MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — "I'm trying not to get jaded. Three times in five years, it's a dream come true," said Millersville University baseball coach Jon Shehan with a smile.
Former Marauder players in Major League Baseball's World Series is something Shehan never gets tired of seeing.
After Chas McCormick helped the Astros to the top of the baseball world in 2022, another 'Ville standout worked his way to the fall classic this year. But it was hardly an easy road for Millersville Hall of Famer, Tim Mayza.
"I think the catastrophic injury side of it, I mean, it was one of those tears that was hard to watch. He's had some adversity. If you look at his career, he kind of goes in two-year stints," claimed Shehan. "He struggled a little bit in the minor leagues for two years. He figured it out. He gets to the big leagues. He struggled for two years. He figured it out. I think Tommy John was the same thing, where he had to rehab and it wasn't great the first year off of it and then he pitched great last year. So this was another bump in the road for him."
When a pitcher rehabs from Tommy John surgery, at any level, they have to rebuild their strength, physically and mentally. After working his way back, Mayza and the Toronto Blue Jays went their separate ways after 11 years with the organization.
In July of this year, Mayza signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. Once again, he'd have to work his way back to the big leagues, this time with Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
"I'm here now and ready to make some improvements, make some necessary changes to get back to how I know I can pitch, and how I'm capable of pitching," said Mayza after arriving at the RailRiders in July. "I just want to regain some form and regain some confidence in my abilities. I'm aware of what I've done, my record, and hope that the Yankees can help me regain some of that."
"I think it was 2018 and he was up and down from Buffalo to Toronto like six or seven times they optioned him," recalled Shehan. "So, it was one that he was hoping he'd never have to hear again, but I think there was a sigh of relief that, 'Yeah, I'm still good enough to pitch at this level.'"
The Yankees called him up on August 16, and he eventually earned a spot on New York's World Series roster.
But even when he's on the sports' biggest stage, the ties to the 'Ville remain as strong as ever.
"Understand where you started and where you're at currently and how lucky I actually am to be in this position and come through some great communities and a great university to get here," said Mayza.
"We've had Tommy John surgeries here and he's able to show them how to rehab and talk him through it. Those things are priceless," added Shehan.
After all, Millersville is responsible for a pretty big part of his life, and we're not talking about baseball.
"My wife also knows his wife really well. She coached her as a cheerleader here, so there's a family connection and Lindsay likes to take credit for introducing him and Darian. They're like family to us," claimed Shehan.
And that family bond helps current and future Marauders, who want to walk a similar path.
"Even on the All-Star break, he was here," said Shehan. "We'll see him quite a bit. He loves to come down and just bring his kids to the game. He'll just sit in the press box and watch and give us a couple of pointers. He'll talk to the kids," Shehan said.