Brent Beals Decides on Millikin

(SEATED, LEFT TO RIGHT, LORI BEALS, BRENT BEALS AND GRANT BEALS. STANDING, EHS BASEBALL COACH CHRIS FLEENER)

Effingham High School senior Brent Beals has decided to play college baseball at Millikin University in Decatur.

Beals pitches and plays the infield for EHS, but Millkin has looked at him for his middle infield skills. Brent said the question of being a two-way player, pitching and infield, has not been discussed.

And then there's Beals' bat. 

Beals had a huge season as a junior at EHS and then impressed during summer ball. His season opener against Newton Monday saw Beals double twice, single twice and drive in four runs. He also pitched the early part of the game and shut out a Newton lineup that scored 10 runs once he left the mound.

EHS baseball coach Chris Fleener, who is a Millikin graduate, said Beals impresses since he is "a very good athlete. He's a good all-around baseball player and a good hitter. When people find a good hitter, they want to grab him. He's just an exceptionally good kid, a kid you can rely on."

Brent, the son of Grant Beals and Lori Beals, was impressed by the Millikin campus and liked what he heard about the school's plans to install an all-weather field for baseball. He plans to pursue a degree in law enforcement.

Here's Greg Sapp's conversation with Brent Beals at Wednesday's signing ceremony...