Baseball finishes pre-season

The USU Eastern Eagles baseball team took the field this weekend against the Utah State University Club as they looked to finish preseason play on a high note. On March 5, the Eagles won both games, 17-10 and 12-2.

 In game one, Parker Buys pitched a good game, allowing five runs and six hits, with eight strikeouts in four innings of work. 

On offense, the Eagles tallied a total of 16 hits, with Ryder Peterson, Dylan Rodriguez and Gabe Childs leading the charge. Parker Applegate, Dawsen Hall, and Dylan Sanchez contributed with multiple hits as well. Gabe Lundbeck, Reed Carter, and Cody Lowe all made appearances on the mound to help the Eagles seal the win against the Aggies. 

In game two, freshman outfielder, Max Nichols had a day hitting for the Eagles. Nichols went 3-3 with 2 homeruns, and a double to drive in six runs. Kody Nelson had a great game on the mound, throwing five innings while allowing just two runs on three hits. Nelson finished the day with nine strikeouts. 

Coach Haney had a few thoughts on the team’s performance in the second game, “After a hard fought first game, our guys came out strong. Kody threw great and had a great pace on the mound and our hitters did their part.”

March 6, the Eagles overpowered the Aggies from the beginning, winning 11-2 and 10-0.

Game three was dominated from the Eagles from start to finish. Riley Ashton started on the mound and look comfortable from the beginning. Ashton tallied nine strikeouts in four innings while giving up just two runs, four hits and one walk. Kaden Stewart and Jagger Hadley helped the Eagles on the mound, coming on in relief. Dawsen Hall and Dylan Sanchez led the Eagles at the plate, Hall with a homerun and Sanchez tallying multiple hits in the game. The defense stepped up in a big way as well, playing the entire game without committing a single defensive error. 

Game four was almost an identical repeat of the third game of the matchup. Hayden Brock was the man of the hour. Brock threw a complete game shutout as he overpowered the Aggies with the help of his incredible defense. The Eagles bats continued to stay alive as Skiler Hohrein and Ryder Peterson added a homerun each. 

 “Our pitchers came out and competed in every at bat, keeping us in position for our offense to show off our bats. We hit the ball really well, one through nine. We have lots of room to grow as a team, and all year we’ve been putting in the work and every weekend we’re getting better. I’m very excited for this season,” said freshman catcher, Skiler Hohrein, when asked about his thoughts on the team’s performance over the weekend. 

The Eagles have built great momentum headed into this weekend’s matchup with Colorado Northwestern Community College. March 11 is the conference opener for the Eagles as they head to Rangely, Colorado.