The Columbus East baseball team’s performance has been outstanding so far this season. They currently have 12 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie. East is currently ranked 26th in Indiana 4A baseball.

Despite the great performance, head coach Jon Gratz is still looking for improvement in the team, knowing that they can be better at certain aspects.

“We have been playing great overall. We are pitching and playing defense very well, but I believe our hitting needs to improve.” Gratz said.

An important part of the team’s pitching staff is sophomore Drew Hasson. With a 0.84 Earned Run Average, Hasson currently has the 14th best ERA in Indiana for 4A baseball. This includes allowing zero earned runs against the third ranked team in Indiana, Cathedral.

Hasson attributes some of his success not just to himself, but also to his teammates.

“My arm has been great so far this year and I’ve been feeling healthy. My team has been making great plays for me, and I know I can rely on my catcher, Charlie Burton,” he said.

The recent 5-3 victory over crosstown rival Columbus North has boosted East’s morale going into the end of the season.

Starting pitcher Jon Crawford, who recorded the win, said “It was one of our goals at the beginning of the year and we’re glad that we can check that one off. It gives us confidence as we try to check off our other goals of winning conference and sectionals.”

With only four regular season games left, the team is looking forward to starting post season play. They hope to carry their stellar performance far into the postseason.

“Our goal is to practice our hardest and get better every day so we can be playing at our peak by the time sectionals start,” Gratz said.

The baseball team has seen improvements this year over previous years. Last season, the team ended with 14 wins and 7 losses and won just their first sectional game. This year’s team is on track to end their season with a better record and go further into the postseason.