State College grad Nick Raquet soaks in series with Auburn Doubledays at Medlar Field

As the grounds crew sprayed water on the infield, Nick Raquet ran sprints in left field near the warning track at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The State College grad was the last Auburn Doubledays player on the field, still going through his workout after throwing in the bullpen Friday. The blue seats in the ballpark were empty more than two hours before the series opener between the State College Spikes and Doubledays as the left-handed pitcher put in another day of work in the first season of his professional career.

Raquet smiled as he recalled his trips to Medlar Field growing up, and he enjoyed the familiar surroundings with each pitch in the bullpen and sprint through the outfield.

“It just felt like home looking out over the valley, just seeing things that remind you of home,” Raquet said. “No one really appreciates this place like I do, I think, just being the hometown kid.”

Raquet never thought he’d play against the Spikes in his career, but the Boalsburg native made the trip to Medlar Field in his first week with the Auburn Doubledays. After he was assigned to Auburn, Raquet said he looked up when the Doubledays played in State College and lit up after realizing how soon he’d return to his hometown. Though he knew he wouldn’t get to pitch during the three-game series — Raquet said he’s scheduled to start Tuesday against Aberdeen — he texted and heard from friends planning to come to games this weekend. Raquet saw familiar faces Friday night and Saturday as friends and former teammates, family and teachers made the trip to the ballpark.

They supported him through the highs and lows of his career before he the Washington Nationals selected him in the third round of the MLB draft in June — the highest a Centre County high school graduate has ever been picked. They still see the same hardworking and humble kid today. And they could still see Raquet become the first Centre County native to play professionally at Medlar Field when the Doubledays return to face the Spikes from July 30-Aug. 1 and Sept. 3-5.

Raquet wore a red shirt and gray hat, both featuring the Doubledays logo, as he talked about his return home outside the visitors’ locker room Friday. He then made his way to the field to work out with the rest of the pitchers, stretching in left field before throwing in the bullpen. Doubledays pitching coach and former major leaguer Tim Redding stood behind him, arms crossed, at the start of the bullpen session. Raquet worked to fire strikes and improve on the mound three days after throwing three scoreless innings in his debut with the Doubledays.

“He came out and really competed his first outing,” Auburn manager Jerad Head said.

When Raquet finished throwing Friday, he set his hat on the ground in left field and started running. He soaked in the experience as a professional player in his hometown park, where he went to games with his father and friends and fell in love with the view beyond the center field wall.

Nearly two hours later, Troy Allen stood on the concourse behind Auburn’s dugout, looking out at the field just before the series opener began.

Allen played an integral role in the pitcher’s development into a professional prospect as Raquet trained with him during his high school career. Raquet noted that the coach seemed to have a “crystal ball,” seeing what the left-hander could accomplish before he could.

When Raquet first gained recognition from college coaches and pro scouts as a high school junior at a showcase tournament in Marietta, Ga., Allen made the trip to support the young pitcher. He knew Raquet’s tendency to get “amped up” and figured he could keep him calm at a tournament with 400 college coaches in attendance. As Raquet warmed up in the bullpen, Allen said 40 college coaches watched.

“In my head, just because I know him, I’m like, ‘He’s going to be wired up,’” Allen said with a laugh.

Allen, who is now State College’s baseball coach, stood in Raquet’s view among the pro scouts between the first base dugout and home plate. The coach recalled Raquet threw eight straight balls to the first two hitters before the pitcher looked his way. Allen told him to take a deep breath, and Raquet put together a 15-strikeout effort. When Raquet hit 93 mph, Allen heard the scouts react with an “oooh.” When he snapped off an unexpected 3-2 curveball, they said “Oh my God.”

Within two days, Raquet had major college offers rolling in — starting his journey toward professional baseball. Raquet pitched at North Carolina and William and Mary before signing with the Nationals in June.

Through it all, Allen offered support, from watching video to help him work through mechanical issues to talking with him on the phone after his first two professional outings.

“I can’t thank him enough,” Raquet said after Saturday’s game. “Giving him a ticket last night is literally the smallest little part of what I need to do for him to pay him back for everything.”

Allen was one of many familiar faces to make the trip to Medlar Field in the first two games of the weekend series. Raquet said hello and waved when he saw someone he knew, including his high school chemistry teacher Doug Schunk.

Raquet sat behind home plate for the first few innings charting pitches and talked with Schunk before the game. Schunk said Raquet visited him at school the day after being drafted by the Nationals, bringing back a memory from his days with the Little Lions. Raquet chose to recognize Schunk at a baseball game his senior year — teachers were honored by throwing out the first pitch — and the pitcher autographed the baseball for his chemistry teacher.

Schunk let Raquet know that he kept the ball after he was drafted and showed it to him during his visit to school.

“He’s not forgetting where he came from,” Schunk said. “He doesn’t have the big head about him.”

Raquet talked with Schunk between innings before he finished charting pitches from the press box with the chance to take in the view of Mount Nittany beyond center field. And even though he didn’t pitch, Raquet enjoyed his first two nights back in his hometown, catching up with friends and continuing his professional career in a familiar surroundings.

“People always asked me, ‘How cool would it be if you played at like PNC Park and we could all come down and watch,’” Raquet said. “This is honestly better than that. This is actually my hometown. This is State College.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2017 at 9:25 PM with the headline "State College grad Nick Raquet soaks in series with Auburn Doubledays at Medlar Field."