Submitted Photos Mercyhurst University freshman pitcher Ryan Rafalski will play for the Jamestown Tarp Skunks in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League this summer.

Warren fans enjoyed watching Ryan Rafalski suit up in the blue and white Dragons’ baseball uniform — especially for his walk-off single in the 2019 District 10 championship game.

They won’t have to travel far this summer to see him dress up as … a Skunk.

Rafalski, a 2020 Warren Area High School graduate and freshman pitcher for Division II Mercyhurst University, is on the Jamestown Tarp Skunks’ inaugural 2021 roster.

The Tarp Skunks open play in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Thursday at the Niagara (New York) Power. Their first home game at Diethrick Park in Jamestown is next Thursday, June 10, against the Batavia Muckdogs. Jamestown’s roster also includes Frewsburg graduate and Mercyhurst teammate Aaron Hair, and Division 1 players from The Citadel, University of Michigan, Wagner, New Mexico St., Lehigh, George Mason, Norfolk St., Oakland University and Youngstown St. to name a few.

“The Mercyhurst coaches asked all of us players where we would like to play summer ball, and had us give them a list of our top choices,” said Rafalski. “My top choice was the Jamestown Tarp Skunks, but I also listed the Olean (New York) Oilers and Dubois Bucks as other possible options. My assistant coach thought the Jamestown Tarp Skunks would be a great option for me, so he reached out to the team and got me a spot on the roster.”

The league is based in New York and is made up of three divisions, East, West, and Central. The Tarp Skunks’ division will be the West Division, and includes the Elmira Pioneers, Niagara Power, Batavia Muckdogs, Geneva Red Wings, and Newark Pilots.

“I think the top teams in each division will meet in the playoffs in early August, but I’m not exactly sure how that will work,” said Rafalski.

“I only knew one player on the Tarp Skunks coming into this, Aaron Hair, and I do not know anyone on any other teams. We will have six away games to start the season, and will have three days in a row of hotel stays, so I’ll have plenty of time to get to know my teammates.”

The Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Miami Marlins have all developed professional ballplayers in Jamestown. Baseball there has evolved from the days of the minor leagues’ New York-Penn League, to the Prospect League, and now to the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

While playing in the majors is what every one of these players dreams of, COVID-19 has made some goals a little more down-to-earth.

“Playing under the lights in front of a bunch of fans is something I look forward to, since I have not been able to throw in front of people in over a year,” said Rafalski.

Rafalski is listed as a 5-foot-10, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder at hurstathletics.com. He missed his senior high school season due to COVID restrictions, like all PIAA athletes, so he’s still getting his feet wet.

“This league will definitely help me grow as a pitcher and give me a look at what college hitters will be like, going into my sophomore year,” said Rafalski of the wooden-bat league. “I know there is a lot of talent in this league, from all over the country, so I’m looking forward to the challenge. I want to focus mainly on locating and executing all my pitches, and doing what I can to help my team win games.”

While he will eventually play in front of fans at Mercyhurst — just over an hour drive from Warren, he’s looking forward to playing in Jamestown.

“It is exciting playing close to home, knowing that a bunch of friends and family can come and watch me play,” said Rafalski. “A lot of people haven’t seen me play since my junior year in high school. I have gotten to know some of the coaches and players over the last few days, and can tell that it will be fun and successful summer ball season.”

Mom and dad, Sami and Jason, are excited, too.

“I’m just happy for every opportunity Ryan gets to compete at such a high level, both with the Jamestown Tarp Skunks and at Mercyhurst,” said his father, Jason. “He’s really looking forward to playing with, and competing against, some very talented college players this summer. Hopefully this will prepare him to take on a much bigger role at Mercyhurst next year. No matter what happens, these are some great memories that will last with him for a lifetime.”