Emily Leighton | Staff Writer

Senior Lucas Hadaway just completed his fourth and final season of baseball at Buena Vista University (BVU). Hadaway is from Sheldahl, Iowa and is a biology major. On Friday, May 8, at the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) tournament, Hadaway finished his season off with two strikeouts in the ninth inning with the game ending in a loss against Loras, which ended the season for Hadaway and the rest of the Beavers.

Even though the season ended too soon for the Beaver team, Hadaway pitched another great season and has nothing to be upset about.

“Having the season come to an end certainly leaves me with a lot of mixed emotions. I’m certainly disappointed it was cut short, but at the same time I’m excited to see all the good things next year’s squad will do. They return some very great players that will make excellent senior leaders along with very talented underclassmen,” Hadaway said.

Hadaway is not leaving the team unnoticed as he accomplished many of his own goals, but within the team’s accomplishments is where Hadaway thrives.

“I was a part of some really great teams that accomplished a lot and had a lot of fun along the way. Knowing I contributed to something bigger than myself is the greatest feeling of all. Keeping the BV baseball tradition alive and performing not for myself but for Coach Eddie and Coach Sonka. Representing with class and with pride is everything they stand for and making those men proud is the greatest feeling I could ever have,” Hadaway said.

Head Coach Steve Eddie will definitely miss having Hadaway and the other seniors that are graduating this year, not only for their presence on the field but also for their ability to help coach and motivate.

“Lucas helped us coach and motivate throughout the entire game. He is a tremendous leader and teammate,” Eddie said.

Hadaway made many memories throughout his four years at BVU.

“Wow, picking one memory is very hard. This has been a close-knit bunch of guys for so long and making great memories are a direct result of that. If I had to pick one I’d say being on the mound when we clinched the IIAC regular season title. Being tackled by Weston Foxx and Joe Palleta and being on the bottom of that dog pile was something I’ll never forget. It was extra special for me because it was also senior day for those guys. That class meant a lot to me and helped set the standard for Beaver Baseball,” Hadaway said.

Hadaway is no stranger to stressful situations and he always takes them head on.

“Lucas has spent most of his career pitching when the game is on the line. Our record in one-run games over the last two years is 18-7, which is directly related to how well a team pitches over the later innings. He has been a guy who opposing teams hate to face late in games,” Eddie said.

With this being Hadaway’s final year at BVU, he felt some responsibility going into the season.

“Being a senior, I didn’t feel any added pressure to perform for my team. I would say there is definitely a greater feeling of responsibility to your team and ownership of your role involved with being a senior. The game is difficult enough as it is, placing that senior pressure on myself or any other senior for that matter would be unfair,” Hadaway said.

Now that this season has come to an end, the Beavers will continue to work this summer and come back next season even stronger.

Photo by Kyle Shade