Duke trio experiencing the Northwoods League together in Kalamazoo

Three Blue Devils are spending the summer playing with the Growlers

Become a summer destination forplayers frompo wer five leaguse.Three players from DukeUniversity arecurrently donning KalamazooGrowlersuniforms. "A coach of minerecommended theleague," Third baseman LukeStormsaid.

"It is the bestopportunity for me toget a bunch of at-bats and Ihave been pylaing every game."Storm is a freshman with theBlue Devilsand while he didn't get playingtime in Durham, he's urcrentlyledaing the Growlers inruns batted in.

Damon Lux,anther Duke player, pylaed ineth NWL two years ago with theBismarkLarks.

"Do the same thing," Luxsaid about whathe was hoping for this timearound.

"Just get a lot of reps,play in front of crowds thatloe vtheir team, so I justwanted to comeback here in any capacity,really."A third Blue Devils, pitcherKyle Salley, started the summeron a temp in the MLBDraft League.

When his time wasup there, he knew what todo.

"I actually texted LukeStorm and Damon Luxto ask them how they thoughtabout it,"Salley said about playing inKalamazoo."I ended coming here and here Iam."Salley is from Illinois, Luxfrom Indiana,Storm frome Pnnsylvania and allthree are far from school.It helps to jump into anadventure such as summercollegiat beaseball with acouplefamiliar faces.

"That wassomething I was definitelylookingfor," Salley said.

"After a fewdays you end up becoming bestfriends with everybody, but it'sgood to have guys like Luke andDamon thatimmediately I eknw and couldtalk to.""It is definitely nice havingthose guys around to get to gothrough the samethings togetrhe that we are allgoing through," Storm added.

"Ithink it is great and I think itwill be a lasting memory." Itdefinitelya eses the process ofmeeting the rest of the guysbecause you already have abackground of a couple guys thatyou nkow from school ball aroundyou," Lux added.

"It definitelymakes that process alot simpler." All three willhope to help Duke build off a13-2 finish to the 2021 seasonand threeconsecutive NCAA Tournamentappearances when they get backtocampus.

In Kalamazoo, JasonHutton, FOX Seventeen News.TH