Eureka’s Sam Buduris, Nick Rulevish Sweep SLIAC Baseball Player of the Week Awards

EUREKA – For the first time this season, both St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week awards belong to Eureka College.

After stellar performances in the Red Devils' 8-7 comeback win over Illinois College on Sunday, Sam Buduris (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community /McKendree) was selected SLIAC Hitter of the Week and Nick Rulevish (Addieville, Ill./Okawville) was selected SLIAC Pitcher of the Week.

Buduris, a junior transfer and right fielder, hit a sizzling.485 over seven games last week, batting .485 while racking up seven RBI, four stolen bases, two home runs, three doubles and a triple. On Sunday, he went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles in a dramatic win at Henry Sand Field, helping the Red Devils knock off the 13-3 Blueboys for only the third time this season. He currently ranks second among all SLIAC hitters with a .483 batting average and leads the league with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

Rulevish, a junior shortstop/pitcher, helped fuel the Red Devils on the mound on Sunday. He entered in the fourth inning and threw 3 ⅓ scoreless innings to record his first career win over an NCAA opponent. only allowing two hits and two and striking out three batters along the way. He also got the win in an 11-9 comeback win at Dallas Christian on Wednesday to wrap up the maroon and gold's Texas spring break trip, turning in 2 1/3 scoreless innings pitched and only conceding one hit.

Rulevish's honor marked Eureka's second SLIAC Pitcher of the Week award of the year, following Colton Yanish (La Salle, Ill./La Salle-Peru/Illinois Valley) a week ago. Buduris' is the first SLIAC Hitter of the Week award under first-year EC coach Noah Suarez.

Through 11 games, Eureka has a 5-6 record. The Red Devils take on North Park (9-6) on the road on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.