion to the NCAA tournament.

Duquesne has been two different teams this season because of a pitching staff that lacks experienced depth. Wilson saves his starters for weekend games against A-10 opponents and gives his freshmen an opportunity in non-league games against teams that often are stronger than A-10 competition.

"It gets a little scary from the standpoint of losing those kids' confidence," Wilson said of the Dukes, who play at West Virginia today and against Pitt at 1 p.m. tomorrow at PNC Park. "The mid-week games give us a chance to find out who is developing, but it's all about the A-10. You're not going to jeopardize the weekend."

In games against non-league opponents, the Dukes have a team earned run average of 10.21. In league games they have a 3.00 ERA. Duquesne's winningest pitchers are Ryan Juran (4-4, 8.19), a junior right-hander from Shaler, and Paul Bugajski (3-3, 6.80), a sophomore right-hander from Norwin.

Duquesne's most productive hitters are Mike Carroll (.402 batting average, 3 home runs, 22 RBIs), Derek Mechling (.350, 6 HRs, 20 RBIs) and Aaron Janusey (.300, 6 HRs, 25 RBIs).

"There's a lot of season left," Wilson said. "I like where we are now, but I'm not going to get too pumped up -- yet."