During a lazy mid-week afternoon back in mid-May of 2018, Eric Holtz took a trip from his home just north of New York City to New Haven, Conn., to take in the Ivy League championship game between Columbia and Yale. It wasn't an off-the-cuff decision by Holtz, mind you. His son Brett was a freshman on the Lions roster at the time. He was also there to watch Bulldog pitcher Eric Broadkowitz.
Holtz, the head coach of the Israel National baseball team, wanted to see Broadkowitz, a member of Team Israel, in action. But Holtz got a bit more than he bargained for. Broadkowitz performed extremely well, pitching seven solid innings while allowing just one run. Growing fatigued, Broadkowitz was lifted in the eighth.
Former Belmont Hill School standout Ben Wanger would be called upon.
Shortly after the contest, won by Colombia in the 15th inning, as Holtz exited Yale Field, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had just witnessed from Wanger.
