Twice weekly we will highlight spring sport senior athletes on their careers at Saint Mary's
 
Two of the hardest-working seniors on this year's baseball team at Saint Mary's were Ryan Novis and Ty Madrigal, veterans who had seen just about everything in their four-plus years as a Gael. That is, until COVID-19 concerns forced the cancellation of sport from the professional, collegiate, and high school levels.
 
"It was a complete surprise when I first heard the news, and it was definitely difficult to process," Novis said when asked about the cancellation of his senior season. "When the WCC released their statement that spring competition was being cancelled, we had just played a game two days before. A week later I've come to terms that ending the season is for the greater good and a necessary sacrifice, but I still don't think the reality that my college career could be over has fully hit me yet."
 
While the season is done for two of the leaders on this year's squad, that does not diminish the outstanding careers both Novis and Madrigal had while donning the navy and red colors. Both have achieved accolades on and off the field, and both have gained the respect of their teammates and coaching staff.
 
For Novis, he was in the midst of returning for his senior season during a crucial time where the Gaels needed his bat more than ever. His .286 batting average as a senior stood as the third-best on the 2020 Gaels, but he was just getting started, going 5-11 with a home run and six runs scored over his final three games. The native of Tempe, Arizona was coming off of his best collegiate season in 2019, where he hit .328 and was tied for the WCC lead with 75 hits.
 
As important as his efforts were on the field, off the playing surface of Louis Guisto Field, Novis shined just as bright. He was named to the All-Academic WCC team following the 2019 season after putting up a 3.56 grade point average, and he was well on his way to repeat honors in 2020. 
 
While those academic honors from the conference stand out as his proudest accomplishment, Novis did not rank that as his best memory as a Gael. "I have a lot of great memories," Novis reminisced. "But some of my favorite memories would have to be hitting a walk-off single in the 10th against Pacific, hitting a grand slam against Utah Valley (part of a two-homer game), and getting the chance to play for the WCC Championship in Stockton."
 
The memories as a Gael extend beyond personal accomplishments, as both he and Madrigal found time with teammates to be the most gratifying. "Any college ballplayer will tell you that while playing together is fun, the vast majority of bonding happens outside the white lines. I'd say that holds true at St. Mary's," Novis noted about gelling with his teammates. Madrigal recalled the ending of the season in particular, pointing out that "this group was very cohesive and scrappy. We ended our season on a hot streak. Our team was capable of doing a lot of damage. We were able to come together over the course of the fall through our workouts and scrimmages."
 
Madrigal saw his career take a variety of twists and turns, but he always found ways to adapt and make the most of the situation. After seeing appearances as both a starter and a reliver, Madrigal found a home as a dominant piece in the backend of the Gaels 2018 bullpen, going 3-2 with a 1.90 earned run average across 22 appearances (47.1 innings), while striking out 54 in an All-WCC Honorable Mention season. After missing most of 2019 due to injury, he was granted a medical redshirt and came back for his fifth season in 2020, slotting into the second spot in the Saint Mary's rotation, where he allowed just three runs over his final 12.1 innings, striking out 10 in his last two starts.
 
Despite the ending of his final season, Madrigal took it in stride when asked about his collegiate career. "I was not sure if I was going to have another opportunity to come back and play collegiate baseball for Coach Moore," Madrigal mentioned. "Since I am a medical redshirt, I was grateful to have another opportunity to play 'my senior year.' I had an awesome experience and have been a part of great teams. I was blessed to have an opportunity to extend my career with a medical redshirt and start the MBA program at Saint Mary's."
 
Having been a shutdown reliever and a more-than-effective starter in the Gaels rotation, Madrigal could have picked any number of moments that stood over a successful collegiate career. His answer, though, is special to anyone who has a sibling: playing against his twin brother Nick in 2017.
 
"Our friends and family packed the stands wearing red, blue, orange, and black," recalled Madrigal about a single-game against Oregon State in March of 2017. "They had obligations to support Saint Mary's and Oregon State. We had always dreamed about playing against each other and it reminded me of when we used to play wiffle ball in our backyard. It was awesome pitching against him." The end result? Nick singling off of Ty with on an 0-1 count. One year later, Nick would go on to be drafted fourth-overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2018, as got as high as Triple-A during the 2019 season. The overall outing for Ty was strong, tossing three innings of one-run ball against the top-ranked team in the country at the time.
 
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