By: Kyle Tooley

From a young age, baseball can act as a tool for bringing people together. Whether it be players, parents or fans, sports create communities and bonds that take an incredible force to be severed.

Finding themselves 1,300 miles from their home of Tampa, Florida, Nelson Maldonado and Troy Bacon know that narrative as well as anyone. The two have been best friends since they met playing baseball together in Town and Country Little League. At five years of age, the two were quick comrades, playing together on the Braves.

“We were with each other every weekend for different tournaments,” said Bacon. “Our moms were close too, so we became fast friends.”

The two boys would first attend school together at Webb Middle School in Tampa, where they excelled in both school and in sports other than baseball. Both guys continued their baseball careers outside of Webb, while representing their school through the Track and Field program. Going to school with each other allowed the duo to grow closer, as Nelson noted.

“Troy is the funniest guy I’ve ever met. I learned that quickly.”

High school split Nelson and Troy up, as they acted as conference rivals. Nelson, a standout at Jefferson High School and Troy, a star at Sickles High School, faced each other many times in their four years. During their junior and senior seasons, Jefferson and Sickles opened up the season against each other.

“We always loved to beat each other,” said Maldonado with a smile. “There was definitely some trash talking involved.”

Bacon said that their matchups were “pretty even” throughout high school, noting how it was always a little bit sweeter to get the better of Nelson than of another guy.

Bacon and Maldonado played together in an area All-Star game at Tropicana Field, which invited the 50 best players from the two surrounding counties to participate. Teammates once again, it was their first chance to play on a big-league field.

“It’s just so cool playing on that sort of stage,” said Maldonado. “ It’s something you don’t forget.”

The All-Star nods were definitely deserved, as both players put up some of the best numbers of anyone in the game. At Sickles, Bacon compiled a 2.03 varsity ERA, striking out 204 batters in 176 innings while holding his opponents to a .219 batting average. The right-hander also hit .322 himself, playing some shortstop for the Gryphons. Down Highway 60 at Jefferson High School, Maldonado was putting on a show of his own. The utility-man spent time at both third base and the outfield, hitting .419 with a .666 slugging percentage on varsity. Both players were named to All-Hillsborough County teams as well as top-150 prospects in the state.

And following the pattern they had set from the age of five, both players were prepared to play more years of baseball in the same city. After a successful high school career, Troy was recruited to play baseball at the University of Florida, a national power. After committing to the Gators, the coaches at Florida mentioned that they were looking for some additional players to add to their class.

Naturally, Nelson Maldonado came to mind, and a mere two days later, Nelson committed to Florida.

“We were so excited to play together,” said Maldonado.

A surprise to no one, Troy and Nelson would be roommates upon their arrival in Gainesville. They lived together throughout the summer and enjoyed every second of it. Prior to the start of baseball season in the fall, Troy made a decision to transfer to nearby Santa Fe College. The Saints, no strangers to Division I-transfers, have cemented themselves as one of the top Junior College programs in the country.

“It was for the best,” said Bacon. “I was able to throw a lot and really showcase my stuff.”

Although no longer at the same school freshman year, Troy and Nelson still spent as much time together as they could. Troy went to many Florida baseball games, always eager to support his best friend. After the games they would go out to eat and make up for lost time.

Though on different levels and perhaps taking different paths to get there, both Bacon and Maldonado led their schools to appearances in their respective College World Series. Bacon, who led the Saints in appearances, saves, WHIP, ERA and K/9, carried his team to Grand Junction, Colorado. Maldonado, who started 59 games for one of the top teams in the country while owning a perfect fielding percentage, was headed to the biggest stage in college baseball: Omaha, Nebraska.

Bacon, who wants be a park ranger when his baseball career is over, loved Colorado. He said that he would leave his room sometimes just to go exploring.

“I was extremely excited and proud that our team made it to that stage,” said the NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American. “I definitely want to go back to both Colorado and the World Series.”

Omaha, a bit of a different landscape than Colorado, was just as memorable for Maldonado. He said it was like “Disneyworld” for the players.

“I always watched the College World Series on TV as a kid, just wanting to get there as a player some day,” said Nelson. “The atmosphere was amazing.”

Both Santa Fe and Florida were early exits from the tournaments, losing their first two games in the eight-team finals. Both men smirk when talking about the tournaments, knowing there is so much unfinished business in their college baseball careers.

“You just want to get back to that championship level and put on a better performance,” said Maldonado. “We both want to go further than we did.”

Bacon echoed that message, saying that there is “so much more to be desired.”

Thanks to the coaches at Florida, the two friends now find themselves as teammates once again with the Mallards, even living with the same host family. Not sure what summer baseball even was at that point in their careers, Nelson and Troy were just excited to play with each other.

“We had no clue where Madison even was,” said Bacon. “We just wanted to make sure that we were going to be on the same team.”

The Mallards, in prime position to make the playoffs, would not be where they are without the two Tampa natives.

“Both Troy and Nelson have a certain demeanor about them that make them such positive pieces in the clubhouse,” said Mallards field manager Donnie Scott, who coached Nelson when he was just 14 years old. “Troy exudes so much confidence on the mound, and it gives everyone a boost. Nelson plays the same way; he has a lot of confidence in what he does.”

Maldonado, currently leading the team in batting average with a .329 mark, has hit three home runs with 13 RBIs this summer. His tenth inning walk-off home run against Green Bay on July 29^th provided one of the highlights of the summer for this Madison team.

Bacon, a 2016 Northwoods League All-Star, leads the Mallards in saves (five), WHIP (0.97) and strikeouts (47). His six wins also put him in a tie for second in the Northwoods League.

Maldonado will return to Florida next season with his sights set on another trip to Omaha. Bacon will play another year with Santa Fe, with plans to return to the division one level if he doesn’t get drafted. Troy was a 37^th round selection by the Colorado Rockies in the 2016 MLB draft, opting to go back to school for at least another year. Both of them have enjoyed their time in Madison, agreeing that it is one of the best places to play summer ball in the country.

“Madison has an Omaha-like atmosphere to it,” said Maldonado. “It’s an awesome feeling to be part of a team with such great chemistry, as well as a team that has found so much success.”

Nobody truly knows what the future holds for these two players. Both have dreams of professional baseball, and they have the skills to get there. As for the present, the pair hopes to will the Mallards to their second Collegiate Summer World Series Championship in the past four years. For now, they are teammates. Forever, they will be friends.