EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — The high school baseball postseason starts next week.

RJ Duncheon can hardly wait.

The East Peoria senior has put together a monster regular season and he leads the Raiders into next week’s Class 3A Galesburg regional. He says he has enjoyed taking on a leadership role with his team this year.

“At practice, I’m one of the first people there and one of the last to leave practice. I’m pushing everybody to be better, helping them out when they need it,” said Duncheon. “Everybody wants a roster spot so I tell them how they can get it. Keep fighting for everything.”

Duncheon threw a five-inning no-hitter at Pekin in his final start in the Mid-Illini Conference on Monday. He enters the postseason with a 7-1 record and a 1.16 earned run average, according to MaxPreps.

He’s been just as valuable at the plate. In 30 games, he has 46 hits with five homers and 31 runs batted in.

“He is definitely the captain that we all hoped he would be. He is settling into the veteran role. He’s been the best player on this team for a while,” said East Peoria head coach Matt Plummer. Now I think he’s realizing he wants to be the best player on the next team. And he is starting to play like the captain of the ship.”

Duncheon has signed to play at Illinois State, where his father Ryan is one of the school’s all-time greats. Ryan Duncheon is in the ISU athletics Hall of Fame and RJ’s mother Nicole was a softball standout for the Redbirds.

Duncheon believes pitching well in the competitive Mid-Illini is setting him well for college baseball. And he hopes it carries over into his final postseason at EP.

“I am pitching in these high-intensity situations. It’s preparing me for the next level because I have to know how to throw pitches in the right spots. And know how to command the zone,” Duncheon said. “I really do enjoy the tight situations. I don’t know why but I think it’s the competitor in me that enjoys it a lot.”

East Peoria plays host to Galesburg on Wednesday, May 27 at 4:30 p.m. in the regional semifinals.

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