RUDYARD – Rudyard, the star in three sports, EJ Suggitt has made his college decision.
Suggitt has signed on to attend and play baseball at Spring Arbor University. Suggitt excelled in baseball, football and basketball at Rudyard High School, averaging 4.09.
“I wanted to study finance and they have that major,” Suggitt said. “I also wanted to be a part of the baseball program and I think they are building something special. The atmosphere felt friendly when I was there, and I liked the coaches.
“Over the summer, I thought maybe I’d play baseball or football in college,” Suggitt said. “As high school started, I started thinking more about baseball. That’s the sport I’ve spent the most time with. Through years of traveling and playing summer balls, baseball just became my most comfortable sport. I feel relaxed and comfortable with my study choice. Now I can focus on the basketball season.”
Suggitt will be a four-year starter in all three sports he played with Rudyad. He mainly played first base and pitcher for Bulldogs last season. As a medley batter, he had a batting average of .569, with 26 RBI and 38 runs scored in 26 games during his junior year. Also a righthanded pitcher, last season had a 6-1 record, earning 2.61 runs on average. He was an All-Straits Area Conference First Team pick.
Suggitt, 6 feet, 230 pounds, was an All-Upper Peninsula roster in both football and basketball, helping the Bulldog reach the state semifinals in both sports this past fall and last season respectively. He finished as Rudyard’s all-time scoring leader in football and also managed to break the school’s scoring record in basketball. Rudyard is off to a 4-0 start in the 2021-22 basketball season and Suggitt had over 1,000 career points heading into the year.
“EJ’s high school athletic career is rare. I’ve only seen a few career achievements like that in my 23 years of coaching,” said Rudyard baseball coach Billy Mitchell. “He is a phenomenal all-round athlete. That was one of the things the Spring Arbor coaches were really excited about with him. That he is a successful multi-sports athlete and thinks about where he could get if he only focuses on baseball.
“So many kids in Rudyard look up to EJ and the seniors,” Mitchell said. “Those seniors could be the first Rudyard group to reach the semi-finals in three sports and who knows, maybe they’ll go even further. EJ is a role model as a student athlete. He could have played football, basketball, or baseball in college and been successful at each. He has a work ethic like I’ve never seen and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts very early in his career for Spring Arbor.”
Spring Arbor University, located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, competes in National Associate of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Spring Arbor Cougars baseball team is a member of the Crossroads League, formerly known as the Mid-Central College Collegiate Conference.
EJ Suggitt was coached in three sports by his father Jim Suggitt. Jim Suggitt is the head coach of Rudyard football and basketball, and an assistant coach for baseball.
“My favorite sport is soccer, but I knew EJ’s favorites were baseball/basketball,” said Jim Suggitt. “He wanted to study actuarial science and play baseball. We were looking for a university that offers both, something that was not easy to find. Spring Arbor didn’t have the exact degree he wanted, but came very close. After visiting Spring Arbor and seeing the campus, EJ was sold on them and asked them to send in the paperwork, and he signed.
“The coaches probably see him as a corner infielder and they liked his swing from the left side of the plate. He could also pitch. It will be interesting to see how he develops by playing baseball alone in a four-year program. to concentrate.”
Please contact Sports Editor Rob Roos at rroos@sooeveningnews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @rroosTEN.