Red Devils Begin Season-Opening Spring Trip Sunday

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. – The Eureka College baseball team will begin the fourth season of the Kim Johnson coaching era Sunday when the Red Devils open their spring trip with a noon doubleheader against NCAA Division III independent Rust in Holly Springs, Miss. EC is scheduled to play nine times overall across Mississippi and Louisiana before returning to campus.

Following the three-game series with Rust that includes a single contest at 1 p.m. on Monday, Eureka will play contests at Belhaven (Tuesday) and Millsaps (Wednesday) before playing a three-game series at Louisiana College on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Also included in the spring trip is a second contest against Belhaven at the neutral site of Pineville, La. on Saturday.

The Red Devils will be in search of their first season-opening victory since March 9, 2000, a 3-2 win over then-non-conference opponent Fontbonne in St. Louis.

EC returns 18 letterwinners for Johnson from a year ago, including top 2016 hitter Ray Vogel (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.). Sophomore right-hander Jake Miller (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.) returns to anchor the EC pitching staff. Nearly two dozen newcomers will join the program for 2017.

Eureka was picked fifth in the SLIAC West Division, according to a poll conducted by league coaches in January.