EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville senior center fielder Cade Hardy made a catch in the Tigers' annual game at Busch Stadium that will be talked about and remembered as one of the greatest catches and moments in not just Edwardsville baseball history, but also in Tigers' sports history.

In the first inning of the game at Busch Stadium against Jackson, Mo., Hardy made a diving catch of a ball hit to center that not only stopped a potential big inning for the Indians, it was replayed on the Jumbotron scoreboard repeatedly during the game.

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Not to be outdone, sophomore left fielder Jacoby Roberson went to his left to snag a ball hit down the line that also stopped Jackson in its tracks as the Tigers went on to a five-inning 12-0 won over the Indians.

But it was Hardy's catch that caught the attention of St. Louis. Post-Dispatch lead sport columnist Benjamin Hochman on Twitter said "On the turf where Edmonds and (Harrison) Bader roamed, this kid looks just like 'em. In the HS game after today's #STLCards game, Edwardsville's CF Cade Hardy makes a catch he'll remember forever," along with the now viral video of Hardy's play.

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It was also tweeted out by Cardinals' beat writer John Denton of MLB.com and Gateway Sports Venue and has been viewed thousands of times in the past week, along with many positive responses to the catch.

After Thursday's win over Collinsville, Edwardsville head coach Tim Funkhouser described Hardy's catch as an example of how hard the team works every day in practice and in their pregame work as well.

"Yeah, I mean, he gets some good work in with the rest of the outfielders," Funkhouser said, "with coach (Craig) Ohlau. And to do that on the stage at Busch Stadium and where Edmonds and all those guys have played over the years. and Harrison Bader, and to go out and make a play there. Same thing with Jacoby Roberson, I mean those are two big-time plays. And the rest of the way our guys played at Busch and really, the last several games, it's just really fun to see them get the fruits of their labors."

It's helped the Tigers get out to a 13-0 start this season, and it's also helped the team achieve a number two overall ranking, according to the national high school sports website, MaxPreps. Edwardsville is right behind Chicago Brother Rice Catholic overall and in Class 4A.

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