Back in the Swing of Things: RLC baseball Kicks Off ’21 Friday

Back in the swing of things: RLC baseball kicks off ’21 Friday

INA, Ill. (March 4, 2021) — First-year Head Coach Walker Bullington said the Rend Lake College baseball team is ready for the busy months ahead because of one simple reason — they get to play ball.

“We’re going to play a lot of baseball in a short amount of time,” Bullington said. “We’ve got nine games in eight days, so it’s going to hit us quick. We’re just looking forward to getting out there and playing.”

The Warriors open the season on Friday when they travel to Vincennes, Ind., for a meeting with the South Suburban College Bulldogs.

Bullington said the season might be getting off to a late start because of COVID-19 restrictions, but those involved are simply grateful to get back in the swing of things. The last game Rend Lake played was almost a year ago on March 8 against Kankakee Community College.

“It’s been tough for everybody,” he said. “I think the first thing is just getting to play. There are a lot of guys who haven’t played for a long time.”

With a smaller roster than other area community colleges, Bullington said there will be ample opportunity for playing time.

“There are a lot of guys who are going to get to see a lot of playing time,” Bullington said. “What is exciting is that in the first couple of weeks, we get to see what we have and the guys get to define their roles. As a team, we have to figure out where we are. I think we know what we are trying to do offensively and on the base paths and what our M.O. is on the mound.”

Some of the leaders returning this season include shortstop Jase Felker, a sophomore from Princeton, Ky., and freshman outfielder Kyle Heatherington of Crystal Lake, Ill.

“Jase is a switch hitter and he is going to go out there and lead by example,” he said. “Kyle is a quiet kid but he speaks up when he needs to. He is one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever coached. We’ve some guys on the mound who have some experience. We have some fresh faces in there as well.”

Bullington said no matter how the season progresses, his Warriors will do whatever needs to be done and leave it all out on the field.

“We are not going to back down for anybody,” he said. “We are going to be aggressive and go out and play some ball. I think people will respect and appreciate how hard we play and communicate with each other. I think it’s going to be a pretty fun brand of baseball.”

Watch all the Warrior home games this season for free on the RLC YouTube channel.

See more RLC sports coverage at www.rendlakewarriors.com