Alumni in action: Eagle Valley graduates continue softball careers in Minnesota

Two Eagle Valley softball players will continue their athletic careers at Rainy River Community College in Minnesota next fall. Niah Wesley and Baylee Castillo have committed to play for the Voyageurs on the International Falls campus.

“It was something different,” Castillo said of her decision to go north. “I wanted something a little further out of state.” Wesley made the choice for similar reasons.

“I think there are more opportunities there,” she said.

Rainy River Community College competes in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association. Last year, the Voyageurs finished 14-4 in the conference. Castillo plans to study psychology and criminal justice, and Wesley will study nursing.

Last fall, both athletes helped Eagle Valley to its first state tournament appearance since 2005 and the Devils to their first back-to-back winning seasons in more than a decade. Castillo led the team in batting average (.455), home runs (3) and RBIs (28) and was second on the team in hits (30). Wesley added eight hits and 11 RBIs for the Devils, who finished 12-11 after losing to No. 2 Riverdale Ridge and No. 15 Golden in the postseason. Round of 32.

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Looking back on their careers before training, both athletes said that their time on the team was their biggest highlight.

“The team is like a family of its own,” Castillo said. “Going to practice and being with the team – that’s what I was looking forward to the most.”

“The team has made my life better,” Wesley added. When asked what they will take away from their lives in Gypsum, both spoke about the importance of resilience.

“Never give up,” Wesley said. “If you want something, you just have to keep going.”

“You have a lot more in you than you think,” Castillo added. “That’s something our coaches really instilled in us.”

Eagle Valley student journalist Samuel Simons contributed to this story.