Rivals to Teammates

Sun, 04/29 | Baseball at Mitchell L, 6-5 (Final - 9 innings) BX
Sat, 04/28 | Baseball at Mitchell L, 6-5 (Final - 10 innings) BX
Sat, 04/28 | Baseball at Mitchell L, 7-6 (Final - 7 innings) BX
Wed, 04/25 | Baseball vs. Middlebury L, 15-2 (Final) BX | RC
Tue, 04/24 | Baseball vs. Wesleyan (Conn.) L, 22-4 (Final - 7 innings) BX
Sat, 04/21 | Baseball vs. Elms W, 12-10 (Final) BX
Sat, 04/21 | Baseball vs. Elms W, 6-3 (Final) BX | RC
Fri, 04/20 | Baseball at Elms L, 8-6 (Final) BX
Wed, 04/18 | Baseball vs. Williams L, 11-2 (Final) BX
Tue, 04/17 | Baseball at Union (N.Y.) L, 7-2 (Final) BX | RC

February 8, 2012

Rivals to Teammates

BENNINGTON, Vt.- It is not very often that two rivals end up becoming best friends. For the lives of Cody LaBadia (Schohaire, NY) and Jarod Hayen (Duanesburg, NY) that is exactly what has happened to the two Southern Vermont College baseball freshman. Hayen and LaBadia grew up in neighboring towns and went to rival high schools in the capital district area of New York.

LaBadia, a freshman first baseman for the Mountaineers went to Schohaire High School, a class C school in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Hayen who will roam the outfield as a freshman this year for SVC grew up less than ten minutes away, and went to Duanesburg High School, also a WAC member.

A season ago the two schools battled for the conference crown, with Schohaire winning the championship. The Indians finished with a 14-4 record while Duanesburg finished one game behind. However, the Duanesburg Eagles won the two games between the teams 7-4 and 13-3.

“The games were always a lot of fun,” Hayen claimed. “As a team we knew we had to play our best game in order to win, and we always had a mutual respect for Schohaire.”

Hayen and LaBadia quickly got over the rivalry feelings, when both were asked to play on the Tri-County Bees travel team over the summer. Each played an important role for a team that won its regional tournament and finished third in the super regional. LaBadia quickly learned a new role as the high school leadoff man gave way to Hayen. LaBadia instead hit in the four hole for the majority of the summer and led the team with a .341 batting average. The speedy Hayen hit .315 and stole 20 bases in 30 games.

“I enjoyed the transition,” stated LaBadia. It wasn’t tough, I knew I was giving way to a good player, and I was able to learn a different role. It also has made the transition to college much easier.”

Now on the Southern Vermont campus the two old rivals can be seen hitting together every day. During the fall it was on the field, but now that the weather has brought baseball practice inside the two find gym time to push each other to get better every day.

“We learned a lot about each other over the summer,” the two said. “The trips allowed us to become friends and now at college we have become really close.”

Hayen, LaBadia, and the rest of the SVC Mountaineer baseball team will open their season on February 25^th at Eastern Mennonite for a three game set.