EC Softball Headed to Texas to Open 2023 Season

EUREKA – Year 2 of the Juell Hodges era is almost here for the Eureka softball program.

The Red Devils will fly out of Chicago early Saturday morning and head to Texas for the team's season-opening spring break trip.

Eureka will begin the 2023 season in earnest on Sunday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at St. Thomas in Houston.

The maroon and gold will then hit the road to take on Southwestern in a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday. The team will go south to Austin for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday, and it will wrap up the trip with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Dallas on Thursday before heading back to Houston to fly home.

All told, the trip will feature eight varsity games in six days, and four hotel visits in six nights – and that's not even including the five additional JV games they're playing along the way.

"We're crazy," Hodges said with a laugh. "But we are very excited. We're going to play very good competition. I think the girls have prepared very extensively. They come in and they work hard and they do their homework, I think we're ready to go."

The Red Devils are coming off a 14-24 2022 campaign that featured nine conference wins in Hodges' first year at the helm of the program.

With a full year under her belt, Hodges is more comfortable in the role and excited to build off the progress the team made over the course of last season.

"It taught me a lot," she said. "The group that we had was absolutely phenomenal. They set a standard for the program that is being built, and they were warriors on the field. They fought every game, and it was really fun."

The biggest difference between this year and last year, though, is numbers. Whereas last spring, Hodges had a player in every position that she could depend on, this year she has a roster of 27 and a minimum of two capable players at each position.

"This group has made this year a lot smoother because we have depth, we have numbers, we have a large pitching staff," Hodges said, "and we have a lot of kids that want to be on the field, so they are continuously competing. As a coach, it's really great to see that every day."

The contrast from last year is perhaps the starkest in the team's pitching staff. In 2022, Eureka senior Sidney Wightman carried the load and utility player Christine Mepham stepped up to fill a need.   

Now, the Red Devils have five-plus natural pitchers who are eager to prove themselves in the circle this season, including Tatum Trotter, Claire Wuethrich, Mady Bultemeier, Kloe Norris and Rachel Dawson.

In the field and in the batting order, the Red Devils will feature a mix of newcomers and returners.

With SLIAC Player of the Year Raelyn Payne gone after a tremendous career, junior Bria Wessel is the team's biggest bat returning to the lineup. The first baseman had a breakout sophomore season and batted .339 with a team-high four home runs and 41 RBI.

"We are expecting another hot season from her," Hodges said of Wessel. "She has taken a leadership role this year and has really excelled."

At second base, returning junior Tressa Grisham is joined by a freshman and a strong defender in Lexi Liptak.

Gada Bryant, a Lincoln transfer, will take over the speedy shortstop role that Payne held for four years, while bringing a different skillset to the table.  Another Lincoln transfer, KayLee Hohlbauch will play third base and contribute to the team's pitching staff.

The Red Devils have several options at catcher, including sophomore and returning starter Delaney Douglas and freshman Ashlyn Voyles.

The team's outfield will feature a trio of transfers in Klaire Morris, Macey Whisker, Kloey Wheeler and a returning starter in junior Elly Maier. Morris hit over .300 in two seasons at Williston State, Whisker was previously a contributor at Illinois Central College and Wheeler played two seasons for Heartland Community College.

Others who are expected to contribute are Mepham, who hit .309, drove in 12 runs and played all over the field last season, returning sophomore Bri Tanksley, Lincoln transfers Kacy Dunlap and Kylie Shaffer and Angie Valenzuela, a freshman from California.

 "I don't think it's always going to be the same nine because of how much depth we have," Hodges added. "We are going to see a lot of people float in and out because of that."

Keeping with the theme of growth, the Red Devils have also added an assistant coach in Madie Sims, who previously played for Lincoln Land and Georgetown College. She joins returning assistants Matthew Hodges and Luke Hanny to round out the staff that has been preparing the squad for the season.

The Red Devils will be thoroughly tested both in Texas in the 10 non-conference games before the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference slate begins in April, and that's exactly what they want.

Picked sixth out of seven in the SLIAC preseason poll, Eureka is ready to prove it can compete within the conference this year.

"I would say we are talented. We're young. We're going to be able to compete at a higher level than we were last year," Hodges said. "There's not a moment where I doubt that this is the place I'm supposed to be. These girls are spectacular."