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Garcia is the longest tenured player on the Goldpanners and has taken a leadership role in the clubhouse. As the years went by, he created friendships with current and former teammates.

“I still talk to guys that I’ve played with on my first year for the Panners,” Garcia said. People say you’re summer ball teammates are always way better than your teammates in the spring, and they’re not wrong.”

“When you’re playing ball with a bunch of different guys from all over the country you get this special bond, especially when you’re in Fairbanks, Alaska and you’re up at 2 a.m. fishing in the middle of the night.”

Being the hometown kid, Garcia quickly became a fan favorite in Fairbanks. “It’s every game,” Garcia said. “After we get a Panner dub, kids are coming up on the field asking for my signature all the time. Even if I’m sitting on the bench, I can hear little kids asking for me to come give them my signature, it was awesome.”

Along with the fans, the Goldpanner organization speaks highly of Gracia and his contribution to the team.

“Our PA guy, Gero von Dehn, I was with him over to one of my bats and he was talking about I was probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest hometown Goldpanner position player that there is.”

“I can’t even put it into words how awesome it is, how proud of myself I am and how proud my family is of me. It really just goes into all the hard work I put in over the last four years and becoming the best baseball player and the best man I could be.”

When Garcia graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University this summer, he decided to go back to his old stomping grounds at Butte Junior College.

“Didn’t really wanna give up the game yet. Besides playing, there’s only one thing you can do is stay around the game and it’s coaching. I called my junior college coach (Anthony) Ferro, and he gave me the opportunity to come out here and coach with them so I’m very thankful for that.”