WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — America’s pastime is about more than wins and losses for Trey Carter, Kaden Griffitts, and Hunter Moser.

“I can’t thank baseball enough for the friendship that these two have given me growing up,” Moser said. “I can’t even tell you how long us three have been friends, so I’m just thankful that I get to spend my last year with these two guys.”

The trio of Williamsville grads have spent countless hours together since junior high, bringing that strong bond to the field at the University of Illinois Springfield.

“It’s awesome, we went to high school together, so we’ve been playing since we were really young, but being able to go to UIS now and share that again is really cool,” Carter said.

“I love that all three of us are going to be able to play again together, both of us being Lincoln Land and Heartland, winning programs, and taking that to UIS, I think it’s going to be a good time,” Griffitts said.

Carter from Lincoln Land, Griffitts from Heartland, and Moser moving back from Cumberland in Tennessee, entering their new school with trust in each other, hoping that spreads throughout the roster.

“Looking to build relationships with everyone,” Carter said. “Having a good relationship goes a long way, and I think that can build a lot between a player and a coach, so I think that’s what I like to do, and just be a good teammate with everything I do.”

As relationships grow, the transfers hope to see their skill progress too.

“This last year was pretty good for me,” Griffitts said. “I developed quite a bit from my freshman year and my sophomore year, and hopefully I continue to develop into my junior year.”

They’re excited to represent their hometown of Williamsville together one last time.

“Everyone knows you, you get to know everyone,” Moser said. “That’s just how thankful I am that I was raised in a small town.” “I wouldn’t want to be raised anywhere else.”