Three local baseball players will feel right at home this fall as they take their talents west.

    Highland’s Kade Hall and Pocatello’s Chase Teter and Josh Holmes will be Chukars later this year after signing their National Letters of Intent Wednesday to play baseball at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore.

    All three are excited to start the next chapter of their lives as teammates.

    “It’s nice that I get to head down to college with some familiar faces and not have to meet all new people,” said Teter, who will play shortstop for the Chukars.

    “It’s nice because you know a couple of people going into the year,” said Holmes, a centerfielder. “It will be nice to have some friends.”

    “It’s going to be really nice to have friends playing ball with me down there, friends I’ve had my whole life,” said Hall, the future Chukars catcher. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

    Two local coaches — Pocatello High School’s Vinnie Benavidez and Highland’s Mike Green — have spent countless hours with these three athletes at the high school or Legion level. They are pleased to see their pupils take the next step with each other.

    “It’s extremely unique and it’s a real neat situation for these kids as they grew up together,” Green said. “Now they’re going off to college and can lean on each other when they come across any trials or tribulations. It’s nice to have the confines of home (so) close.”

    Benavidez also says three kids from the same area signing together speaks volumes about the quality of baseball being played in Pocatello. Another of his former players, 2012 Poky graduate Colin Drury, is in his final year with Treasure Valley.

    “It says a lot about baseball in southeast Idaho,” Benavidez said. “This group of seniors is special. There are people who have signed, these young gentlemen (who are signing) and others who have the possibility of signing down the road. It’s a great thing.”

    Teter, who wants to go into accounting, committed to TVCC during the fall and says he was set on the Chukars from the beginning. Having played for Benavidez, he thinks he’s ready to succeed on and off the diamond.

    “Vinnie does a great job of running a college-type program. He prepares us for that,” Teter said. “He makes us responsible and he treats us like results. He’s done a great job preparing us.

    Holmes, who is leaning towards studying wildlife conservation or drafting and engineering, agrees.

    “Vinnie is a good coach and he’s also taught us about life lessons,” he said. “It’s not all about baseball. He helps us. There is time to have fun, but there’s also a time to get serious and focus.”

    Hall, who is expecting to compete for playing time right away, is grateful for both Green and Benavidez.

    “They really get me prepared for the next level in regards to intensity of practices and games,” said Hall, who will study athletic training or physical therapy. “I’ve learned how to play the right way and focus on the game.”

    The city of Pocatello is turning into a pipeline that runs right to TVCC’s baseball facilities.

    “Treasure Valley is one of the best junior colleges in the whole northwest,” Benavidez said. “We have a good relationship with them. Colin Drury has set the precedence for high school baseball on this end of the state. They keep coming back for more players.

    “We’re not going to try and sell a faulty product. Our staff is proud of the things these kids have done.”

    “There are some really good baseball players around here,” Green said. “They present themselves on and off the baseball field in the right way. These three are the epitome of that.”

    Holmes, Hall and Teter all hope to continue playing baseball after their two years in Ontario are over. Where they end up doing so is far from decided.

    “It’s going to be a time-will-tell thing,” Teter said. “I will find out when I get there.”

    “Going to Division I is the main goal,” Hall said. “I want to play more ball and see where that takes me.”

    Regardless of where Hall, Teter and Holmes end up, Green is certain they will find success.

    “You’re going to win and lose in games and you’re going to win and lose in life,” he said. “I’m not easy on them; I challenge them. But, ultimately, these are kids who have been knocked down and gotten right back up. That’s a testament to how mentally tough they are. They deserve what they’re getting here.”

    Holmes, Teter and Hall join a Chukars squad, coached by Aaron Sutton, that went 37-12 during the 2013 season.