Junior first baseman Wes Deason has been hitting well in his first varsity season for the Riverside-Brookfield High School baseball team.

On April 6, his first varsity home run in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner. The Bulldogs (4-4) edged Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep 9-8 at Ehlert Park in Brookfield. 

“I [nearly] had one a couple of games ago, and actually I had one my first at bat [against IC] that almost got out. I’m super excited to get my first one,” said Deason, a starter for the sophomores in 2022. “I’ve been seeing the ball really well lately. It was my second at bat against that pitcher. He left one over the plate and obviously I got it well.”

Sam Didio, who relieved in the sixth, was the winning pitcher. Ryan Novak pitched a scoreless seventh to join Robert Drake in earning a save this season. 

“It was a great game. We’d been scoring every inning back and forth. This was awesome,” Deason said. “We’re continuously putting balls in play. We usually get a lot of energy going and it’s just fun to be out here.” 

The Bulldogs lost to Maine West 16-1 on April 8 and Wheaton Academy 14-3 on April 10.

RBHS tennis

When the Riverside-Brookfield High School boys tennis team played Timothy Christian as scheduled last week, it was the first and only one of two home matches this season.

Junior Ian Dimaano and senior Marc Kaplan return to this season’s varsity lineup. 

Dimaano played No. 1 doubles in 2022 and in the Lyons Township Sectional with graduated brother Ethan. Kaplan was the only current senior on last season’s roster. 

Key newcomers are seniors Noah Lenaghan and Santiago Herrera. Lenaghan previously attended RBHS and returns after transferring from Nazareth Academy. 

RBHS coach Sam Weiss hopes that a new challenge system will increase competition within the team. 

“[Our strengths are] consistency, a strong junior and senior lineup and promising freshmen,” Weiss said. “[Our goals are] aggressiveness, consistency and a love for the game.”

RBHS water polo

The RBHS girls (1-6-1) earned their first victory by beating Hinsdale South 7-1 on March 22. 

Claire Cervi and Olivia Dobbe scored twice and Eleanor Glenni, Lorelei Leimberer and Priscilla Gil also tallied. Goalie Edie Hamilton made 19 saves. 

The RBHS boys (3-8) lost to Maine East on April 3. 

Current stats leaders include Bradley Ruska (31 goals), Murphy Regan and Hayden Marrs (12 assists each), Marrs (16 steals), Avinesh Ponnappan (14 goals), Alex Jacobs (13 goals) and goalie Martynas Bieliauskas (50 saves).