Illinois & Arkansas Trips

For the past week, the Lakers have continued working hard studying, practicing and playing our intense fall scrimmage schedule. Last Friday we traveled to Urbana, IL to play the Universtiy of Illinois. After playing a complete seven innings, we headed back to Mattoon on our Bales charter bus.

Just hours later, we were back on the bus and headed to Fayeteville, AR for a double header vs. the University of Arkansas. As we arrived on campus everyone’s heads were turning in all directions as we admired the beautiful athletic facilities. The players were escorted into their very own locker room to get changed and ready for the games. It wasn’t long before they lined up and marched together into Bogle Park. Jaws dropped as they entered and got a view of the entire stadium. Witnessing the tradition at Arkansas was a site to see and would make any athlete want to be a part of it. Our pitchers were tough on the mound and we played two close scrimmages. After the scrimmage games, several of the parents took us all to dinner at Loafin’ Joes. The entrees were hotsandwiches and pizza, and I think it’s safe to say everyone was satisfied! The food was excellent and it was a nice atmosphere for the team and their families to mingle. We’d like to make a special thank you to Abbie Frank for organizing the dinner. We would also like to thank all of the parents for the delicious donated dinner! We really appreciate it
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On Wednesday, the Lakers traveled to Normal, IL for a scrimmage game against Illinois State University. This weekend we’ll be traveling across town to take on Eastern Illinois University in a double header.