To the ballpark

It’s that time of year again when families flood to ballparks donning the caps of their favorite teams for the great American pastime of baseball. Brats with ballpark mustard, peanuts and cracker jacks and, of course, homeruns and 6-4-3 double plays fill parks and stadiums with energy and excitement as the winter begins to thaw across the nation. Wheaton’s own baseball team began their 2017 season this past weekend with a trip to Dixieland to play Sewanee: The University of the South for a three-game series over the course of two days.
 
The Thunder dropped their first game of the season in a tough 5-10 loss to the Tigers with senior pitcher Daniel Bayer on the mound. Yet the team rebounded in the second part of the doubleheader with a dominant display of offense in a 15-4 victory as sophomore pitcher Christian Bolhuis took the win. The team showcased a healthy lineup with 17 hits including four home-runs across the 14 guys who batted during the game.
 
Saturday morning, Feb. 25, the men finished off the series with a W in a hard-fought 13-11 victory with another 17-hit game. Senior Jacob Zeller led the team in offensive production this weekend with six runs, eight hits, five RBIs and three stolen bases.
 
As a senior leader on the team, Zeller shared his thoughts about the team’s expectations for the season: “Every year our goal is to win conference and this year we have a great team. This is the best team in my four years; no one’s spot is safe, our ‘backup’ guys could easily be our starters and there’s a lot of competition on the field.”
The competition is fierce, the baseball pants and eyeblack are out and the Thunder are primed for a strong trip to Port Charlotte, Fl. for spring break before returning to their home baseball diamond off Geneva Rd. to compete for the CCIW.