The Eaton baseball team has kicked off their season with nine straight wins. With wins over The Academy, Denver North, Golden, Lamar, Alamosa, Berthoud, North Fork, The Classical Academy and University, the team continues to gain confidence as they learn to play next to one another.
The 2025 Eaton baseball team graduated three seniors last season, so now the team has relied on the help of underclassmen to help carry on the dominant Eaton baseball legacy. With two freshmen and six sophomores on the varsity roster, this year’s team is young, but it is impossible for opponents to tell. Sophomore Jackson Denooy stepped up for the first few games of the season, as he already has three home runs and is second on the team in hits (14). He has alsos helped the Reds on the mound. Greyson Sauer, a freshman, has also found early success in the start of his high school baseball career, with one homerun.
Although the team does rely on some younger athletes, they are led by a strong group of senior athletes. Gunnar Garrison, who is committed to pitch at Arizona State University in the fall, has had a very successful start to his final season. He has started five games thus far against The Academy, Golden, Lamar, Berthoud, and University. He has thrown 25.2 innings, struck out 57, while only allowing two earned runs, 10 hits, and 3 walks.
Besides Garrison’s own success thus far, he has continued to stay team-oriented. “[I have led as a senior] by helping and leading the underclassman through drills. I use my experience from previous years to guide them,” said Garrison. Since he has been on varsity since freshman year, he understands what it means to have a big role as an underclassman.
Another senior who has stepped up and taken a large role for the team is Malaki Dalpra. He plays first base and has recently stepped up for the Reds at the plate. He is second in both batting average and on base percentage. He also has two home runs and is leading the team in hits (15). With his hitting at crucial times, he has helped lead the team in the hitting aspect.
Senior Everett Edinger, and starting catcher, believes that the team has found early success this season because they are a close-knit group of guys. “I think our hitting has been doing very well; there is improvement from last year and we are way more connected as a team,” said Edinger. They have gotten much closer from hanging out at each other’s houses and spending time together on away trips. As the season continues, the connection between the boys will continue to grow and be seen on the field.
The boys have already matched up against their rivals, University, in the tournament hosted by Eaton. With the home field advantage, the Reds were able to finish with a victorious score of 5-2. The game was close throughout, until the Reds were able to make some clutch hits in the bottom of the sixth. With this big win, the Reds are going to go back to work in practice to prepare for the upcoming games against Fort Morgan, Brush, and Sterling. Then they have a league matchup against University on April 17.
According to Garrison, the biggest goal going forwards is continuing to find success batting. He said, “Keeping discipline at the plate is gonna be big, and having an approach for every at bat. My personal goal is to keep dominating on the mound to give my team the best chance of winning.” The Reds have laser focus as they are hoping to finish the season on top, and to return the state title to Eaton.
