Welcome to the Team: Baseball first years are on deck

Kade Lewis, Adam Galdoni, Tate Foxson and Jace Eslinger join Butler’s roster. Photo by Andrew Buckley.

JIA SKRUDLAND | STAFF REPORTER | jskrudland@butler.edu

“Welcome to the Team” is a Q&A series where the Collegian sits down with student-athletes who are entering their first season at Butler University. These articles will address why they chose Butler, what they hope to get out of their first season and some personal tidbits that you won’t find anywhere else.

This week, staff reporter Jia Skrudland sat down with four of the 11 first years who are playing for the Butler baseball team: Adam Galdoni, Tate Foxson, Kade Lewis and Jace Eslinger.

Adam Galdoni is a 6’ 5” pitcher and first baseman from Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. Early World Series prediction: Dodgers. Photo by Andrew Buckley.

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: When did you discover baseball and realize that you wanted to continue at the collegiate level?

ADAM GALDONI: I’ve been playing baseball for as long as I can remember. The second [that] I knew I wanted to play in college was probably around my freshman year in high school. I had a brother who played four years here and another brother who’s going to play college baseball, so it was following in their footsteps and falling in love with that process.

TBC: You’re both a pitcher and first baseman. How do you balance and practice the positions as they require two different skill sets?

AG: It’s definitely a lot of extra work going in there. You’re throwing [and] you have to keep [in] mind your workload when you’re out in the field so you don’t overwork yourself on the mound. [It’s] a lot of the things, especially in the offseason on those weekends, getting there [and] making sure you get some hitting in and [be] in as many places at once as you can. That’s kind of how I feel sometimes with it, but just trying to get myself out of pitching [and] into fielding or hitting as fast as I can, just not wasting any time.

TBC: What professional baseball player do you draw inspiration from?

AG: I’m a big Eloy Jiménez fan. I draw inspiration from him just being happy on the field. [He] always seems like he’s having a good time.

TBC: Your older brother, Lukas, also went through the Butler baseball program and just graduated. Did he play a role in your decision to come to Butler? What does it mean to you to carry on the Goldoni name through the program?

AG: He definitely influenced [me coming to Butler] … my first touch with Butler was being here with him. I committed pretty early, my junior year in the fall, so I knew I wanted to play with him [and] have that opportunity. Even though that opportunity to play with him fell through, I’m still happy I came here. I like the spot; I love the university. He definitely did play a role but overall, it was just kind of like the university took over.

TBC: If you could have any athlete be your best friend, who would it be and why?

AG: Patrick Kane. I was a huge Kane guy growing up, and he seems like one of the most down-to-earth guys when he talks.

TBC: What reality TV show or game show do you think you could win on and why?

AG: I always thought I would win Survivor. I watched a lot of Survivor growing up and was like ‘I feel like I could win this somehow.’ I would just be looking for the hidden immunity idols, I’d be digging around everywhere for those. People might not trust me but I had a plan formulated [and] was pretty sure I’d win.

Tate Foxson is a 6’ 4” pitcher from Venice Beach, California. Fun fact: He can surf and freestyle.

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: When did you discover baseball and realize that you wanted to continue at the collegiate level?

TATE FOXSON: For me, I was actually a shortstop for a long time. I wanted to play shortstop, but I was really bad at hitting. [I then] started pitching and got pretty good at it, so I’m here now for pitching.

TBC: What’s your favorite team then?

TF: Dodgers or Padres [because] I’m from California.

TBC: How did you hear about a small school in the Midwest all the way from the West Coast?

TF: I actually took a gap year and went to IMG Academy then from there I was talking to schools and Coach Beemer reached out. I loved him and loved the program; [from there] it just kind of happened.

TBC: What do you miss the most about Venice Beach that you can’t find in Indianapolis?

TF: Surfing and the beach.

TBC: What has the transition been like from playing baseball in perfect, warm weather conditions to inconsistent, colder weather?

TF: I definitely have to layer up a little bit more. It’s not too bad with the indoor facilities [since] if it’s too cold we go inside. [It’s] nothing too crazy.

TBC: If you had a talk show, who would be your first guest, and what would you talk about?

TF: [The] Dalai Lama. He would have a lot of insight onto life that I feel like I could learn from.

Kade Lewis is a 6’ 3” infielder from Sartell, Minnesota. Early MVP prediction: Juan Soto.

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: When did you discover baseball and realize that you wanted to continue at the collegiate level?

KADE LEWIS: I’ve been playing for a while — since second grade. Once I got to high school, that’s when I figured out [that] I wanted to play in college.

TBC: What professional baseball player do you draw inspiration from?

KL: Barry Bonds. He hits bombs.

TBC: How did Coach Beemer influence your decision to continue your baseball career at Butler?

KL: Being truthful and straight up, [Coach Beemer] told me about the opportunity I’d have and being honest with me where he thinks I’m at.

TBC: What would you say is a misconception about the infield positions?

KL: You have to have a very good arm.

TBC: In high school, you set a multitude of offense school records from batting average to slugging percentage to home runs. What aspect or quality of your offensive game do you think has allowed you to be a 5-tool player?

KL: My bat-to-ball skills, so making contact.

TBC: What’s your approach at the plate?

KL: [To] hit the ball, that’s to keep it simple. Backspin the ball and backspin line drives over the whole field.

TBC: What is your walk-up song?

KL: “Word on the Streets” by Key Glock.