PCC Baseball Alums Tello, Garko Both Excel In MLB Spring Training Games

Raider Tello and Nate Garkow, both former Pasadena City College baseball players under head coach Pat McGee, each made their debuts in Major League Baseball with successful appearances on back-to-back days in Spring Training games on Sunday and Monday.

An All-American shortstop and a PCC Men's Athlete of the Year in 2022, Tello batted 2-for-2 for the Philadelphia Phillies in their exhibition game v. Tampa Bay on Monday as a first baseman replacing All-Star Bryce Harper in the fifth inning. Tello had a 9-pitch at bat and ripped a single to right in his first at bat. He later singled again to right in the sixth.

Video of Tello's at bats 1:36 and 1:56 

He spoke about his debut. "In all honesty, it was such a really cool moment that I didn't process how it felt until afterward when people were calling and texting me asking about it," Tello said. "The process of moving up the chain is a long one, consistently working day in and day out. Luckily for me, I'm playing baseball so I never truly work a day in may life because I'm doing something I love."

On representing PCC, he said: "I truly appreciate my time at PCC, and at the end of the day I want to make the support system that made me who I am today proud, and I hope I do that for a long while." He added that he thanked Coach McGee for the influence he had on reshaping his baseball career.

Garkow, an All-South Coast Conference First Team pitcher from the 2018 Lancers, made his MLB Spring Training debut on Sunday as he pitched 1.2 innings, struck out four and earned the save for the Toronto Blue Jays in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh.

Both Tello, from Arcadia High, and Garkow, a product of Charter Oak HS, signed with their respective MLB organizations in July of last year and made the progression in the minor leagues to reach at least MLB level exhibition ball in a short period of time. 

"This was a fantastic set of events for Pasadena City College baseball to get to see two of my former players experience the height of professional ball," McGee said following the team's 27-4 victory over Compton on Monday. "These are two talents that played on an off-campus city run field in Pasadena, not the luxury of most colleges on-campus environment. With that said, we are cultivating a culture that is about fundamental baseball and striving for excellence. This is a major example of that culture. So proud of Raider and Nate."

The two alumni will continue their paths in hopes of getting the opportunity to play for their clubs in regular season MLB games in the future. 

Video of Garkow pitching, 2:25 in

Nate Garkow hurling the final pitch of his save on Sunday