Spring is finally starting to set in bringing with it some warm weather and plenty of more Buena Vista University athletics! One of these athletics includes the normally scheduled baseball season. The 2020 season was cut short for the Beavers as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down athletics and universities across the country. The team was able to get in seven games before the season cancellation, sitting at a clean 5-2 record.  

Prior to the season, in late February, the 2021 American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released giving the BVU baseball team the second most votes to win the conference. This would fall just behind the Coe College Kohawks, who have been voted to win the conference title. Coming in tied for third in votes would be the Loras College Duhawks and the Wartburg College Knights. The Beavers were coming off a conference tournament title from the 2019 season. 

This season has been a little different for the baseball team as they have been stuck in a tough practice schedule trying to work around other normally scheduled athletic teams, such as softball, and delayed fall seasons, such as football, as many of the athletic teams use Siebens Fieldhouse and the Dennis Young Track. However, after the shortened season players are happy to be back to work. 

“Last year getting cut off was devastating. Coming back this fall and being able to play with my teammates again was an awesome feeling,” said sophomore pitcher and outfielder Landon Howard. 

The baseball season is underway as the Beavers played three games already as they faced off against the Westminster College Blue Jays in a double header Saturday, February 27 and the third game the following day.  

The first game was looking well for the Beavers as they were leading 3-2 going into the fifth inning. The Blue Jays were not going down quietly as they would score four unanswered runs, two in the fifth and two more in the seventh. BVU was unable to come back as they would only score a single run in the bottom of the seventh. The second game would not go much better as the Blue Jays would outscore the Beavers 11-6 after scoring five of the 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning and forcing BVU to bat from behind for the rest of the game. 

The following day and final game would be another upsetting loss for the Beavers as they fall 10-9. It was a tough loss for the team as they would score three in the bottom of the seventh to give us the score of 10-9 but nothing could be done in the next two innings as no one would score any runs, giving BVU their third loss of the weekend.  

“This past weekend showed us that we all still have a lot to work on,” says senior Nick Henrichs. “However, we are definitely not discouraged, this week we hit the ground hard and ready to go.” With post season ahead in May of 2021, the team strives for improvement before the season ends. “We are working towards playing our best ball when it matters,” says Henrichs, and Howard elaborates saying, “Our goal for this season is to play our best baseball in the month of May.”