This past weekend the University of Chicago baseball team traveled to Greenville, Illinois, to compete against the University of Dubuque and Greenville University on Saturday, and Grinnell College on Sunday. The Maroons grabbed their first win of the season, making it a solid weekend. The squad went one for three, losing to the University of Dubuque 7–5, but reigned victorious over Greenville and Grinnell with scores of 15–4 and 16–0, respectively. 

Saturday’s opening game against the University of Dubuque went long as it continued on for 14 innings. Fourth-year outfielder Max Larsen and third-year outfielder Connor Hickey led the way for the Maroons with one run and two hits each. 

Immediately following the loss against the University of Dubuque on Saturday, the Maroons competed against Greenville University. Larsen led the way for the Maroons once again with one run, two hits and four RBIs. On Sunday, the Maroons won their second-straight game and completely swept Grinnell College, dominating them with a score of 16–0 in just seven innings. 

This past weekend was the turnaround the Maroons needed after suffering two tough loses to Dominican University and Fontbonne University the weekend before. The Maroons are happy with their performance, but of course are far from satisfied.

Hickey shared his feelings in response to the weekend. “It was great to get back on the field after the rough start last weekend,” he said. “I think we showed a lot of fight and a lot of improvement from last week, and it will be important to build on that moving forward.”

First-year catcher Jake Fauske echoed his teammate’s sentiments. “The team morale was really great this weekend,” Fauske said. “We really bounced back from the tough weekend before, which I think shows our resilience. We hit our stride at the right time, and although there’s still plenty of room for improvement, we are proud of the improvement we’ve made thus far.”

The weekend was fun for the Maroons and served as a great way to continue the kick-off of their season. Hickey commented that his favorite part of the weekend was getting into the win column, while Fauske said he enjoyed watching the offense take off, a promising sign for the season ahead.

Fourth-year catcher Matt Slodzinski commented on the importance of the underclassmen on the team. “I really enjoyed seeing the younger guys settle in and compete this weekend,” he said.

Taking both the good and the bad from this weekend and using it as motivation moving forward will be key for the Maroons. With its spring trip in sight, the squad will need to continue to improve.

“Our pitching staff really brought it this weekend and the offense started to click in the last two games. It’s important that we bring that mentality into every game and I think that is where we can see the most improvement,” Hickey added.

“Our bats came alive on a consistent basis while pitching stayed excellent for most of the weekend,” Fauske continued. “We stepped up when pressure called, and that is something we will need to continue as we move forward and prepare for the spring trip.”