Alumni in Action: 3 Devils will pursue collegiate baseball careers
Jacob Loupe and Elias Pena are headed to Antelope Valley College and Jack Robinson will continue his career at Western Nebraska Community College
Ryan Sederquist/Vail Daily
Three Eagle Valley High School baseball players will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level next fall.
Jacob Loupe and Elias Pena are headed to Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California and Jack Robinson will play at Western Nebraska Community College.
For Loupe and Pena, location played a role in the decision.
“Who doesn’t want to live in LA, you know,” said Pena, who was known for his powerful hitting from the seventh spot in the lineup as well as his ability on the mound.
“One, it’s in California,” Loupe answered when asked about the calculus behind his choice. “And it has really good resources and looks like a good program.”
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Loupe, the Devils’ ace, struck out 68 batters this season, including 14 against Steamboat Springs on March 23 and 15 against Glenwood Springs 10 days later. He gave credit to “all of his coaches growing up, especially my dad.”
Pena also gave a shutout to his parents.
“They’ve been through it all,” he said. “Every club tournament, every game, football, baseball, basketball.”
Antelope Valley College finished 18-20 last year competing in the Western State Conference of the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association. Nineteen Mauraders have gone on to Major League Baseball careers, including current Pittsburg Pirate minor league catcher Wyatt Hendrie.
Robinson said he chose Western Nebraska Community College because of the competitive atmosphere.
“Head coach Mike Jones has been there 23 years and has a lot of connections,” he added.
The Cougars ended their 2024 campaign with a 30-30 mark after a loss in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region IX tournament, held last month in Colorado Springs.
Robinson, who will study business next year, led the Devils in hits (22) and home runs (3) and finished his senior season with a .344 batting average. He thanked his parents and girlfriend for their constant support as well as head coach Josh Stoneking and athletic director Ryan Lynch.
“They’ve been big mentors, this year especially,” he said.
When asked what he’ll take from his Eagle Valley High School experience, Robinson said, “Learning how to be a better player (and) person.”
“Just work as hard as you possibly can,” he added. Leave everything on the field. You can never work hard enough and if you really want it, work your butt off and you can get there.”
Pena said building relationships with his teammates was the most significant aspect of his time in Gypsum.
“I played three sports all four years of school, and I feel like that was the most valuable thing I gained from attending Eagle Valley,” he said.
“I feel like Eagle Valley is a tight-knit community and I feel like all the relationships I built through all four years are definitely going to be something I hopefully hold the rest of my life.”
Eagle Valley student Samuel Simons contributed to this story’s reporting.
