Duke baseball sees string of stars selected during MLB Draft

The Duke baseball program saw some of its stars selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. 

It was another successful week at the MLB Draft for the Duke baseball team as five Blue Devils are heading to the professional ranks.

Junior shortstop Ethan Murray was the first Blue Devil off the board after the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the fifth round (No. 147 overall). Murray hit .297 this season with three home runs and 22 RBI.

In his three years at Duke, Murray posted a .950 fielding percentage.

After Ethan Murray’s selection, a Duke baseball player has now been drafted in the top five rounds of the MLB Draft in eight of the last nine years.

Senior Joey Loperfido was the next Blue Devil off the board as he was selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round (No. 208 overall) on the second day of the draft.

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Loperfido headlined Duke’s historic run to its first-ever ACC Tournament Championship this season as the New Jersey native was named as the ACC Tournament MVP. The senior led the Blue Devils with a .374 batting average and .473 on-base percentage while mashing eight homers and 29 RBI.

Peter Matt, a graduate student, was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round (No. 304 overall) after his one season with the Blue Devils. He hit .297 this year while belting 15 home runs, and he became the first player in program history to hit 15 homers and steal 15 bases in a single season.

Duke baseball with strong end to 2021 MLB Draft

Duke got off to a quick start on the third day of the MLB Draft as right-handed pitcher Jack Carey was the first pick on the final day by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Carey was an 11th-round selection (No. 313 overall) after emerging as the Friday night ace for the Blue Devils this season. The Summit, New Jersey native posted a 4-3 record after 15 starts this season with a 5.24 ERA.

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Senior catcher Michael Rothenberg was the final Blue Devil selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, in the 12th round (No. 345 overall) by the Detroit Tigers. He was Duke’s leader in the field and at the plate with nine homers and 42 RBI as well as a .251 batting average.

Duke will look to make its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2022.