Summit High School senior Sam Eldredge poses for a photo after committing to California Polytechnic State University for baseball.
Sam Eldredge/Courtesy photo
Summit High School senior Sam Eldredge vividly remembers the moment he fell in love with the game of baseball.
While many aspiring athletes may pinpoint attending a professional game or completing their first season as the moment they became enamored with the sport, Eldredge’s passion for baseball was born out of a trip to the park located at Summit Cove Elementary.
With a Spider-Man bat resting on his shoulder, Eldredge remembers his dad lightly tossing foam baseballs towards him and swinging towards the fences. From the first pop of the bat that signified a big hit, Eldredge was hooked.
“I started playing baseball when I was six-years-old for my birthday,” Eldredge said. “I got a Spider-Man bat with a set of foam baseballs and my dad and I would go down to the Summit Cove Elementary School park and we would just hit for hours.”
From there, Eldredge pursued the sport with a fervor, playing every chance and opportunity he got. Since Eldredge started playing the game at a competitive level he has always enjoyed standing atop the mound with the ball in his hand.
Although being a pitcher holds an immense amount of pressure, Eldredge says he has never shied away from the responsibility. Instead, Eldredge has found a way to play well under the pressure, expanding his skills on the mound throughout the years.
With former Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon serving as a source of inspiration, Eldredge soon reached the level where the possibility of playing at the college level became a reality. In seventh or eighth grade, Eldredge sat down with his mentor and former coach Kevin Mitchell to talk about what it would take to play baseball at the Division I level.
With that guidance in mind, Eldredge continued to keep his head down, playing for his Slammers Dumin club team while also making the Summit High School boys varsity baseball team his freshman year.
During his freshman season with the Tigers, Eldredge put up incredible numbers. With seniors like Jack Schierholz and Will Koll helping to guide him, Eldredge was able to produce 25 hits in 66 at bats. As a switch-hitter, Eldredge was also able to have two home runs and 26 runs batted in (RBIs). On the pitching mound, Eldredge was able to play in eight games, striking 38 batters out. That season was a memorable one for Eldredge as the team was able to reach the Class 4A state baseball tournament for the first time in program history.
Summit first baseman Sam Eldredge catches a pop fly for an out as the Steamboat batter runs toward the base in the second game of a double header on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Emerald Park in Steamboat Springs.Eli Pace/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Truly bought into the program, Eldredge went on to have standout seasons his sophomore and junior year. Last season, Eldredge helped lead the team to a record of 17-7, losing to Durango in the 4A Region 3 baseball tournament.
It was during the fall of Eldredge’s junior year that he started to see interest from college coaches. After working for years to get to the level he wanted to be, Eldredge was rewarded by receiving offers from Division I baseball coaches from across the country.
Eldredge eventually took visits to schools like Air Force, Utah Valley, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount University and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).It was the visit to Cal Poly in February that sealed the college search for Eldredge.
Aside from the warm weather in San Luis Obispo, Eldredge was immediately drawn to the coach, team and academics at the acclaimed university. Shortly after visiting the university, Eldredge made the decision he wanted to be a Mustang, committing to the university and the baseball program.
“I developed a really strong connection with the pitching coach there, Seth Moir, ” Eldredge said. “And Larry Lee, the head coach there has been doing it forever. He has got one of the longest track records and some of the most wins in college baseball right now. It was kind of a combination of that as well as academic rigor when I knew that Cal Poly was going to be the best fit for me.”
Upon graduating from Summit High School this upcoming spring, Eldredge will join the Cal Poly Mustangs as a right handed pitcher for the team starting next fall. Last spring, Cal Poly was able to go 43-19 on the season and competed in the NCAA Regional tournament in Eugene, Oregon.
From the moment Eldredge choked up on his Spider-Man bat and tried to go yard, he has been dreaming of playing at the highest level possible. Now that he has fulfilled his dream of playing in college, Eldredge hopes to put in the work necessary to some day make his debut as a professional slugger.
Although Eldredge has his sights set on someday making it to the the big leagues, he vows to be in the moment and enjoy what he has accomplished thus far.
“It would absolutely be a dream come true for me to play professional baseball,” Eldredge said. “Something that Coach Kevin taught me when he was here is to be where your feet are and be present. You can’t enjoy today if you are always thinking about tomorrow. I plan to compete at the highest level for as long as I can.”
With still a few months until he ships off to Cal Poly, Eldredge is focused on preparing for his final season at Summit High School. After the team fell to Durango last spring, all Eldredge and his teammates have been thinking about getting back out on the diamond.
Sam Eldredge poses for a photo after committing to California Polytechnic State University. Eldredge is a switch hitter who mainly plays first base and pitches. Sam Eldredge/Courtesy photo
“We plan to hopefully do something similar, if not more than the team back in 2023,” Eldredge said. ” When we made that Elite Eight run. We got some pieces coming back that are really, really important and a lot of guys who are willing to put in some work this off season.”
Like many athletes aspiring to compete at the collegiate level, Eldredge’s success is rooted in the sacrifices, unwavering support and the encouragement of his family, friends, coaches and teammates.
Eldredge would like to specifically thank his mom, dad, sister and grandparents for playing a pivotal role in his development as an athlete.
“They have gone out of their way and sacrificed for me,” Eldredge said. “They have been there every step of the way. They have never forced me, but they have always pushed me and they have set a great example of work ethic within my sister and I.”
Eldredge will begin his senior baseball season in March when Summit takes on Air Academy in Colorado Springs.