Duke Ekstrom is no stranger to a week away from home.

In Point Loma, California, Ekstrom’s father owns a sport boat that he takes visitors and locals on for week-long trips throughout the year. While a pitcher on the field he’s a utility worker on the boat, filling in for anyone who can’t make it or needs some help on the waters.

With the 17U National Team Championships Arizona beginning this week, Ekstrom sees his role on the San Diego Show in a similar capacity to that of his work on the boat. Do his part on the mound and support his teammates any way he can.

The majority of Ekstrom’s team has played together since they were 12 years old, aside from a handful of new players who joined this season. While he knows the kind of attention he commands at games, he hopes for his teammates to get looks this weekend and have a good time doing it.

“The commitment thing means nothing to me when I’m on a baseball field and with my team,” Ekstrom said. “I am just a small part of this team, and we all treat each other same way, committed or not. Our goal as team is to win a championship.”

Although committed to Vanderbilt for his play within the chalked lines, he is committed to hard work, respect, and his family off it. It’s something he exemplifies through his work in the community and willingness to go the extra mile for all those in his family.

His sister plays beach volleyball at Stanford and is a person that Ekstrom always looked up to when he was younger. She’s been around his whole life before going to college, and they grew closer together over their passion for sports.

“She’s a hard worker so seeing her and all the accomplishments at Stanford is definitely inspiring to me,” Ekstrom said. “But I’m the younger brother and I always want to do better than her and she pushes me to do that.”

Playing for your home country on a national team is certainly a start.

Ekstrom is no stranger to gold within the USA Baseball landscape, as he is a former 13U/14U ADP participant and competed for Team USA on the 15U National Team in 2019.

Oddly enough, it was a consolation game that got Ekstrom noticed on the second-to-last day of the 2018 National Team Championships Arizona. He wore that never say die attitude on his sleeve when he threw 4.0 frames and struck out seven with nothing to play for besides pride.

Eckstrom spent the year at the 14U ADP and impressed the task force enough to represent Team USA on the 15U National Team the following year.

He was phenomenal for the stars and stripes in 2019, throwing 9.1 innings at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Ekstrom surrendered just two runs and struck out 11 en route to a gold medal in Mexico.

Ekstrom was the game one starter against Brazil in the tournament, throwing five innings of shutout baseball with as many strikeouts. On top of that, he pitched the final out to win the Americas Qualifier and can still recall the moment at the bottom of the dogpile on the mound.

“Our coach Troy Cameron said it was the best dogpile he’s ever seen since no one fell off,” Ekstrom said. “That was a super joyful moment, and that team is family. We all still talk to each other, and dream of doing it again

Flash forward to three years later, and the decorated pitcher is committed to play college ball for the powerhouse Commodores. Standing at 6-foot-2, Ekstrom can touch up to 90 mph on the fastball, with a handful of solid off-speed pitches to spin off it.

“I feel in control when I’m on the mound and it helps me command the game at my pace and my level,” Ekstrom said. “Pitching is just as much on the mental side as it is physical, and that’s something I always try and remind myself.”

Ekstrom made his first appearance at the National Team Championships Arizona on Tuesday, tossing 3.0 innings of shutout baseball and striking out three. He guided San Diego Show Black to a 9-0 victory over Canes Arizona 2023 to move them to 2-0 in pool play.

As the National Team Championships Arizona move forward, his main goal is to give his teammates the feeling he had of winning gold in Mexico three years ago. It’s a moment he, his family, and his teammates will never forget for the rest of their lives.

“I hope that our team can have the same experience that we did in Cancun with the dogpile at the end of the day,” Ekstrom said. “That’s all I really want for me and my teammates.”