During an unforgettable 2022 season, LaGrange College's McKinley Erves put up monster numbers while becoming the baseball program's all-time hits leader.
LaGrange College's extraordinary season ended with a loss to eventual national-champion Eastern Connecticut in the NCAA Division III World Series.
While that setback marked the end of a spectacular collegiate career for Erves, he's not done playing baseball, and he's certainly not finished making life uncomfortable for opposing pitchers.
Not long after the Panthers' season ended, Erves made his way north to join the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the prestigious Northwoods League.
Not surprisingly considering his track record, Erves has been knocking the cover off the ball.
After collecting seven hits during a two-game stretch over the weekend, Erves' numbers look an awful like the impressive ones he compiled during his five seasons at LaGrange College.
Through 14 games with the Rafters, Erves is hitting .415 with two home runs, 12 RBIs, four doubles, 11 walks, 20 runs scored, and he has a .507 on-base percentage.
Erves showed just how formidable he can be with a bat in his hands during a game last weekend against Madison (Wisc.).
Erves had four hits, including a double and two home runs, while driving in four runs.
Erves kept it going the following day with three more hits heading into the three-day all-star break, and he had a hit and three walks when the Rafters returned to action on Thursday.
Erves joined the LaGrange College program in 2018, and from day one he was an elite college player, and he went out in style.
During his senior season, Erves hit .409 with five home runs, 52 RBIs and 88 hits in 53 games, and he led the team in runs scored (91), walks (51) and on-base percentage (.531).
During the College World Series in Iowa, Erves set the LaGrange College record for career hits (273).
It was a special season not only from an individual standpoint, but also for the team.
After beating Centenary (La.) to advance past the NCAA regional round for the first time, LaGrange College earned its trip to the World Series with a victory of Chapman (Calif.) in the super regional.
LaGrange College went 2-2 in the World Series, with both losses coming to top-ranked Eastern Connecticut.
When the team arrived in LaGrange College after the World Series late on a Tuesday night, Erves walked out to his position in center field at his home stadium, soaking in the moment, reflecting on all that he and his teammates had accomplished while knowing he'd played his final game as a Panther.
"I took one last look out in center and thought about all the times I was out there looking in, looking at my teammates, looking at the fans," said Erves, who made the Division III All-American team. "It was the scoreboard, the sounds, the lights, the cheering, the chirping. Even the smell of the grass. It's something I'm going to miss. I'm going to come back and support the future teams that we have here, but it's going to be really weird at first."
Erves is hoping to continue playing baseball on the professional level, and performing as well as he has in the Northwoods League may open up some possibilities.
"The dream is to keep playing baseball," said Erves, who majored in Composition and Music Technology. "If that happens, it happens. It's something I really want to do. If it happens, Lord willing, I'll be thankful. It not, I know that I can have a career doing videos for sports teams, or anything in the film industry. I know I can do that, and be happy with that."
Erves was one of three fifth-year seniors on the 2022 team along with Jack Layrisson and Tanner Chafin.
"When I think about it, the seniors I came in with, I knew them for about half a decade," Erves said. "One of the things that was going through my mind, I see them every day. I see them nine months out of 12 for five years. Knowing that, that we'll go our separate ways, it puts a little hole in my heart. They're my brothers."
When those players re-unite, they'll reflect on the finest season in program history.
"What a way to go out," Erves said. "The years before, we'd lose in the regional, and we'd see the pain (the seniors) had, and they'd keep telling us next year, make it different, and get to the World Series. For us to finally do that, to know that we did what we've always wanted to do, it was a dream come true. For us to do that, it's special. I'll be talking about this to my kids, my grandkids."
Fortunately for Erves, he has been able to keep playing with Chafin this summer.
Like Erves, Chafin is a member of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, and he has been one of the team's most effective relief pitchers.
Chafin has appeared in eight games and has pitched eight innings, and he has a 2.25 earned run average.
In his past four outings, Chafin has only given up one hit and he hasn't allowed a run.
Chafin was one of the Panthers' most valuable pitchers last season.
Chafin appeared in 20 games, including the series-clinching 4-2 victory over Chapman in the super regional.
Chafin pitched 1 2/3 innings in that game, and he earned the save in relief of Ethan Fry.
Chafin entered the game with two on and one out in the eighth inning. After surrendering a two-run double, Chafin got a groundout to end the threat and keep the Panthers ahead by two runs.
Chapman had two base runners in the ninth inning with one out, but Chafin didn't panic, and he retired the final two batters to send the Panthers to the World Series.
"That was probably the most adrenaline I've ever felt," Chafin said. "That was definitely at the top of my list of experiences, and one I'm proud to be a part of."
The River Rapids' season will conclude in August with the league playoffs.
