One team in spring training, another in playoff push; all were there to improve
Drew Wemple / The Troy Record / May 2, 2024
TROY, N.Y. — Wednesday night’s exhibition contest between the Hudson Valley Community College Vikings and Tri-City ValleyCats came at very different points in the season for the two sides.
The Tri-City ValleyCats (FL) defeated Hudson Valley Community College (NJCAA), 10-3, in the May 1 exhibition game at Joe Bruno Stadium,
In the home dugout, for now, were the Vikings, who are in the heat of a postseason NJCAA Region-III chase with just four games to go on their regular season schedule. In the away dugout, until the Vikings wrap up their campaign, were the ValleyCats, who are still within a week of opening spring training.
Both managers were there to scout different things from their players and see how they’d stack up for the next chapters ahead, but above all, the sides were just seeking another chance at improvement.
“There was a chance to see some guys in just some different elements. Although it’s an exhibition game, it’s an extension of practice, you are looking for certain things that kind of frees you a little bit,” ValleyCats manager Greg Tagert said postgame. “One, that’s the most important thing — getting the guys out in competition and what a beautiful evening. A nice little crowd showed up and the guys got a taste of the environment and I think that was important, certainly for our guys, and I think it’s a nice treat for the Hudson Valley kids. So, it was great. Just a great evening for everybody all the way around.”
“It was telling on two sides. On one side, we have a really good availability and we hit with them all game. I think it was tied with hits (seven) at the end of the game, we didn’t make bad mistakes defensively, we played clean baseball there, and then pitching, we were in a major league strike zone,” recounts HVCC head coach Joh Parrow.
“We were throwing major league strikes, so it’s really positive to build off of for us, and what a great opportunity and selfless act by the ‘skip,’ Greg, and Matt (Callahan; VP/GM) and Rick (Murphy; President) from the ValleyCats; how selfless of that is it for them to give us an opportunity to get better at the time that we need it the most? So, we’re very grateful to the community and the ValleyCats, for making that happen, but for us, what a huge benefit for our guys to prepare for this postseason stretch we’re about to go on.”
The ValleyCats would come away with the 10-3, ‘unofficial’ victory over the Vikings, for Tagert’s first taste of winning at Joe Bruno Stadium, since his hiring this past winter. Sporting a roster of nearly 40, plus several invitees, one of whom even getting the start for the Vikings, Tagert also got his first taste of how his potential roster would handle live-action.
“The first few days had been a very controlled environment, so you could tell the excitement today, along with some of the disappointment for the guys that didn’t get to participate in tonight’s game – they had to come in the afternoon session. But, we’ll continue this. We have another one Friday night, but there’s such limited opportunities and you got guys who are competing for spots and unfortunately, you can’t control everything,” Tagert said. “So, you almost have to use the evaluation to pick out moments and say, ‘Hey, how did this guy handle this situation, in this count? You know, some particulars and that’s really what we were looking for tonight.”
There was an emphasis on the newcomers Wednesday night, with the first round of roster cuts due on Sunday afternoon as the ValleyCats trim their way down to a max of 24 by opening day, next Friday. Frontier League First Round Selection Rolando Heredia-Bustos (12th overall), out of Northwestern Ohio University, got the start for Tri-City, while fellow first-rounder Easton Klein (sixth overall), from Point Park University, got an inning of work out of the bullpen.
Infielder Jacob Kline, who came over to Tri-City as a part of an earlier, offseason trade from the Missoula Paddleheads, of the Pioneer League, also drove in a pair with a bases-loaded double.
Tagert also gave some of the team’s returners a chance to retake the field at ‘The Joe,’ such as outfielder Lamar Briggs, who spent several innings giving it a go at first base, catcher Cale Jones, who backed a bulk of the young arms Wednesday, and shortstop Robbie Merced, who posted a pair of hits off the bench.
“I’m trying to just kind of put guys in a position that helps them succeed and make the club as well,” Tagert said.
For Parrow, no matter who the Vikings went up against Wednesday, they were pro-level talent, and despite the ‘unofficial loss’ he was left impressed with their composure, as much as performance, postgame.
“Very mature. I think the guys overall, they’re very good at handling it game-by-game, pitch-by-pitch, and adjusting to the pitcher and adjusting to whatever the umpire’s zone is that day and dealing with those little adversities outside of the game, because of how committed they are to our process every single day,” said Parrow. “If you were here earlier, you would’ve seen them outside taking the same (batting practice) they take, whether it’s the ValleyCats, Mohawk Valley, or the New York Yankees; we’re going to take the same approach to every day, to our daily routine, to how we approach them, to how we try to execute our offense and it worked out for us really, really well.”