Duane Aponte made his first appearance in with the Dallas Spirits in 2017 as part of the Spirits (18+) roster. His experience includes play at the high school level where he was a member of the Trinity High School baseball team in Euless, Texas. He joined the Spirits (35+) roster to assist during the past two seasons and in 2020 the Spirits looked to utilize his services on all squads as Duane became a full time player.
Aponte pitches, plays in the outfield, and also spends time at third base. He’s been playing in MSBL/MABL and DFW-ABA leagues since 2000, playing both in Southern California as well as Texas (NTABL/DFWABA).
Duane batted .232 with 13 hits, including 7 doubles and a triple during the 2017 campaign that led to a league championship. Aponte was third on the team offensively with 17 RBIs, and finished as the team’s and league’s top pitcher. He finished with a whopping 11-1 record, good enough to earn the NTABL Pitcher’s Award for the Open American League and also a trip to the NTABL All-Star Game at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, TX. Aponte finished with a 2.76 ERA and 39 strikeouts that included over a 2 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio. Overall, Aponte earned top honors with is team as they voted him the 2017 Spirits (18+) Team MVP. Aponte was also a solid pitcher for the Spirits (18+) squad in 2018 as the team battled in the highest talented league in Dallas after winning the championship in 2017. Aponte hit .286 for the Spirits (35+) squad in 2020 while finishing 2-4 from the mound with a 5.58 ERA.
In 2021, Aponte finished with a batting average of .300, adding 5 runs batted in on the season. Although his 4-4 record pitching didn’t accurately reflect his work on the mound due to poor defensive performances and games that featured lack of offense, Aponte remained the Spirits (40+) ace. He pitched a team-high 46.67 innings with nearly a 2 to 1 strike to ball ratio and finished the season with a 3.52 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
Duane traveled with Spirits (35+) squad to Las Vegas to start the 2018 season and impacted the team both offensively and defensively as a pitcher, helping the team during its inaugural trip to tournament play and a second place finish.
Originally from New York, Duane has also spent time living in New Jersey and here in Dallas, Texas. He’s known and played alongside teammate and friend, Eric Goetz since 2005 stemming from play between both California and Texas.
Nickname: “D,” “DA,” “Aponte”