After slow start, Eagles are now on the ascent
May 23—After the Reinhardt (Ga.) Eagles dropped their opening four games of the season and seven of their first 12 in February, they might have registered on few pundits' radar as a prospective Avista NAIA World Series-qualifying team.
Three months later, that rocky start feels like a faint memory. The Eagles (41-16) have flown to Lewiston this week on the wings of a season which saw them claim their first Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball title in school history, top the Waleska Bracket in NAIA Opening Round competition and earn their first national tournament berth since 2018.
They will begin their Series campaign facing Hope International of Fullerton, Calif., at 11:35 a.m. Friday at Harris Field.
"The big thing for us — we played a challenging schedule," sixth-year Reinhardt coach Jonathan Burton said. "Started the year 0-4, finished 41-12 (from there on out). We won our first conference championship in school history, and won the series against Southeastern (Fla.), which was a big deal and the first time that happened in two or three years to those guys. Any time you get a chance to play good teams and beat good teams, it gives you confidence."
Burton describes his Eagles as a team "built around offense," with junior first baseman Nash Crowell, senior outfielder Tucker Zdunich and senior outfielder Dylan Lewis among its key big hitters. Zdunich leads the team in home runs so far this year with 17, while Crowell and Lewis are tied for first on the Reinhardt roster (and 27th in the NAIA) with 69 RBI apiece.
"They have really driven our team to be the kind of offensive team we need to be," Burton said. "We possess a lot of different tools; we can create pressure; we can hit the ball out of the park."
Crowell also served up what Burton considers the "perseverance story" of the season when he was hit with a pitch "100-miles-an-hour right below the jaw," but "miraculously didn't break anything" and went on to hit a walkoff grand slam home run four days later against Johnson University (Tenn.).
On the mound, Reinhardt relies largely on the duo of former conference pitcher of the year Andrew Herbert, who has bounced back after missing the end of last season following thoracic surgery, and Brett Allen, described by Burton as the team's "rubber arm" who can "pitch every day."
"He's been a closer; he's been a starter," Burton said. "When things start to go a little sideways, Brett comes into the game and kind of settles everything for us.
Reinhardt last reached the Series in 2018, when its roster featured an entirely different group of players, but over the course of the season, the Eagles have faced and held their own with several other teams now in the field.
"This has been a really close group," Burton said. "They've really worked hard; they've really bought into each other. I look forward to seeing how they stack up on the big stage."
While none of the current Eagles have been to the Series before, Burton furnishes some firsthand experience, having gone twice previously while coaching with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).
His takeaway from those outings?
"Pitching helps, but if you're going to be able to do anything at Lewiston, you better swing your bats."
> Reinhardt
Location: Waleska, Ga.
Nickname: Eagles
Coach: Jonathan Burton (sixth season)
Season record: 41-16
Rank in final NAIA poll: No. 9
How qualified: Won Waleska Bracket
Number of appearances; best finish: Second; 0-2 in 2018.
> Juice (out of five stars)
STARTERS: ««««
Former Appalachian Athletic Conference pitcher of the year Andrew Herbert recovered from thoracic surgery to go 10-1. "I don't think he's lost a game (pitching) in this league in two years," coach Jonathan Burton noted of Herbert, who boasts an 18-1 record the past two seasons.
RELIEVERS: ««««
Rubber-armed Brett Allen has come in clutch for the Eagles all year, registering a 5-1 record with seven saves.
FIELDING: «««
Burton describes his team as having a "good enough defense (that) it's giving us a chance to stay in these games."
HITTING: «««« 1/2
With three power hitters — first baseman Nash Crowell, senior outfielder Tucker Zdunich and senior outfielder Dylan Lewis — Reinhardt means business at the plate.
SPEED: ««« 1/2
The Eagles rank 34th in the NAIA with 101 stolen bases on the season.
INTANGIBLES: ««««
The Eagles have shown grit and perseverance, as with Herbert's return to form after a major surgery and Nash Crowell's quick recovery from being hit in the face with a pitch.
