The crowd cheered as Brenden Roder flipped the ball to Colin Kasperbauer at first base during the second game of Ohio’s doubleheader against Toledo on Sunday. After the umpire called the runner out, Roder and Kasperbauer looked at each other and smiled.
They moved in sync like they’ve played together for years — because they have.
Kasperbauer and Roder grew up together in Sioux City, Iowa. Their fathers had played baseball together at Briar Cliff University, a private college in Sioux City. They remained friends after their respective careers had ended, and the connection extended down to their sons. Not long after Roder and Kasperbauer met, a long-lasting friendship started to bloom.
From there, the duo attended a basketball camp together at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, during the summer of their seventh-grade year. It was during that camp that their bond truly began to set. The camp is the duo’s first core memory of each other.
“We went to this basketball camp together and were roommates,” Kasperbauer said. “It was a week long, and we just hung out in a dorm room and messed around … It was a lot of fun.”
Their middle school days came and went, and it was time for the two to make the transition to high school. Initially, Roder and Kasperbauer did not attend the same high school. They still played travel sports together, but they didn’t walk the same halls.
But that changed when Roder transferred to Bishop Heelan High School during his sophomore year.
The two played both basketball and baseball, and their bond grew with each game. However, some of their finest moments came on the baseball field. At the time, both were two-way players. Kasperbauer was a third baseman and a pitcher while Roder pitched and played first base. The two showcased talent, but pitching wasn’t Kasperbauer’s passion. It was Roder’s.
“He was always a really good pitcher,” Kasperbauer said. “Even when we were kids.”
Rather, Kasperbauer narrowed his focus on hitting and defense. His efforts earned him two spots in the Bishop Heelan record books. He set the record for the most career hits and most triples in a season.
The two knew how to combine their talents, though. Bishop Heelan reached the state tournament from their sophomore to senior seasons. In 2017 and 2018, the team even made it to the semifinals.
“Those are definitely my favorite memories with him,” Roder said.
In Iowa, the high school baseball season is played during the late spring and early summer. That means in order to get recruited, an athlete has to have a stellar junior season. This sets baseball players from the state behind. They don’t have intense summer travel seasons like other states, they just have their high school season and American Legion baseball.
NCAA Division I college baseball is already scarce in Iowa as is, there only being one Division I program — Iowa — in the entire state. The summer season only makes it harder to get there.
Roder was unable to play his junior season due to an injury, so his recruitment process wasn’t as smooth as he would have liked. However, he found a home at Iowa Central Community College. Kasperbauer, on the other hand, chose to attend Iowa Western Community College after talking with multiple schools.
For the first time in years, Roder and Kasperbauer were on different teams. They were opponents instead of teammates. But the memories from years of playing together stuck with the two as they packed their bags for schools that were almost three hours apart.
The two still saw each other, though. Iowa Western and Iowa Central played each other a handful of times their freshman year. Roder and Kasperbauer never directly faced off, but it was odd for them to not be sitting in the same dugout and wearing the same jerseys.
“Even though we were competing against each other in junior college, we still talked,” Kasperbauer said. “We’re always rooting for each other.”
That friendship is what got them both to Ohio.
After their respective sophomore seasons were cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kasperbauer received a call.
It was from Kasperbauer’s former teammate at Iowa Western, Isaiah Peterson. Peterson informed him that Ohio was looking for a roster addition and he thought that Kasperbauer fit the bill. Peterson and the recruiting coordinator at the time, Mitch Mormann, wanted Kasperbauer to be a Bobcat.
Mormann had previously tried to recruit Kasperbauer out of high school for South Dakota State. He knew that Kasperbauer had the talent to help Ohio, and so did Peterson.
Kasperbauer committed to the Bobcats and made the over 13-hour trip to Athens. He had heard great things about the town and the program. Kasperbauer was ready to find out for himself.
Not long after arriving, Mormann pulled Kasperbauer aside and told him he was looking to add a pitcher to the roster. Mormann wanted to pick Kasperbauer’s brain about someone he’d played with before — Roder.
Kasperbauer advocated for Roder. He’d known him as long as he could remember and could attest to the pitcher’s abilities. Immediately, Kasperbauer contacted Roder and did all he could to convince him to come to Ohio.
Not long after, Roder became a Bobcat.
“It was a little weird at first,” Roder said. “But, it was easy to get back into the groove with each other.”
The two had been working out together over breaks, so they saw each other occasionally. But they hadn’t played together in almost two and a half years.
Now, they take the same field with the same spark they had when they were kids. They never thought it’d be so far from home, but they’re thankful for the opportunity to play college baseball on the same team.
Roder and Kasperbauer can talk about anything. Whether it be baseball, school or life, the two are able to connect.
They’re not just teammates or friends — they’re like brothers.
