DURHAM – Seventeen former players and two former Duke coaches began the 2023 professional baseball season over the past week at multiple levels. Former pitching coaches Pete Maki (Minnesota Twins) and Dusty Blake (St. Louis Cardinals) began their MLB coaching careers with their respective clubs, as Marcus Stroman was slotted the 2023 Opening Day Starter for the Chicago Cubs.
Matt Mervis and Jimmy Herron begin the 2023 campaign at the triple-A level, as Mervis was placed on the Iowa Cubs roster and Herron on the Albuquerque Isotopes.