Thunder catcher Chris Reeder, a product of Allentown High and TCNJ, is having an all-around successful summer – Trentonian

Thunder catcher Chris Reeder stands in the dugout between innings against Frederick during an MLB Draft League game Thursday night at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)

TRENTON — Chris Reeder has a photograph of himself when he was about 4 or 5 years old, wearing a jersey and a backwards cap, standing on the third-base line at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

Now he wears the Thunder jersey on the field.

For the graduate of Allentown High and the College of New Jersey, things came full circle this summer, as he was no longer just a spectator in the stands, but now played for the Thunder from his hometown.

“I played here every year in high school and then every year for the last three seasons at TCNJ we had to come and play a game,” Reeder said. “I remember (Andy) Pettitte’s rehab assignment. I was trying to get autographs. Just the whole scene when a major league player comes back … the excitement, the crowd, the autographs, it was the fun nights you love as a kid.”

From fun nights as a kid to fun nights on the field, Reeder became part of MLB Draft League history when he stood behind the plate when five Thunder pitchers combined to throw the league’s first no-hitter earlier this week in Frederick. It was the fifth no-hitter in franchise history and the first since Justus Sheffield and Taylor Widener combined to throw one in Game 3 of the 2017 ELDS against Binghamton.

“My eyes were fixed on the scoreboard at Frederick,” Reeder said, admitting he knew what was at stake even if he didn’t dare say anything. “All you had to do was call a pitch and they went out there with conviction and threw strikes and the defense did their job, too. It’s hard not to think about it. Everyone’s just going with the flow and having fun.”

Reeder is the first former CVC star to play for the Thunder since they joined the draft league, now in its fourth season (West Windsor-Plainsboro South star Ben Ruta came through here when he was in the Yankees’ organization). He helped Allentown win a Group III state championship in 2017 – he had a solo home run in the eighth inning of a 5-1 victory over Cranford – and went on to play six seasons at TCNJ.

He ranks fourth in program history with 163 games played for the Ewing-based school and 11th with 37 doubles. This season, he posted a .258 batting average with five home runs, seven doubles and 38 RBIs in 40 games for TCNJ.

Reeder has done well in the draft league, where most players are Division I players or highly rated high school talent. In 10 games, he has made 8 of 30 at bat — he had three hits while standing behind the plate for the no-no on Tuesday night — and has scored five runs.

“A lot of guys coming out of D3 miss out on that, which is a shame because there’s a lot of talent in D3, especially from the NJAC, which is one of the top conferences in the country,” Reeder said. “I came here because I always believed in myself that I could do it. To see the 94-95 (mph) and turn it into a single or double or whatever, it just confirms that no matter where you play, someone is going to find you.”

Reeder had no guarantee he would stay on the Thunder’s roster when he arrived for a practice the Sunday before the season began because the team needed catchers. In fact, he didn’t even think he would be eligible to play in the league because he is 24 years old and has been with TCNJ for six seasons.

“It’s been a help for us and if I do well with the training sessions, we’ll see where it goes,” said Reeder, who laughs off his teammates’ jibes about him being the elder statesman. “Fortunately, I proved myself and signed for opening day that morning and before you know it, we’re in the home stretch of the season.”

Reeder would like to continue playing after the first half of the Draft League season, whether that be here in Trenton in the second half or with an independent ball team somewhere else.

“After graduating from TCNJ, my goal was to play (independent) ball,” Reeder said. “I didn’t even know I was eligible for that first half until I sat down with (Thunder manager Adonis Smith). Whether it’s the second half here or indy ball somewhere else or a free agent signing came about, I’ll be incredibly grateful for every day I get to wear the uniform.”

Especially this one.

“You see Jeter, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Judge up there,” Reeder said. “All those guys put on the uniform and you step in the same box as them. Some of those guys who are in the major leagues now can share the same field as them.”

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The Thunder have added catcher Justin Fogel to their roster for the remainder of the first half.

Fogel, a product of Pennsbury High, played in the draft league for West Virginia last summer and is coming off a college season at the University of Pittsburgh, where he posted a .299 batting average with five home runs and 36 RBIs.

Before that, he was the star of Division III Penn State Abington, where he posted a career .470 batting average with 25 home runs, 30 doubles and 102 RBIs in three seasons. In his junior season, he won the Division III batting title with a .497 batting average and earned All-America and All-Region honors.

He has committed to play his final season of eligibility at the University of Memphis.