Alumni Athlete: Frank Duncan ’10

This article was originally published in the 2021–22 Convent & Stuart Hall Alumni Bulletin as part of a story featuring alumni who have gone on to achieve great athletic success in college and beyond.

Frank Duncan ’10 began his career in professional baseball in 2014 when he was drafted in the 13th round out of the University of Kansas. As a reliable right-handed pitcher, he ascended through the Pirates system and notched career highs in wins (12) and ERA (2.34) in 2016 while playing most of the season for the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. That same year, Frank was honored with his team’s Community Commitment Award for his work beyond the baseball diamond. 

After Frank spent a season out of baseball in 2019, the pandemic forced Minor League Baseball to cancel its 2020 campaign. Now 30, Frank has returned to dominant form on the mound. He is coming off a full season in the Colorado Rockies organization, splitting time between their Double-A affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut and their Triple-A team in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was named Triple-A West Pitcher of the Week for a stellar mid-summer stretch. 

Frank finished the Mexican Winter League with a 3–1 record and a 2.70 ERA in six starts and 33 innings, walking only seven batters and striking out 25. He is now in Scottsdale, Arizona preparing for next season and a possible invitation to major league spring training. “The Rockies have already shown interest in re-signing me,” he says. 

Frank credits Stuart Hall with teaching him how to apply the discipline he learned through sports to other aspects of his life. “The qualities and lessons you learn in sports will make you successful at anything you put your mind to,” he says, adding that “sports are an integral part of communities as they bring people together for one common cause.”