Texas connection brings dynamic players to Bulls

By Lethbridge Herald on June 23, 2022.

PHOTO Courtesy ERICA PERREAUX Lethbridge Bulls closer Devin Benavides thinks it will be of value when he gets injured to have the MacDonald and Aughney connection in his back pocket.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

While it’s not uncommon to see multiple players from the same college come north of the border to play summer ball in the Western Canadian Baseball League, it is sometimes an old connection that comes to light that spurs the attraction for players to want to come a  club.

In the case of the Lethbridge Bulls, it was assistant coach Ryan Macdonald who connected with his old University of Texas at Brownsville coach Bryan Aughney, who now is San Antonio-based Our Lady of the Lake University Saints coach, and as a result was able to bring four dynamic players to the Bulls organization this summer.

Those four players are Tyler Vivier, Noah Rodriguez and pitchers Javier De Alejandro and Devin Benavides.

Macdonald said he (Aughney) had a shortstop that’s probably the best shortstop that’s ever played with him in Vivier and he had a younger right fielder-type player with a lot of pop.

Macdonald was referring to Rodriguez.

“As soon as he says a guy with a lot of pop, I want him right away,” said Macdonald.

Macdonald said he wasn’t sure about the two arms — like where they would fit in the rotation in the spring.

“He said he had a small little lefty (De Alejandro) that (throws) 86 to 89 m.p.h. and fills up for the most part and competes,” said Macdonald.

“And again that’s guys we wanted. And Benavides, the guy at the backend of our bullpen —he told us right away that he has electric stuff and it’s pretty good potential to be a guy that you want in the ninth inning  of every game. I mean when he says those four guys to you right away, those are four guys you want on your team.”

Macdonald and Aughney have had a strong relationship and he trusts the word of his former coach over many other bench bosses.

“The guys we got were exactly what we were getting,” he said.

“You know, day one, he told us Viv is this, Rodriguez is this, Alejandro is this and Benavides is this. They’ve  been to a tee of what he has said. I think Vivier, our shortstop, is one of the best shortstops in the league. Javy has had some struggles, but he has been filling it up for the most part for us. Noah has ran into a few (challenges), but I think he’s making an adjustment at the plate (and) plays a real good centre field for us; without him I think we’d be a pretty hurting unit. I think Benavides has three or four saves for us on the back side.  So, he’s been a plus addition as well.”

De Alejandro said it means a lot, when asked about coming with three of his other teammates.

“Yeah with their support, it makes it so much easier,” he said.

“Yeah, our chemistry is all pretty good. We’ve all been around  (each other) for a good two-and-a-half, three years. Noah is the oldest one, but us three, we’re pretty close. We all have a great bond and just love being on the field together.”

Rodriguez is the senior of the group, having just graduated with a Bachelor in Kinesiology and will go back to work on his Masters and play out his final year.

“So it helps coming into a new environment being a little more relaxed when it comes to playing,” said Rodriguez.

“You’ve got a little support group. You’ve got your people that you’re close to here already and then along with building that connection with your teammates, it just makes the process so much easier.”

What helped in Rodriguez’s decision to come to the city was Macdonald telling him about the Bulls championship run and combining that with the high of the Saints championship last season too.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” said Rodriguez, on Macdonald’s connection.

“It helps especially in possibly getting guys to the next level. If not, just getting them prepared for what they have there for school (and) coming back for the next year.”

Benavides did not know that Aughney knew anybody in Canada.

“So them having that connection and being able to communicate when either I’m injured or something is not feeling right, just having him there in my back pocket is always going to be a good thing to know when I’m in the league.”

Vivier had battled injuries in Texas, but it was words of encouragement from MacDonald that encouraged him still to come to the Bulls.

“Then I had Mac text me like, ‘Hey I heard about your injuries. Hope you’re doing good, can’t wait to get you down in the summer still.’” said Vivier.

“So that was pretty good that they talked throughout our season down there.”

The Bulls will begin a three-game home set with the Fort McMurray Giants tonight at Spitz Stadium (7:05 p.m.)

The Bulls sit in fourth place with a 9-11 record.