Wild Things looking forward to building on last season's championship berth

In July of last season, the New York Boulders extended their lead, going up 4-2 against the Washington Wild Things. In the bottom of the ninth, the team worked the bases loaded. Wild Things infielder Nick Ward approach the plate with confidence against closer Tanner Kiest.

“He was throwing at the time probably 97 to 100 mph. On that particular day, he was struggling to throw his off-speed pitches for strikes, so I basically was thinking, ‘OK, I’m gonna eliminate off-speed pitches. As soon as I see a fastball for a strike, I’m going to swing,’ and I got it,” Ward said. “It was a fastball up and outside, and I just threw my hands at it. The ball stayed true down the left-field line.”

After the game, Ward was showered in Gatorade and was living out his childhood dream. The win was his defining moment last season, helping the team gain momentum en route to winning the division.

On May 13, 2022, the Wild Things began their season against the New York Boulders at Wild Things Park. Last season, the Wild Things made it to the Frontier League finals but lost in five games.

The team amassed 56 wins in 2021, which was its most since the 2014 season (57). The league final was the team’s first since 2018. Manager Tom Vaeth hopes to help the team continue its success.

“We got seven returners, so we’ll rely heavily on those guys to not only help the newcomers but to also show them the ropes and help them understand what is expected around here with the standard and level of success that we’ve set and what we try to attain,” Vaeth said. “I think that’s the best way to try to ensure the same level of success.”

One of those seven returners is Ward, who batted .269 with five home runs last season. Ward also had a .420 OPS and led the team in stolen bases with 21. The Washington lead-off hitter strives to continue to get on base.

“My job is to get on base for the guys that are hitting behind me,” he said. “No matter what I can do — whether that’s a walk, which I had a lot of last year, or have a base hit, or whatever it may be — my job is to get on base.”

Ward came to the Wild Things last season after playing for the Steel City Slammin’ Sammies in 2020. Ward played for Virginia Commonwealth and West Chester in college and was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round. Ward went from affiliate ball to independent baseball, and he has enjoyed the competitiveness of the league.

“It’s the brand of baseball that I love to play,” he said. “We emphasize playing super hard and trying to win every single game, and that’s awesome. It seems wrong, stepping on the field, not trying to win every game, and this is that’s what attracted me so much here.”

Ward said affiliate ball focused more on developing players than winning games, so playing for the Wild Things was refreshing for him.

He is excited for what next season brings and knows that this year is a completely new year. He and the team remind themselves that 2022 isn’t 2021 and they have a strict focus on the present, winning game-by-game.

Pitcher Rob Whalen also went from affiliate ball to independent baseball. Whalen played his first season with the Wild Things after getting signed by the team on Aug. 13, 2021. Whalen expects the team to continue its momentum from last season.

“I think you’re going to expect some good baseball and some really competitive baseball,” Whalen said. “We have a great core of guys that are returning that were involved in the chase last year, getting to the championship series and coming up one game shy. We have guys that have been through the highs and lows of the season.”

Whalen started in two of his four appearances last season. In 15 1/3 innings pitched, Whalen was 2-0 with 18 strikeouts and posted a 1.76 ERA.

The New York Mets drafted Whalen in the 12th round in 2012, and he made eight appearances (11 1/3 innings) over parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Braves (2016) and the Seattle Mariners (2017-18).

Whalen had a successful run in affiliate ball, but in 2021, when affiliate ball returned, Whalen was released by the Minnesota Twins organization. Whalen signed with the Wild Things, and the league’s competitive nature motivated him to produce for the team.

“Pitching in meaningful games brought back this new level in me on the inside and competitive fire in me that I just haven’t tapped in a while,” Whalen said. “I remember talking to guys after the season about that. I was really thankful for those opportunities. These guys did all the heavy lifting all season, and I caught on and helped clinch at the end.”

The team motivated him, and in the playoffs, Whalen had an outing that he considers the best in his career. He pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out 11 in a win against Quebec.

Vaeth, who managed his first season last year, can’t wait to see how the team plays and looks forward to seeing the fans.

“We always want to put a good show on for them,” Vaeth said. “We want to represent them as much as we want to represent the organization here, and we strive to do that every day. They come out and sit in the stands when it’s cold, when it’s raining, when it’s warm and when it’s hot. We can’t thank them enough, and what we’ll try to do is to show our appreciation by the way we play for them when we’re out in the field.”