—Submitted photo St. Edmond graduates (left to right) Colin Flattery, Reid Johnson, Rob Flattery and Jason Setterdahl are once again on the same team, playing for the Northern Iowa club baseball team.

CEDAR FALLS — Long before their days together on the University of Northern Iowa club baseball team, St. Edmond graduates Colin Flattery, Rob Flattery, Reid Johnson and Jason Setterdahl were gathering at fields across Fort Dodge.

The quartet would go on to lead the Gaels to plenty of wins and memorable moments before parting ways upon exhausting their high school eligibility.

But all four eventually found themselves together once more on the UNI campus, and through casual conversation, they again put on their gloves and returned to the diamond.

“We have played together since we were 10,” Johnson said. “We know how each other plays and what we’re capable of.

“(Being on the same team) brings back old times playing alongside each other again.”

Setterdahl was the first to join up with the club team at Northern Iowa as a freshman. He was selected the team vice president for this year.

“I attended the informational meeting during the first week of classes and (club baseball) sounded like it was right up my alley,” Setterdahl said. “I have a true love for the game and knew this would be a great opportunity to keep playing.

“Three years later I’ve realized exactly what I would have missed out on if I didn’t make this decision whether it’s the life-long friends I’ve made or the gritty games we’ve won.”

While the school might have dropped baseball on a scholarship-level, they still play as part of the National Club Baseball Association.

“It’s really boomed in recent years,” Setterdahl said. “Obviously it’s different from collegiate varsity baseball because we’re just a club organization, but some of the same basic principles apply.”

While the veteran of the group, Setterdahl admitted that “it’s been great playing alongside Rob, Colin and Reid again.

“We had such great chemistry at St. Edmond and to be honest, it feels like we haven’t skipped a single beat,” he added. “We’re right back in it competing alongside one another again.”

Setterdahl, who earned Mid-America all-region honors last year, has pitched 10 innings this season with a win, six strikeouts and a 1.80 earned run average. He also has six hits, five RBI and five runs at the plate.

At St. Edmond, he finished his four-year career with 120 hits, 84 RBI, 13 steals, 13 wins and 148 strikeouts.

Johnson, who was on both the Waldorf and Iowa Central baseball teams before UNI, is second on the team with seven hits in seven games. He has also driven in seven runs with eight runs scored and five walks.

“Collegiate baseball has been great,” Johnson said. “Seeing all the talent really opens up the game. You get to travel and experience new things and places.

“I decided to play because I love baseball and always have. There’s nothing better than playing America’s game with great people.”

Over three seasons as a Gael, Johnson racked up 94 hits, with 11 going for extra bases, drove in 48 runs, had 20 steals and earned four wins on the mound.

Rob Flattery competed for two years on the Des Moines Area golf team, helping the Bears reach the NJCAA National Tournament. He has pitched four innings with five strikeouts so far with four hits and a pair of runs scored.

“I missed playing baseball and Jason talked about how much fun he had the last two years on the team, so I decided to join,” he said. “I also knew how much I would miss playing competitive sports.

“It’s been awesome. After high school, all four of us went separate ways and I never would have thought we’d be here playing baseball again together.”

A four-year letterwinner for St. Edmond, Flattery recorded 21 wins on the mound with 199 strikeouts, adding 111 hits, 72 RBI and 13 steals.

Colin Flattery, Rob’s cousin, has six hits, seven RBI and four runs on the year. He has returned to playing catcher, just like he did as a Gael.

“The four of us have been playing together forever and it’s really cool to do it at different levels,” he said. “It’s also really cool for me catching Rob and Jason because it’s something we’re so used to that we’ve built up a trust in one another.”

Over three-plus seasons with St. Edmond, Flattery had 101 hits, drove in 54, stole 23 bases, won eight games and recorded 66 strikeouts.

Through the first half of their season, the Panthers are 3-0 in conference games and 3-1 in non-conference. They begin the spring schedule March 2 vs. Iowa State.

Along with UNI and Iowa State, Iowa, MSU-Mankato, South Dakota and South Dakota State are in the same conference with weekend games being played between one another.

The opportunity to play major Div. I-level programs is something Colin Flattery will never forget.

“Earlier this year we played in a tournament in the Wisconsin Dells and I just thought it was really weird seeing teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Purdue,” he said. “You think of those schools in the highest regard when it comes to athletics, but being able to compete against those universities is really awesome.

“Even though they are just club teams, it’s fun to represent your school and say that you went toe-to-toe with the big-time schools.”