As spring kicks off, Eaton prepares for the last sports season of the year to begin. These sports include tennis, track and field, and baseball.  Season D sports will be competing until the end of June, and running into the first part of summer has caused controversy for many athletes. Eaton’s seniors graduate on May 9 and school officially ends May 12, leaving a whole month of the sports occurring over the summer. 

Tennis

 Due to COVID-19, the number of tennis tournaments and matches have been reduced by 25% and the season is seven weeks instead of the normal ten weeks. According to CHSAA, tennis practice was able to start on April 26. Tennis regionals are scheduled for June 4 and the state tournament will be June 10-12 to conclude the season.

“The thing we are looking forward to most is just getting back on the court and getting to play again. I think that by not having a season, the girls understand that this is what we really need,” Coach Michael Brisendine said.  

Open gyms have been occurring since February.  The Lady Reds first match took place on April 29 against Northridge, followed by their match against Thompson Valley on May 3. Eaton will battle Peak to Peak away on May 8.  

The tennis team is young and talented. Coach Brisendine said, “We have a lot of freshman and sophomores this year, and a lot of talented and athletic freshman and sophomores that are probably going to play varsity.” Coach Brisendine is hoping to send as many players as possible to state.  

The Lady Reds only have two days of official practice before their matchup with Northridge.  Due to construction and weather conditions, it has been hard for the players to consistently have open gyms.  

Kyleigh Kieler (21) said, “I am looking forward to being back on the courts and creating more unforgettable bonds with more girls. I really want to push myself to be a singles player and letter again.”

Track and Field

With the track and field athletes ready for the season to begin there are obviously going to be things that are different. 

Coach Guerra said, “I think that the biggest struggle for the team this year will be that we have no momentum from last year since our season got cancelled, and now most of our season will take place in the summer. There are several athletes not competing in track this year because of the circumstances, so our team makeup will definitely look a lot different than it has in the past years.” 

Logan Gullett (23) said, “I love track and I love being around my teammates and coaches, of course I’m going to keep returning after school ends.” Gullett placed 5th at the state cross country meet and has his eyes on going to state for the 1600m and the 3200m. 

In 2019, the Eaton Reds track team had several athletes qualify for the state meet including Joseph Sisneros (22), Allyson Weichel (22), and Scott Grable (21). These athletes are expected to bring their state-caliber abilities back to the track for the 2021 season. Andie Rassmussen (24) is also expected to make a big impact on the team, as she placed 10th at the state cross country championships. Coach Guerra said, “We have several athletes who will be state contenders and who have continued to work hard in the off season to be in that position.”

With the season officially starting on April 26, track and field athletes will begin training for their first meet, which is on May 8.

Baseball

As baseball transitions into the start of practices, athletes have been putting in the extra work by having open gyms twice a week, which have divided some of them up between pitchers/catchers and then everyone. 

Coach Hernandez said, “We have a lot of depth and our pitching should be really good, so I expect us to be able to compete with the top teams in the state.” 

The guys look forward to having a season since they did not get to have one last year. Ryder True (23) said, “It sucked because we only have four years of high school baseball, so it really sucked losing a year.”

Losing last year didn’t stop those athletes from getting in that extra work, and just getting to play during their “offseason.” Senior Ryan Ure said “During the offseason, I still found ways to get my pitching in and keep working out.”

There are going to be those struggles throughout the team, but looking at the positives will easily out-weigh those negatives. Jared McCormack (22) said, “I think we will mainly struggle with those adjustments, but we are a great team and I don’t see those problems affecting us a lot. I am just looking forward to finally getting back out on the field and playing again.” The guys are eager and ready to hit the field April 26th for the first practice in two years, and then they will have their first game against Brush on May 4.