Staff file photo / Dan Hiner Youngstown State third baseman Tommy Rover makes an off-balance throw to first base during the fourth inning against Northern Kentucky at Eastwood Field in Niles on April 11.

NILES — It’s more than just a bit ironic to hear Mahoning Valley Scrappers infielder Tommy Rover suggest that he feels comfortable playing at Eastwood Field. Even Rover chuckles a little when referring to the ballpark as “home.”

While Rover may have adapted to playing baseball in Niles, in many ways he remains a fish out of water — or better yet a surfer out of the ocean — in Northeast Ohio.

Born in Brentwood, Calif., Rover spent the first 23 years of his life on the sunny west coast. He grew up near the ocean, where his favorite pastimes included surfing, swimming, hiking and playing tennis. He spent four years playing baseball at Fresno Pacific University, graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 2024.

Then in the summer of that year, Rover still had the urge to continue his baseball career, and he also had his sights set on earning a master’s degree. Because of the COVID year, Rover still had a year of remaining amateur eligibility.

While working out at a hitting facility, Rover was spotted by several Youngstown State University coaches. Before he knew it, Rover was given the opportunity to achieve both his baseball and educational goals — albeit 2,500 miles from home. Last fall he enrolled at YSU and joined the baseball team as a graduate student.

“I’ll be completely honest, I knew nothing about YSU, I knew nothing about the school or the baseball program,” Rover said. “I knew nothing about the Youngstown area. I just knew I wanted to play another year of college ball and working toward my master’s was very important to me.

“I immediately connected with the Youngstown State coaching staff. They are great teachers of the game and they are great people. I just felt like it was a win-win to come to Youngstown.”

The move indeed proved to be a winning proposition. This past spring with the Penguins, Rover started 47 games. He batted .328 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. He ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS and home runs.

“The whole move from the west coast to Ohio was a bit tough at first, but finishing my career at YSU was super special,” Rover said. “I wasn’t the only transfer, so early on all of us transfers stuck together. But almost immediately the entire team embraced us. The coaches made us feel like family. They made Youngstown feel like home.

“I had a lot of great coaches and teammates over the years. I was very fortunate to end my college career with a group of guys who were as good as it gets.”

While Rover’s baseball and educational experience at YSU was smooth sailing, his introduction to an Ohio winter proved to be a slippery slope.

“The snow was very new to me,” Rover said. “I kept thinking, ‘let’s be done with this snow already,’ and it kept coming. The roads were really challenging in a car. And walking on the black ice, well let’s just say it was all quite an adjustment for a kid from California.

“Even the weather here in the spring and summer, I’d describe it as moody.”

Rover noted that many of YSU’s home games — played at Eastwood Field — were met with weather challenges. On the road, Rover and his teammates played on a number of turf fields, something he rarely encountered prior to this year. Travel was also noticeably amped up during Rover’s time with the Penguins.

“Out west, there just isn’t the need for turf the way there is here,” Rover said. “As an infielder, there’s definitely a bit of an adjustment between grass and turf.

“We also played a lot of our games at home or close to home when I was in Fresno. Here we were flying all over the place early in the season to get out of the weather. But it was fun. It made for an interesting season.”

Aside from the baseball, Rover says he discovered another hidden gem in the Mahoning Valley — Italian food.

“Definitely, that’s one of the area highlights as far as I’m concerned,” Rover said. “The Italian food in this area is out of this world. The area’s Italian culture is extremely interesting.

“Back home, you choose a spot, throw a dart and you’re in a different culture. Here the rich Italian culture is very noticable. I enjoy it a lot.”

While he knows that reaching the next level will be a challenge, Rover believes his time with the Scrappers presents the best opportunity to move forward.

“This league is definitely living up to expectations, not only from a competition standpoint but also in terms of how well we’re being coached,” Rover said. “This league takes care of its players. They do a really good job of promoting and developing us.

“A little over a year ago, I never imagined I’d be here. Then I go from playing college ball here straight to the Draft League here, crazy. But I love it.”