Over the past couple seasons, the EHS baseball team held the national win streak with 74 wins, which sadly ended with a game against Golden High School. Following the loss, the team also lost to Berthoud High School later that week. With their consecutive wins no longer in action, the team was forced to rebuild their confidence at a recent home tournament winning three games.
The Reds did not let this put an end to their confidence, however. As a team, they used these losses as motivation and an opportunity to prove their dedication to the sport of baseball.
Starting the weekend facing the La Junta Tigers, the Reds put up a 13-1 win. This game revived the team’s confidence and reminded them that a loss does not define them. Honorable players from this game are Cash Rinker (25) and Shane Welle (26), as they were the top performers from this game. “Out of the three games, I am most proud of my performance against La Junta. After not performing too well the past two games, it felt good to get some hits and score runs,” said Welle.
After the big win against the Tigers, the Reds were eager to continue redeeming themselves. Their next match-up of the weekend was against the Delta Panthers, which was a very close game. The final score was 5-4, keeping everyone on their toes for the duration of the game. Welle also said, “During close games like this one, keeping a good mindset can become the difference between a win and a loss.” Even in testing situations, the team members do their best to keep calm and trust each other. The winning run was scored by freshman Tito Lopez after he hit a double to get on base, then crossed home plate from a walk-off.
The Reds’ last game of the tournament was against Peak-to-Peak High School. The players weren’t done showing off their talent and walked away with a 10-0 win. “I think we collectively came together, and everyone had a ‘team first’ mindset the entire game, which helped us both offensively and defensively,” said Vinnie Juarez (26). After a close game, the boys worked together and faced their challenges with ease.
The Peak-to-Peak game was freshman Chase Schmitt’s varsity debut as the catcher. Schmitt took this opportunity to show everyone his skill behind the plate, ending the game with no errors and no balls past him. He said, “I got my chance to show the coaches and my team what I was made of. I played an amazing game, and the team had my back, and I had theirs.”
In Eaton baseball history, very few freshmen have been starters on the team. This year, three different freshmen have played in a majority of the games. Every game, these three show their potential and are predicted to be Eaton’s upcoming stars. Jackson Denooy (28), Lopez, and Schmitt have all been faced with the opportunity to play at the highest level in high school. Lopez said, “I play every game like it’s my last. It puts a little pressure on me, but it feels good knowing that the coaches and players trust me. I’ve learned that you can’t let the pressure get to you, or else it won’t end well.” Three freshmen on the varsity roster has been quite rare for the Reds, which makes the opportunity even more honorable. “It is a privilege just to put on an Eaton jersey, let alone play on varsity for Eaton baseball,” said Schmitt.
