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Her son, Tim, was two hours away from making his first start at Yankee Stadium. The Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder started in right field and batted ninth for his club.

Tim briefly emerged from the clubhouse to greet his family and friends. He got a fist bump from his father, Tim Sr., and Colleen gave him a kiss on the cheek.

After posing for a photo with her husband and son, Colleen reflected on what this moment meant to her.

"It's like a dream. Since Timmy was a kid he wanted to play professional baseball. But to play in Yankee Stadium..."

Her voice trailed off as she choked up. "I never thought we'd see him here."

It's a dream come true for the boy from Auburn who grew up playing Little League and starred for the Maroons. Tim Locastro went on to Ithaca College, where he was an All-American his junior year, and the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in 2013.

Six years later, he earned an opportunity to play a key role with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wednesday's game was his 30th start of the season.

His family and friends didn't miss the rare opportunity to see Tim play on the East Coast. Dozens of people from the Auburn area traveled to the Bronx to attend one or both of the Diamondbacks' games against the Yankees.

Two of Colleen's friends, Chelle Lust and Johanna Donch, organized groups to see Tim play in New York. Lust attended both games. Donch and her party arrived in time for Wednesday's game.

Lust, who teaches dance with Colleen at the Sonja Ward School of Dance in Auburn, said she has known Tim since he was a child. She follows his games and shares stories about him on her Facebook page. Although she's a Yankees fan, she downloaded the MLB At-Bat app on her phone to track the Diamondbacks' progress.

"I think it's amazing," she said. "I'm so very proud of him."

Donch's connection to the Locastros began when her four children were in Colleen's kindergarten classes at Owasco Elementary School. She first met Tim when he was 3 years old and went on a field trip to a farm with Colleen's class.

After that, Donch remained close to the family. She bought Tim birthday gifts and her sons played baseball with him.

Like nearly every family member and friend of Tim's who attended the games at Yankee Stadium, Donch is a Yankees fan. While she admitted before the trip that she would still root for the Yankees, she pledged to show her support for Tim by making a sign.

On Wednesday, she followed through on that pledge. She made a sign that read, "Auburn, New York loves T-Lo No. 16." T-Lo is one of Tim's nicknames.

In a clubhouse interview, Tim said he appreciates the support from his hometown. Colleen echoed that sentiment. She mentioned that there were Yankees fans who noticed she was wearing her son's jersey and asked if she "knows that Locastro kid."

"Yeah, it's my son," she said. ​