How 2 players from 5,000 miles away have helped build North Greenville into baseball power

TIGERVILLE – When North Greenville University coach Landon Powell says he casts a wide net when recruiting players to join his NCAA Division II baseball program, he’s not kidding.

Exhibit A: Starting second baseman Gehrig Octavio is from Hilo, Hawaii.

Exhibit B: Starting outfielder Marek Chlup is from Cesky Dub, Czech Republic.

They’ve come together to share a room in the metropolis of Tigerville, South Carolina (pop. 2,023), and have been catalysts this season for the Crusaders, who are 50-10 and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Division II College World Series for the first time in program history.

Octavio, a 5-foot-7 senior whose first name was bestowed upon him by his New York Yankees-loving father as a nod to the legendary Lou Gehrig, and Chlup, a 6-3 junior whose father coaches baseball in the Czech Republic, are among eight starters hitting .300 or better for North Greenville. The Crusaders open World Series play Sunday against No. 8 seed West Chester (Pa.) at 6 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

“They live as far apart as you can physically live on the globe – like 5,000 miles in each direction from each other, so they’re like 10,000 miles apart,” Powell said. “But they’ve turned into best friends and they’re two of our best players. So that has been really cool.”

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They’ve also been able to introduce their families to Tigerville. Octavio’s parents and sisters surprised him with a visit late last year and recently returned for Senior Day and the Conference Carolinas Tournament.

“We have a big following in Hilo!” Powell said.

Chlup’s father, Vladimir, accompanied by Marek’s girlfriend, surprised him by showing up at a practice just a couple of weeks ago.

“Landon and some other people made it happen,” Marek said. “That was awesome and made me real happy.”

Although home-state products comprise the bulk of North Greenville’s roster with 20 players from the Palmetto State, eight other states are represented, including Kentucky, Ohio, Florida and New York. Several players began their college careers elsewhere before landing in Tigerville, including Chlup, who played his first two seasons at N.C. State.

“I was kind of a role player there,” Chlup said. “I didn’t play every game, so coming here and starting every game was an amazing experience.

“I was looking for another place to go and Landon happened to know my Czech National Baseball Team head coach. That’s how I got here.”

Powell, a former standout catcher at South Carolina who played eight pro seasons, including three in the Major Leagues with the Oakland Athletics, says his background has benefitted his program’s recruiting.

“Playing as long as I did professionally, you make a lot of contacts,” Powell said. “We find them everywhere.”

Powell, who took over a team that had an 8-35 record in 2014, has completely reversed the fortunes of the program. The Crusaders went 29-25 in Powell’s first season and with the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign have averaged more than 41 wins per season since.

In this, the Crusaders' first 50-win season, Octavio is batting .343 and leads the team in both runs (76) and walks (52). Chlup, who has professional aspirations and was recently named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, is hitting .402 with team-best totals in hits (86), doubles (20), total bases (148) and stolen bases (28 in 31 attempts).

“We’re from exactly opposite sides of the world, but it has been amazing to play with him and be his roommate," Chlup said of Octavio. "It’s kind of special that his family lives far away and my family lives far away, so we have that in common. It’s nice for both of us to be able to be in Tigerville.”

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: North Greenville takes intriguing roster to D-II College World Series