Austin Gisriel Releases Updated Version of “Safe At Home, A Season in the Valley”

September 26, 2022
For immediate release:
An updated edition of Safe at Home: A Season in the Valley, has been published by
author Austin Gisriel. The book chronicles the 2009 New Market Rebel season.
“So much has happened in the 13 years since then,” said Gisriel. “Several of the most
important ‘characters’ such as Mo Weber, Bruce Alger and his wife Lynn, and ‘Front
Row’ Fred Miller are no longer with us. I thought it was important to recognize the
changes that have happened to the Rebels organization and to the league in general.”
Gisriel noted that the players from that year are now at least 30 years of age with
established careers and burgeoning families.
“Several former players shared updates on their lives, as did four of our coaches. It was
wonderful to hear from them,” said Gisriel. “It was also wonderful to hear how much
they treasure their time in the Valley. The Rebels didn’t win it all that season, but I
couldn’t have had a better team to write about. Safe at Home is really the story of a
community’s passion for baseball as much as it is the story of what happened on the
diamond.”
Gisriel points out that perennial playoff participants Charlottesville and Strasburg
weren’t even in the Valley Baseball League in 2009, which still included the Fauquier
Gators.
Safe at Home: A Season in the Valley, Updated 2nd edition is available in both
paperback and Kindle e-reader versions through Amazon.com

Author interview upon request. Additional information upon request by contacting
Austin Gisriel, 301-988-4000, agisriel@yahoo.com
107 Fiesta Drive, Stephenson, VA 22656

Getting to Know the Rebels

Hello Rebel fans! We’ve lost some players, and had a few new ones come in. We’re finally getting a chance to know outfielder Kyle Joye who has been here for a couple of weeks, and pitcher Will Smith who also came in recently!

Kyle Joye is a 6ft-1in, 225lb infielder from Pebble Beach, CA. He graduated with a BA in Business Administration from Wake Forest University, and he is currently in graduate school there where he is working on a Masters in Liberal Studies. You can find Kyle on Instagram @kjoyeski.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: SF Giants

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubblegum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Both

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs!

TALKING OR LISTENING: Talking

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Star Wars, Rick and Morty

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Ice Blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: Won D3 NCAA National Championship (Chapman U)

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Guitar/ Music producer

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Get drafted/ Win D1 National Championship

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Work for Oakley as a product developer.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel the world.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I love the vibe! Players are great. Coaches are great. Fans and people are even better!

Will Smith is a 6ft tall, 200lb Right-handed pitcher from Conway, SC. He is a Senior at Coastal Carolina University where he is studying Recreation and Sports Management. You can find Will on social media @Asap_Willy77 on Twitter and @Will.Smith777 on Instagram.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: L.A. Dodgers

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: /seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Cookies

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Tiktok

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Hangover, Friends

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Purple

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I swear a lot.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Movies.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Be the best teammate and keep competing.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Have a family.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Skydiving.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I enjoy the team. Everyone has a great attitude and I love being in New Market.

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to Know the Rebels

Today we will get to know pitcher Jonathan Bautista and infielder Edwin “Bebo” Martinez Pagani!

Jonathan “Johnny” Bautista is a 6ft-3in, 215lb Right-handed pitcher from Philadelphia, PA. He is a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh where is is majoring in Law and Criminal Justice. You can follow Johnny on Twitter @Jonathan5_15 and on Instagram @mlb_john.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: The Yankees

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubblegum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Both

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: TikTok

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Sandlot and Criminal Minds

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Red and Yellow

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I can dance.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Dancing

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Have 20+ K’s this summer.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Get drafted

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to Greece

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I love the atmosphere.

Edwin “Bebo” Martinez Pagani is a 5ft-8in, 175lb infielder from Sahuarita, AZ. He is a Senior at New Mexico State University where he is majoring in Liberal Studies.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: The Yankees

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Both

CATS OR DOGS: None

TALKING OR LISTENING: Talking

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: None

FAVORITE MOVIE: Scarface

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Talking a lot with hand gestures.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: MLB

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Happiness

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: I would like to get drafted.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: Everything is great. I always feel like I’m home. It’s a good place to get better at baseball.

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

Today we’ll learn a little more about pitcher Evan Boyle and catcher Hunter Sute!

Evan Boyle is a 6ft-6in, 170lb Lefty pitcher from McDonough, GA. He will be a senior at Middle Georgia College where he is studying Business Administration. You can follow Evan on Instagram @evan_boyle5.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Atlanta Braves

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Goldmember, The Sopranos

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: When I was young a bird flew in our house and landed on me, so it scarred me for a little while.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Being double jointed in all of my joints.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: To hopefully play pro.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: To own a successful company.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: To go skydiving.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I love the environment/social change. I will never forget this summer.

Hunter Sute is a 5ft-11in, 195lb catcher from Tuscaloosa, AL. He is a sophomore at the University of Alabama where he is studying Consumer Science. You can follow Hunter on Twitter @hunter_sute and on Instagram @whsute.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Atlanta Braves

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Gum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Both

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Top Gun, Yellowstone

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Light blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I’m very afraid of needles, getting shots.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): I really enjoy duck hunting.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Pro ball.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Provide for my family.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Get into law school.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: Very homey and welcoming.

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

The season is more than half over now, but we’ve had a few roster additions and there’s a few more players to get to know! We’ll start with Hayden Donahue who has been here all year, and meet a new addition Ryder Hernandez!

Hayden Donahue is a 6ft-1in, 180lb Right-handed Pitcher from Rienzi, MS. He will be a Sophomore at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he is studying Civil Engineering. You can follow Hayden on social media @HaydenDonahue9 on Twitter, @hayden_donahue on Twitter, and @haydendonahue1 on Tiktok.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: The Braves

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Cookies

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Talking

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: TikTok

FAVORITE TV SHOW:

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Cool Blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I have a birth mark that looks like the U.S.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): I’m a country boy.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Get drafted.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Own my own ranch.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to every SEC football stadium.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: It is really fun.

Ryder Hernandez is a 5ft-11in, 190lb Infielder from Cedar Park TX. He is a Freshman at Texas State University where he is majoring in Economics. You can follow Ryder on Twitter @ryderh4 and on Instagram @ryder.iv

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Giants

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubblegum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Peaky Blinders and Hangover

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Football

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Pro ball

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Play Pro ball

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to Fenway Park

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: It’s been awesome and a great experience.

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

For today’s edition of Getting to know the Rebels, we’ll meet two pitchers; Brad Brooks and Tyler Cooper.

Brad Brooks is a 6ft-4in Right-handed Pitcher from Mount Pleasant, SC. He is a Sophomore at Newberry College where he is majoring in Forensic Psychology. You can find Brad on Instagram @Bradbrook19 and on TikTok @BBtrain19.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Boston Red Sox

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Top Gun and Impractical Jokers

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Cool Blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I was diagnosed with mild Tourette’s syndrome as a kid.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): I love to golf in my free time.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: I hope to become pitcher of the year as a closer at school.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: I would like to work with DNA analysis and crime scene evidence at NCIS.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Play golf at Augusta National.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I’ve enjoyed becoming part of the New Market family and making memories with the guys.

Tyler Cooper is a 6ft-1in, 205 Lefty Pitcher from Kyle, TX. He is a Sophomore at Texas State University where he is majoring in Construction Science. You can find Tyler on social media @Tyler_Cooper156 on Twitter, @Tyler_Cooper1 on Instagram and @T.Cooper.1 on Tiktok.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Texas Rangers

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Gum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice cream

CATS OR DOGS: Cats

TALKING OR LISTENING: Talking

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Tiktok

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Peaky Blinders

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Orange

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I have double jointed toes.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Having everyone over at my house.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: A better slider.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Make a lot of money.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel the world

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: LOVE IT!!

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

Today we’ll learn a little bit about Erik Johnson and Dom Popa!

Erik Johnson is a 6ft-6in, 200lb Left-handed pitcher from West Henrietta, NY. He will be a Senior at Mount Olive College where he is majoring in Physical Education. You can follow Erik on Twitter @ErikJohnson2626 and on Instagram @erikjohnson2600.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Washington Nationals

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE: Shooter

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Yellow Lemon Lime

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I’m 6’6

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Being tall.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Get drafted.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Play in the MLB.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel internationally.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: I love it!

Dom Popa is a 5ft-11in 180lb Outfielder from Pittsburgh, PA. He is a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh where he is studying Finance. You can follow Dom on social media on both Twitter and Instagram @dompopa3

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: The Pirates

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: ice cream

CATS OR DOGS: dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Tiktok

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Entourage

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I’m from Pittsburgh.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL: My full name is spelled Domenic.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Pro ball.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Make money.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel the world.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: Good.

■ Anna K Lawrence

Rebels in the Minors

Hi Rebel fans! I’m a little bit slow with checking in on Rebel alumni in Pro baseball this year, but better late than never!

Unfortunately, the list of players in the minors has decreased this year. We’ve had some players get promoted (Brendan Donovan), get released (Garrett Kelly, Chandler Raiden), move to the independent leagues (Jimmy Kerrigan), or retire (Reeves Martin). Hopefully we’ll be able to add a couple of names after the upcoming July draft, but for now we currently have 5 former Rebels currently playing in the minors. I should also add it is possible that a former Rebel may have signed as a free agent and I not received the news, so if you know of anyone, or if I hear of anyone, I’ll update our lists!

Jacob Rhinesmith was a member of the 2017 Rebel squad and has been playing in the Washington Nationals farm system since he was drafted in 2018. Rhinesmith is currently assigned to Double-A Harrisburg where he has appeared in 25 games and holds a .172 AVG, but he is currently listed on the 7-day Disabled List. We hope he bounces back soon so he can continue to climb the minor league ladder!

Jonathan Bowlan pitched for the 2016 Rebels. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 MLB draft by the KC Royals and he is currently playing in their organization for the Rookie ACL Royals on a rehab assignment after starting the season on the disabled list. We hope Jonathan too is able to recover fully and quickly and continue to dominate on the mound for the Royals!

Jake Washer, like Jacob Rhinesmith was a member of the 2017 Rebels. He was drafted in 2019 by the Chicago Cubs. He has been playing the 2022 season so far with the High-A South Bend Cubs in Indiana. He has appeared in 32 games so far and currently holds a .280 batting average with 8 home runs!

Jacinto Arredondo is a very memorable pitcher from our Championship 2018 team. He signed as a free agent with the Red Sox in 2020 and is currently playing for the High-A affiliate the Greenville Drive in South Carolina. He has appeared in 16 games, all in relief and holds a 6.00 ERA with one save and 24 strikeouts.

Our final minor leaguer is Brandon Parker from the 2018 Rebels. He was drafted in 2019 in the 10th round by the Atlanta Braves. He is currently plaing for the single-A affiliate Augusta Green Jackets in South Carolina. He has appeared in 137 games and currently holds a .263 AVG with 15 extra base hits!

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

Today let’s get to know a pitcher and an infielder; Ethan Walker and Zach Shertzer!

Ethan Walker is a 6ft-3in, 190lb Left-handed pitcher from Salem, VA. He will be a Freshman this fall at Longwood University where he plans to study Kinesiology. If you’d like to, you can follow Ethan on Instagram @ethan.walker_

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Boston Red Sox

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Talking

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Tiktok

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Friends

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Grape

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I took Chinese in high school.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Talking

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Starting games in college.

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Go pro.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to Greece.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: New Market is a nice small town and a great atmosphere.

Zach Shertzer is a 6ft tall, 197lb infielder from Lititz, PA. He is a Junior at Mansfield University where he is majoring in Business Management and Environmental Science. You can find Zach on Instagram and Twitter @ZShertzer12.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: The Cubs

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubble gum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE: Wolf of Wall Street.

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I wish I could grow a mustache.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Snowboarding skills.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: multiple-year 1st team all conference (PSAC).

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Own my own farm.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Heli-skiing

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: Awesome small town atmosphere!

■ Anna K Lawrence

Getting to know the Rebels

For today’s edition of Getting to know the Rebels, we will get to know Maddox McDonald and Brian Valigosky!

Brian Valigosky is a 6ft-1in, 202lb Lefty pitcher from New Orleans, LA. He is a Sophomore at Tulane University where he is majoring in Finance. If you’d like to learn more about Brian, you can follow him on Twitter @Bvaligosky7 and on Instagram @brian.valigosky.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Houston Astros

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: seeds

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: cookies

CATS OR DOGS: dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Cars and Peaky Blinders

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Yellow

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I broke both of my thumbs

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Jumpshot

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Go to the College World Series

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Work in an MLB Front Office

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to Europe

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: Good.

Maddox McDonald is a 6ft-1in, 188lb Outfielder from San Antonio, TX. He is a Sophomore at the Univeristy of Louisiana Lafayette where he is also studying Finance. You can learn more by following Maddox on Twitter @AutoMaddox25 and on Instagram @maddoxmcd02.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Cubs

BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Gum

COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream

CATS OR DOGS: Dogs

TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening

TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE: Youtube

FAVORITE MOVIE: Star Wars

FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Yellow

WEIRD OR HILARIOUS TRUE FACT ABOUT YOU: I’m really good at wii sports golf.

SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): I was good at track.

TELL US ABOUT A BASEBALL GOAL: Make it to the MLB

NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Make Money

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: See every ball park.

TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NEW MARKET AND THE REBELS SO FAR: It has been fun!

■ Anna K Lawrence