EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville baseball senior Riley Iffrig is one of the of the most important players on the club and is also one of its leaders. currently hitting .340 and it tied for the team lead in home runs with Cole Funkhouser with four each and also is the team leader in RBIs with 24.
In a game on Apr. 18 against Collinsville at Tom Pile Field, Iffrig set the tone for the game with a two-run homer of the right center field fence in the Tigers' 9-3 win, then the next day at Fletcher Field, he drew a walk and scored in Edwardsville's 12-0 win over the Kahoks.
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For his efforts both on and off the field, Iffrig has been named an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month.
Iffrig, who plays for head coach Tim Funkhouser, felt strong after the first win over Collinsville, especially coming off a 5-1 loss to Jackson, Mo. on Apr. 16 in the Tigers' annual game at Busch Stadium.
"I'm feeling good," Iffrig said in his postgame interview. "It was good to get out here and get a win, especially after Sunday. We didn't play as well as we wanted to, but we got after it in practice yesterday and we came out here. We still have things we can get better at, but overall, I think we played well. It's good to get the win."
Iffrig described his first-inning homer as one where he was just trying to make contact and put the ball in play.
"I was just looking to put a barrel on a ball," Iffrig said, "and luckily, I did that. I put a good swing on it and it happened to go over the fence."
The Tigers were able to take advantage of opportunities to score and put the game away against a very scrappy Kahok team that has played very well this season, also getting five solid innings from Logan Geggus on the mound to take the win.
"Yeah, Logan did really well," Iffrig said. "It's always fun watching him pitch because he attacks hitters. He's got a little chip on his shoulder, so it's always fun to see."
Although Edwardsville for the first time at Busch Stadium since 2003, it's still quite the honor and experience to play at the home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Yeah, it's always cool to play there," Iffrig said. "It's honestly a super special experience and I'm glad and fortunate enough to have that opportunity to play there."
As far as what lies ahead for Iffrig and the Tigers, they are prepared for a trip to Paducah, Ky., for a pair of games at McCracken County High School on Apr. 22.
"We're going to get back to work and get ready for Kentucky," he said.
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