High school baseball: Doing it for Dad

SPANISH FORK — The baseball folks in Salem and Spanish Fork will tell you, Dev Duke was as proud a baseball father as you'd ever see.

Unfortunately, he never got to see his two boys play high school baseball.

But the coaches, parents and fans who have watched Brock and Adam Duke pitch, field and hit for the Spanish Fork Dons the past few years know exactly how Dev would feel if he were alive today.

"I'm sure he'd be elated and extremely proud," Dons coach Jim "Shoe" Nelson said. "I don't know if there's ever been a brother combo in the state that's contributed so much to a team's success as Brock and Adam have. Combined they've won almost 40 games here. But they're not only quality pitchers and quality baseball players, they're both good kids as well. They are classy in every way."

On July 4, 2001, Dev Duke died tragically when a fireworks stand he was running to raise money for his sons' Mariners super league baseball team (which went on to win two Triple Crown World Series titles in Steamboat Springs, Colo.) blew over on top of him during a strong wind storm.

Even though Dev's support of his sons was cut short at the age of 46, the path he got them started on has led to two illustrious high school careers.

"He put the building blocks in and taught us to do things the right way," said Brock Duke, a senior right-hander and four-year starter for the Dons.

Adam Duke, a junior who is starting for the third season, added, "He taught us to love the game and to have fun playing it; that's what I remember the most."

As a freshman, Brock, who will end his prep career in the state playoffs over the next two weeks, was Spanish Fork's winning pitcher in the Dons' semifinal game in their 2006 state championship run. He was an All-American as a 12-year-old and is a two-time all-state player. He has a career record of 20-6 with 217 strikeouts and will play collegiately next season at Utah.

Adam Duke also had a big playoff win as a freshman in 2007, turning in a two-hit 14-strikeout gem against Copper Hills. He's a two-time all-state honorable mention righty with a career mark of 18-6 with 163 strikeouts. Several colleges want his services after next season.

Together, the brother combo has been a huge part of Spanish Fork's baseball foundation the past three years, and both are good bets to add all-state honors again this season with both sporting 5-1 records, with two complete games each and one shutout each. Brock has an ERA of 1.56 with 51 strikeouts in 36 innings. Adam's ERA is 2.39 with 59 strikeouts in 41 innings.