Reyburn finally homers to fulfill coach’s prophecy, punctuating QND’s victory over Brown County

By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer | May 6, 2025
Quincy Notre Dame junior Weston Reyburn, left, and freshman Eli Johnson share the Raiders' home run cowboy hat after they hit back-to-back home runs against Brown County on Monday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Shane Hulsey

QUINCY — Rich Polak, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach, had seen it coming for the last four months. He helps train Raiders junior outfielder Weston Reyburn during the offseason. “Going into the season, he’d never even had an extra base hit,” Polak said. “He put on 20 pounds of muscle. I said, ‘Listen, you’re…

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Back-to-back homers get Raiders off to great start, Lahr drives in seven runs in 21-0 victory

By Muddy River Sports | April 29, 2025
Quincy Notre Dame's Eli Johnson, shown taking a swing during an April 16 game, led off Monday's game in Mendon with a home run. | MRN file photo by Shane Hulsey

MENDON, Ill. — The first two at-bats for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team against Unity were a harbinger of things to come. Freshman Eli Johnson and senior Abram Wiewel belted back-to-back home runs in the top of the first, then the Raiders piled on 19 combined runs in the third and fourth innings —…

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First homer for Johnson energizes Raiders, who escape with wild 12-10 victory at Pittsfield

By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer | April 16, 2025
Quincy Notre Dame freshman Eli Johnson follows through with a swing during Wednesday afternoon's baseball game at Pittsfield. | Shane Hulsey

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Eli Johnson could not contain his excitement. The Quincy Notre Dame freshman is a fiery competitor, but after hitting his first career home run on Wednesday, he smacked Raiders coach Rich Polak’s hand rounding third base. Polak felt the effects of Johnson’s emotions running high. “I think he almost broke my hand,”…

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Johnson, Wiewel help Raiders storm back for victory over Hannibal before storm ends game

By Don Crim, Senior Writer | April 10, 2025
Abram Wiewel, right, receives a low five from Quincy Notre Dame coach Rich Polak after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning of Wednesday night''s baseball game at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Aspen Gengenbacher

QUINCY – The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team provided a little thunder and lightning just before Mother Nature delivered the real thing. Eli Johnson doubled off the left-field fence to drive home the go-ahead run, and Abram Wiewel followed with a two-run homer to cap a six-run fifth inning to carry the Raiders to a…

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