Ben Goodaker Headed to Southeastern Illinois College

Caldwell County’s Ben Goodaker is headed to Southeastern Illinois College to continue his academic and baseball career.

Goodaker was the ace of Caldwell’s pitching staff in 2023, helping the Tigers go 19-12 and win the 2nd Region All A Classic championship.

Goodaker finished his high school career as one of only three Tigers to record 20 career pitching wins, going 20-8. Only Shane Burns (31-8, 2014-18) and Gabe East (24-4, 2015-19) have more pitching victories at Caldwell.

Goodaker is also just the third Tiger to win as many as eight games in a single season, going 8-4 as a senior. Burns was 11-1 in 2016 and 8-2 in 2017 while Joe Villines went 8-1 in 1974.

Goodaker concluded 2023 with an earned run average of 2.20. He struck out 84 and allowed just 41 base hits in 63.2 innings.

Goodaker also finished the season second on the team with a .348 batting average. That included a home run and 17 runs batted in.

He was named to the All-2nd Region Team.

In the classroom, Goodaker was a graduate of distinction with a grade-point average of over 3.5.

As a junior, Goodaker was 7-2 on the mound with a 1.95 ERA.

As a sophomore in 2021, he went 5-2 with a 2.95 earned run average.

Goodaker is playing this summer with the Lyon County American Legion Post 68 Aces.

Southeastern Illinois is a junior college in Harrisburg, Illinois.

The Falcons compete in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference at the Division 1 level of NJCAA competition.

SIC went 21-29 on the baseball diamond this spring.