The long-awaited spring season has finally returned. The Basebills are back, and this may be the most talented baseball team St. Louis U. High has seen in many years. With a deep pitching staff led by seniors Michael Strong and Brady Nolan, and an explosive offense consisting of seniors Jack Friedman and Logan Studer and juniors Cole Chambers and Tyler Rasch, this team has the potential to make a deep run this year. With the state championship on their minds, the team has hit the ground running, putting up an impressive performance in the Saint Charles West Tournament.

For the first game of the season, SLUH Baseball arrived at Saint Charles West, where they quickly proved why they are one of the best teams in Missouri. Senior James Baudendistel took the mound for the Jr. Bills, throwing 4.2 innings. In his shutout win, Baudendistel allowed only one hit and struck out five. 

On the offensive side of things, Chambers (who hit .636 with 8 RBIs in the tournament) took over this game, scoring 2 runs himself and driving in 3. Additionally, Chambers, Friedman, and Studer combined for 9 stolen bases, racing the Jr. Bills to a 7-0 win in their first game of the season.

Their second game of the season against Liberty went very similarly. Strong was on the mound for SLUH, and he lasted 3.2 innings allowing 2 hits and fanning 4. Senior Aidan Giljum and sophomore Jack Maxwell had extremely good relief outings as well, going a combined 3.1 innings and allowing just one hit for the rest of the game. 

While the pitchers dealt, the offense was flying around the bases. By stealing bases and bunting to advance runners, the Jr. Bills put themselves into scoring position, which was necessary against a top-end Liberty arm. With a sacrifice fly from senior Charlie Fox, and an extremely productive day at the plate from junior Henry Beuligmann (who batted .500 with 4 runs scored this tournament), the Jr. Billsbeat Liberty 4-0.

Players deemed the third game of the year the “Getback,” as they drove out to Manchester to face off against the Parkway South Patriots, whom SLUH had not beaten in three years. Tensions between the teams were high before the game, but regardless, the Jr. Bills played like they had nothing to lose. SLUH struck first with a sacrifice fly from Friedman (.600 with 6 runs scored in the tournament) to score Chambers, and from that point on, it was all gas for the SLUH offense. Rasch (3-4), Chambers (3-4), Friedman (3-3), and senior Robby Cox (2-2), combined for 10 runs and 8 RBIs, absolutely lighting up the box score in a big game that meant a lot to this promising team. 

On the mound for SLUH, Nolan started the game and was relieved by Chambers in the third inning. Both pitchers had solid outings, allowing a combined 2 earned runs and striking out 8. This allowed the Jr. Bills to wipe the floor with Parkway South, winning via mercy rule in the 6th inning, 12-2.

Finally, in the championship, the Jr. Bills hosted Jackson, a top 10 team in Missouri. Emotions were flaring as teams were warming up, and with a prayer from junior Caleb Villmer, the boys came ready to play. SLUH was short of arms this game, as most of their elite pitchers had thrown in the three previous games. So, Baudendistel was on the bump, but on a pitch limit. However, he had incredible control of his off speed this game, and in his two innings, he only allowed one runner and struck out 2 facing one of the best offenses in the state. 

SLUH struck paydirt first with a lead off double from Jack Friedman, who scored on a line drive up the middle by Beuligmann. 

After this, Jackson brought in Drew Parsons, a Southeast Missouri State commit who is one of the best arms in the state with a fastball that creeps into the low 90s. However the Jr. Bills didn't bat an eye. In the third inning, with a walk from Rasch and a single from Chambers, SLUH was in scoring position once again. Friedman had a nine pitch battle with Parsons, which he won, shooting a sacrifice fly into center field which Rasch scored on and Chambers advanced to third. Chambers then took advantage of the lack of focus from the Jackson defense, stealing home to make the game 3-0.

However, SLUH ran out of pitching quickly. After Baudendistel, the team used six different pitchers across five innings, giving up eight total runs to Jackson. Despite a valiant rally from the Jr. Bills in the sixth inning — they put up 4 more runs thanks to stolen bases, hit-by-pitches, and walks — it wasn’t enough, as they lost a heartbreaker to Jackson, 8-7.

However, being only the fourth game of the year, the Jr. Bills made sure to keep their heads up despite the momentum-stopping loss. You win some games and you lose some games, but a loss in the fourth game of the season isn’t going to derail the team. 

“You want to win your last game of the season and not the last game in March,” said head coach Kaleb King. 

SLUH clashes with Jackson twice more this year, and they are looking forward to revenge. In the meantime, expect the Jr. Bills to be putting up numbers against team after team, and if there was ever a year that baseball had a chance to win state, this is the team to do it.