ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –The Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first World Series title ever.

There’s a good reason to be happy for the Texas Rangers — that’s because an Albuquerque native is the one who got the Rangers on the scoreboard Tuesday night.

Mitch Garver graduated from La Cueva High School and then played for the Lobos.

Long before he was scoring in the World Series, he was warming up in the batting cages at the Albuquerque Baseball Academy. Matt Foote and his father run the facility.

“It’s awesome to see,” Foote said, high school program director at Albuquerque Baseball Academy. “You know, I’ve known Mitch since he was 15 years old. He started out with us when he was a freshman at that time, we only had high school teams.”

Foote says it’s always exciting to cheer on hometown talent.

“I think a lot of people wouldn’t think of New Mexico as a state that produces a lot of professional athletes,” Foote said. “But on the baseball level, it’s been it’s been really cool to see the number of guys that not necessarily have just come through here, but guys in general that make it.”

Garver’s hometown was just as excited.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗. 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦. 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣.

Well-earned. Thanks for repping the 505 on the big stage, @MitchGarver 👊#ProBos pic.twitter.com/stPmJqpSFc

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) November 2, 2023

At one point, it was one Albuquerque Baseball Academy alum against another. Garver and the Rangers beat out Alex Bregman and the Astros to make it to the World Series.

Bregman is also from Albuquerque, and also trained at the academy.

“I’d never tell this to his face, because he already has two rings,” Foote said. “But you know, I wasn’t sad that Garver got it this time and not Bregman.”

The final score was 5-0 so Garver’s point wasn’t the only one that mattered that night, but to Albuquerque, it mattered.

“Either way, he was the one that got them going, so it’s awesome,” Foote said. “We’re super proud of him.”