Eureka Baseball Voted Seventh in SLIAC Preseason Poll

EUREKA – The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference released its preseason baseball poll on Wednesday. The poll, which was conducted by the league baseball coaches, selected the Red Devils to finish seventh in the SLIAC with 13 points.

Webster received the most overall points with 49 and seven of the eight first-place votes. Spalding was second with 43 and one first-place vote, followed by Fontbonne (34), Westminster (33), Greenville (26) and Blackburn (19).

Principia was six points behind Eureka to round out the eight teams.

Head coach Jerry Rashid return 12 players from last year's young team, which went 6-28 on the year.

The Red Devils notably return All-SLIAC utility player Jimmy Peterson (Bloomington, Ill./Homeschooled/Monmouth), sophomore pitcher Ryan Bredeson (Washington, Ill./Washington), sophomore outfielder Dylan Hill (Steeleville, Ill./Steelville), sophomore first baseman Karter Hostetler (Morton, Ill./Morton) and junior infielder Austin Davis (Eureka, Ill./Eureka).

The team also welcomes back junior Nathan Garard (Gibson City, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) and senior Mason Diederich (Washington, Ill./Washington), both of whom sat out last spring to play football during the COVID season.

The Red Devils' 2022 campaign begins with a 1 p.m. contest against Mississippi University for Women on Friday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.