Valparaiso catcher Max Reaume saw different paths to take this season.
The choice was a no-brainer for the Wingate commit, who is one of 13 seniors on the Vikings’ roster. Reaume decided to have fun.
“The big thing for me, I’m already committed to college, and this is just the last ride with my guys,” he said. “I’ve been playing with most of these kids since longer than I can remember. Getting to play with them one last season, one last time, has taken all the pressure off. It’s fun. It’s fun playing with your guys for one last go-around.
“We’re just out here playing baseball, enjoying our last go-around with one another. You can’t take it for granted. You have to enjoy the moment. Stay where your feet are and enjoy being with these guys.”
Senior left-hander Caden Crowell, a Notre Dame recruit and potential Major League Baseball draft pick, is one of those guys.
“That’s my guy,” Crowell said of Reaume. “He’s been catching me since I was like 8 years old. We’ve been that little battery duo forever. He’s always been catching me, and he’s a spark for our team. He goes out there and does his job behind the plate. He maintains the run game. He hits the ball well. He’s catching fire right now.
“He’s a great player. He’s a great person. He’s a great teammate in general. He’s a great guy you want on your team.”
Reaume has been instrumental as the Vikings (22-5), who are ranked No. 8 in the state coaches poll, advanced to the Class 4A Griffith Regional to play No. 3 Crown Point (27-4) at the Steel Yard at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“Having a guy like Max behind the dish, to be able to handle the staff that he has, pitchers that are going to all levels, we can call any pitch at any time, base runners on, base runners off,” Valparaiso coach Todd Evans said. “When we have that type of confidence in him, the pitchers have that type of confidence in him too. It allows us to do things defensively that some other teams may not be able to do.”
Reaume is in his third season as a starter for Valparaiso. He played multiple positions as a sophomore until he got settled behind the plate during the second half of that season.
Offensively, Reaume is hitting .359 with a team-high four homers and 23 RBIs for the Vikings, who will be seeking their first regional title. He went 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs against Portage in the sectional championship game on Monday.
The Vikings won their second sectional title in three seasons, having lost 2-1 to Crown Point in a sectional opener last year. On Saturday, the Duneland Athletic Conference rivals will meet for the third time this season; the Bulldogs swept two competitive conference games.
“I was able to get the experience my sophomore year of what it’s like to win something,” Reaume said. “At that time, I didn’t really realize how big it was, didn’t really understand to the full extent how hard winning a sectional itself is, and beyond that. Last year went the way it did and that lit a fire for everybody to want to come out and have one last go-around. So just being able to enjoy it again senior year has been awesome.”
Reaume’s summer was slightly less enjoyable. He was in a different headspace.
“It was a very stressful time, trying to play baseball but also worrying about trying to get seen, trying to get recruited,” he said. “It was stressful. I worried about that a little too much in the summer.”
But Reaume changed his mindset for fall ball.
“I just made a promise to myself that I’d forget recruiting and all that and I’d just go out and have fun and enjoy my last taste of travel ball,” he said. “I went out there and had a great fall, had a great time, got on a couple of coaches’ radars.”
Reaume announced his commitment to Wingate in November.
“He’s worked extremely hard to get to where he is, to be able to do the things that he does,” Evans said. “Everything starts from behind the dish, and it filters outwards, and it gives everyone confidence defensively.”