Oregon State infielder Cooper Vance (1) plays during an NCAA baseball game against Xavier on Friday, March 6, 2026, in Corvallis, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

NILES – As a young baseball fanatic, Cooper Vance would often attend Mahoning Valley Scrappers games at what was then Eastwood Field. At the time, Vance’s own baseball talents were just starting to flourish, and he watched intently while wondering what it would be like to one day play on the field while wearing a Scrappers uniform.

“I think every kid that comes out here thinks about it,” Vance said. “I came out here as a fan when the Scrappers were an affiliate of the Indians. It was always cool to watch the players and know that some of them were going to be playing in the big leagues.

“Like any kid, that was always my hope and dream.”

On Tuesday, Vance spent 30 minutes signing autographs for young fans who now wish to be in his shoes – and uniform.

Vance was added to the Scrappers roster at the start of the second half of the season. After playing five games on the road, Vance made his 7 17 Credit Union Field debut earlier this week.

Vance is a native of New Watertown. He lived there for 16 years and attended East Palestine schools until his family moved just across the state line to Bessemer, Pa. He finished out his high school baseball career at Mohawk High School, where he set school records as both a hitter and pitcher. At the start of his senior season he was recognized as an Under Armor preseason All-American.

Vance went on to play at Eastern Michigan University for three years. This past spring he completed his college career at Oregon State.

An infielder, Vance also pitched at the college level for two seasons.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Vance said of his time at EMU and Oregon State. “I met a lot of great people, I made a lot of memories all across the country with a bunch of different teammates. I was fortunate enough to play in Alaska this year, which was a really awesome experience.

“Now all of that led me here. I hope to make the best of it.”

Vance was originally scheduled to join the Scrappers in early June, however the Beavers made a postseason run to the regionals, which delayed his arrival. He is hopeful that he can finish the season strong and hook up with an affiliated team as an undrafted free agent.

“Watching the draft over the weekend, you see that there were a lot of players from this league picked up, and then a lot more that later signed as free agents,” Vance said. “This league is known for showcasing talent. This league does a ton of work in terms of promoting and highlighting their players.”

Vance also has first-hand knowledge of Scrappers’ players moving to the next level. In addition to coming out to watch the Scrappers play as a youth, he also spent time in the stands more recently cheering on a couple of friends and former teammates who eventually hooked up with affiliated clubs.

Adam Falinski, who was Vance’s teammate at Eastern Michigan, played for the Scrappers in 2025. Falinski signed with the Minnesota Twins and plays for the Twins’ Class A team.

Ian Francis, Vance’s teammate on several travel ball teams, signed with Cincinnati last November after playing with the Scrappers in ’25. Francis, a Cardinal Mooney graduate, plays for the Reds at the Class A level.

“I came out here a couple of times to watch Adam and Ian play and to show my support,” Vance said. “Now looking back it’s kind of encouraging, because I know what they were able to accomplish, and I know that with a lot of hard work and dedication it can happen to me.

“I made it this far. I’ll just keep working hard. I love this game, we’ll see how far it can take me.”