A little over a week ago the Eureka Red Devils got their season going in Texas and Florida. The Red Devils took advantage of going against some great competition as they got their season going with a strong start.
The Baseball team played all of their spring break games in Texas. They played teams such as Arlington Baptist and Dallas Christian. Coach Suarez brought a lot of transfers in, and this was the first spring break trip for many of them.
One transfer that stood out was the senior out of Minooka/Shorewood Illinois, Samuel Buduris. This was Sam’s first trip.
“My first spring break trip as a Red Devil was one to remember. Making memories on the bus and on the field is really what it’s all about,” Sam said.
The way that Buduris was able to produce from the plate as well his stellar work in the outfields made him standout. Buduris stats during this trip was a single, a double, a triple, and two bombs from Homeplate. This led to a rise in confidence for him and for his team knowing they could be a dangerous squad this year.
“We are still in the early stages of the season, but with conference coming up I have to keep swinging the bat,” Buduris said.
Buduris is currently holding up to a .500 batting average this season.
Coach Suarez. The new head coach for the Red Devils has brought some early success. After facing some good competition in Texas, Coach Suarez is getting his team ready for conference play. Suarez has held his team to a high standard, and he is looking to prove something in the SLIAC post season.
The Softball trip went a little different than the Baseball trip. They traveled to Florida this year, and the Red Devils took advantage of their opportunity with newfound competition.
The Red Devils played Wisconsin-Superior, North Central (MN), Saint Joseph (CONN), Crown College (MINN), Westcon, Alfred State, and Lesley. Similar to the baseball team, Coach Juell Hodges brought in transfers as well. This was the first spring break trip for many.
Alalya Thornton, from Goodfield, IL, is a transfer from Trinity International University. They happened to make their first spring break trip for the Red Devils. Alayla was excited.
“We won games, I got to learn more about my teammates, different types of competition, and excited to see my brother and dad as they live in Florida,” Alaya said.
As well as how much the softball team enjoyed playing in Florida, they also enjoyed the weather, the quality of the fields, and watching the sun rise in the morning. These are the parts of their trip that made their experience stand out.
Alayla did not focus on the negatives, they enjoyed the trip in Florida and focused on the positives during the trip.
“Some things I did well on were making adjustments on the plate, communication, and bringing the energy in the dugout,” Alayla said.
After breaking .500 after the spring trip, Coach Juell felt things were going in the right direction for the Red Devils. From this spring trip Coach Juell was very happy and looking forward to this season.
“I think the team turned the corner; in the first game I think the girls showed a lot of fight with two outs to set the tone for the week,” Coach Juell said. “Some positives were team communication, execute the little things, and success on the plate.”
As baseball and softball continue to get better this spring, there are other players that stand out to help this year. For Baseball, Mike Dunne (P/OF/1B), Brayden Williams (P), Nick Rulevish (IF/P), Garrett Flaagan (IF), Joshua Frenden (1B/P), Hayden Mckenna (C), Chase Ulrich (3B/P), and David Hidden (OF/IF/P).
For softball, Kaylee Hohlbauch (3B/1B), Gada Bryant (SS), McKenzie Daniels (3B), Bria Wessels (1B), Bre Dixon (OF), Delaney Douglas (C/OF), Ashlyn Voyles (C/3B), and Claire Wuethrich (P/OF).
Baseball and Softball saw some good things during their trip, but they both are looking to carry on more going into the post season. Both teams are very dangerous and looking to prove something in the SLIAC postseason this year.
