This winter, a pair of former Terrier baseball players have found themselves on the same team in Puerto Rico. Jacob Condra-Bogan '16 and Brett Rodriguez '20 are both playing for Indios de Mayaguez in the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente.
 
The season began in early December and for both, it was an easy decision to play winter ball this year especially with the challenges of COVID-19 affecting their previous plans.
 
"I missed out on a year of baseball in my prime due to COVID, so I couldn't afford to go into 2021 without playing at all," said Condra-Bogan. "When it was determined that I was playing winter ball, staying locked into 'baseball mode' wasn't a challenge at all. Baseball is my job whether we are in a pandemic or not. That being said, it doesn't matter if I'm motivated or don't know the future, each day I still have to do my job even when I'm at home. Even if I'm not compensated year-round, my job never ends when the season ends."
 
For Rodriguez, he lost most of his 2020 senior season at Wofford and then was unable to play in the minor leagues during the summer after signing with the Seattle Mariners in June.
 
In his career, Rodriguez played in 184 games with 164 starts, primarily in the infield. He posted a .294 batting average with 183 hits, 140 runs scored and 93 RBIs. He holds the school record for career stolen bases with 85. The native of Queensbury, N.Y., graduated from Wofford in May, majoring in finance and accounting and was named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll twice.
 
"The decision was fairly easy for me," said Rodriguez. "Since I am 50% Puerto Rican, the day I signed as a professional player I automatically was thrown in the draft for the Puerto Rican Winter League. I was drafted in the second round to the Indios De Mayaguez. After getting it approved by the Seattle Mariners, the next thing I knew I was on a flight to Puerto Rico."
 
Once they both arrived in Puerto Rico for practice leading up to the start of the season, Condra-Bogan and Rodriguez ended up being assigned to the same team. Despite Condra-Bogan graduating the spring before Rodriguez entered Wofford, they knew each well as part of the Wofford baseball family.
 
"Having a fellow Terrier in Brett on the same team has been awesome," said Condra-Bogan.  "We never played together at Wofford but being a pro guy from the Spartanburg area I was able to stay connected when I was able to train at Wofford. Brett has been a younger brother to me and this experience has allowed me to introduce him to the professional life. There's a big difference in culture and lifestyle in professional baseball compared to college. He has adjusted nicely and is the hardest worker here! I am excited to see where his playing career takes him."
 
Rodriguez has the same feelings about his teammate. "Having JCB, a former Terrier, on the team makes this experience so much easier and better for myself. He has been in this business for multiple years and has really shown me the ropes of how everything works. He's been a big brother figure to me since he has arrived here."
 
At Wofford, Jacob Condra-Bogan played in 62 career games, including a 6-5 record in 15 starts his senior season. He was named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and received his degree in government. After graduation, he used his final season of eligibility at Georgia Southern University. The native of Woodruff, S.C. signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals and is currently with the Washington Nationals organization. During 2019, he played for the AA Harrisburg Senators with a 3.61 ERA in 38 games played.
 
For both Terriers, the experience in Puerto Rico so far has been incredible.
 
"The experience here has been great," said Rodriguez. "I have learned so much from my coaches and teammates. Being in Puerto Rico gives me the opportunity to get to see what professional baseball is like and get acclimated to the speed of the game compared to college. I love the island life and living on the beach. It's been hard to get the full experience with COVID-19 still having a presence in our day to day lives, but this will be a place I am going to enjoy coming to for the winters."
 
"I am happy with my decision to come to Puerto Rico," said Condra-Bogan. "It's had its challenges, but once games start you get into a routine that makes everything simpler. We have a solid team and a locker room full of good human beings! One of the great things about baseball is that it is a universal language. Being in pro baseball for a few years, my Spanish grows each year and has been adequate for day to day living. The toughest adjustment is leaving behind my wife and family. Unfortunately, it's part of my job and that's the case during a normal year as well."
 
For the upcoming baseball season, Rodriguez is expected to play for the Everett Aquasox and Condra-Bogan is expected to begin the season with AAA Rochester.
 
Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC) is the main professional baseball league in Puerto Rico and is commonly referred to as the Puerto Rican Winter League. Consisting of four teams for the 2020-21 season, the league was founded in 1938.