Tyler Herges has been around baseball his whole life, due to the fact that his dad, Matt, played Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2009. Some fathers try to force their love for their occupation and/or passion on their children, coercing their child into growing sick of said occupation or passion; this was not the case for Herges. 

“My dad always helped out as an assistant coach,” said Herges when asked about his early playing days. “I always remember [youth baseball] being really fun. I was never really pushed too far; [youth baseball] made me love the game.” 

The combination of the gentle push from his father and understanding what it took to be a stud baseball player pushed Herges to want to take up baseball as more than just a hobby.  

As Herges became more and more serious about baseball, he decided to attend Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. At Notre Dame Prep, the Scottdale native thrived and grew over time. As he witnessed his older teammates commit to play at the next level, Herges realized that he wanted to eventually do the same. 

“It was super fun seeing guys, when I was a freshman, that were juniors and seniors going to college because that is what I wanted to do, go and play baseball in college,” mentioned the Saints right-handed pitcher. “It was cool to have a small, intimate environment, but also, it was just as competitive as any other school.” 

The competitive nature of Scottsdale high school baseball and its surrounding area propelled Herges to want to work as hard as possible to achieve his dream of playing collegiately. His 6-1 record as a senior, combined with his 1.79 ERA, demanded multiple collegiate baseball looks. However, his below-average fastball prevented some higher-level offers.  

“I was only topping [out at] 83 mph in high school,” said Herges. “[I was mainly recruited by] smaller schools that liked that I threw strikes and had multiple pitches. Biola was my first offer, and from that, I was able to get an offer pretty [quickly thereafter] from Azusa Pacific; that is where I knew I wanted to go.” 

Herges’ seemingly steady incline through high school culminated with his commitment to Azusa Pacific University, thanks to then-active MLB catcher Steven Vogt, who was playing under Herges’ dad at the time of the offer. Vogt introduced the young Herges to the APU coaching staff, and the rest is history.  

During his first year at Azusa Pacific, Herges redshirted and learned the ropes of college baseball. To his surprise, Division II baseball was not all Herges chalked it up to be. 

“I got to see our team go to super regionals,” said an emphatic Herges. “I thought D2 [baseball] would not be as competitive as it is. Once I realized that my first year when I redshirted, I thought that it was awesome and that there was nowhere else I would rather be.” 

Building off his positive mindset early on in his college career, Herges decided he was not content with his fastball velocity during his first year at APU and embarked on a weight gain journey. 

“I entered [college] at 155 pounds as a freshman,” commented a light-hearted Herges. “I think I topped [out at] 84 mph my freshman year of college, but then I ended up gaining like 40 or 50 pounds; with that, velocity came. It is pretty hard for me to gain weight, so I [consumed] a minimum of 6500 calories every day for six months straight. My mechanics were good enough that with that extra strength and weight, the velocity came on its own.” 

Herges’ upward trend at APU came to a screeching halt, however. He noticed a dip in his velocity and production during his redshirt freshman year (second year) of college, leading him to get an MRI in the fall of 2023. The results revealed that he tore his rotator cuff, but specifically, Herges learned that he suffered from a rare tear of his infraspinatus. 

A nerve study told Herges that the nerve that hit his rotator cuff muscle was not working, leaving him at a fork in the road: pitch his redshirt sophomore year and risk both health and success, or undergo surgery and miss a large chunk of time. Herges decided to pitch and ended up playing the 2024 college baseball season, and then for the Arroyo Seco Saints in the summer. 

“[I chose to pitch through the injury] and had an okay year,” stated Herges bluntly. “After last summer when I played for the Saints, I got the surgery done. That was the best I ever played in my life [that summer], but then I had to get surgery. It was weird knowing that I was pitching really well, but the surgery is what really would have helped me.” 

No matter what the challenge is, Herges always bounces back and continues to strive for greatness. However, his infraspinatus injury has lingered, impacting both his on-field performance and his mind.  

Despite this aforementioned challenge, the rising APU redshirt senior learned that commanding the rubber is not the only way he can impact his team and himself, as well. 

“I would not change anything because every obstacle I have faced has made me a better person, a better teammate and a better player,” mentioned an optimistic Herges. “I learned to serve my team in a different way that is not on the baseball field; it is more so me being a better teammate.” 

A speedy recovery process and hours of gritty, hard work enabled Herges to pitch this past season for the Cougars. He posted 11 innings and five strikeouts in a relatively-limited 10 appearances. 

As Herges previously mentioned, this is his second summer in Pasadena with the Saints. The summer of 2025 presents a new opportunity for the righty, however. This is the healthiest he has been, thanks to the physical and mental grind he has endured over the years. 

Accompanied by APU teammates Chris Hernadez-Vides, Dillon Pearson and Jacob Freer, along with his returning counterpart Brady Nelson (Minnesota State), Herges feels like he is right at home. 

“I love it here,” emphasized Herges. “[In Pasadena and for the Saints], it is just a bunch of dudes playing baseball. Our relationships and friendships have grown stronger in these times because of the different environment we are playing in.” 

Despite the fun aura surrounding Jackie Robinson Field, Herges mentioned that he appreciates professionalism, as it is one of the main reasons why he wants to play at the pro level. The Saints right-handed pitcher loves how professional Head Coach Aaron Milam and Pitching Coach Aaron Treloar are, and he has learned a lot from both of them these past two summers. 

A brief setback in his intercostal muscles sidelined Herges for about a week or two, but the righty is tried and true as he had no problem recovering and getting back to normal; Herges understands that lumps are a part of the job as a pitcher. 

As Herges has learned from both his Saints teammates and coaches, he has become better as the season has progressed. While his ERA is around 4.20, 16 strikeouts and only 14 hits allowed have enabled Herges to accumulate two wins this season and a boatload of confidence this summer. 

Looking ahead, Herges has goals for both the rest of this summer, but also for the remainder of his baseball career thanks to a well-rounded network of baseball connections. 

“I would like to win a championship with this team,” said an advantageous Herges. “Personally, I want to continue to go out [on the mound] and not walk guys. I want to get outs and attack hitters.” 

“[As for other baseball ventures], I have one more year of eligibility,” Herges commented. “I am doing everything I can to make myself eligible for the draft and hopefully play professionally; that is the goal.” 

Contributors:

• Saints reporter Tyler Bowne (San Diego State)