With a program as decorated as the Eaton baseball program — there may not be a program more decorated in any sport in this state — merely revisiting familiar territory certainly isn’t a bad thing.
The Reds program owns many of the state baseball records, including that of the most state championships. Eaton has won a Colorado record 14 state championships, including the past three Class 3A titles, and is a strong favorite to make it four in a row in the coming weeks.
But as much as repetition is the Reds’ friend at this point, it truly warrants a raised eyebrow when Eaton — with all its accolades over the decades — reaches a new milestone.
The Reds did precisely that Monday in Eaton during another dominant win, a 17-1 Patriot League victory in four innings against Wellington.
Not only did the lopsided win allow the Reds to remain unbeaten on the season, 20-0 overall, 12-0 in league play. In also allowed Eaton to break yet another state record with its 61st consecutive win dating back to the 2022 season.
“It wasn’t just this year’s group; it was the past three seasons,” said Reds coach Todd Hernandez, a former Eaton player, as well. “Even the 2021 class did a great job of establishing and resetting after the COVID year. That kind of got us going in the right direction. It takes parents, it takes the administration, it takes all the community members that come out and take pride in the baseball program.
“So many people played a part in this.”
The mind-boggling win streak began May 9, 2022, with a 10-0 home win against Berthoud. The last loss was a 9-8 road affair May 6, 2022, against Lutheran.
Eaton has outscored its opponents 793-93 — an average of 13-1.5 per game — during this nearly unfathomable win streak. The Reds have recorded 43 double-digit wins during the streak.
Eaton’s closest games during the streak were a 10-9 victory over Colorado Academy in this past year’s state semifinals and a 5-4 win just a week ago against Platte Valley. The Reds rallied back from an early 4-1 deficit against Colorado Academy and fended off a late rally attempt by Platte Valley.
Hernandez praised the many players who have donned Eaton pinstripes during this streak for maintaining unwavering focus through close wins, lopsided affairs, injuries, illnesses, schoolwork, proms, graduations and more.
“There are so many different places where you can get tripped up,” Hernandez said. “It is rare — especially in baseball, when you play so many games — to be able to go that long (without a loss). It’s pretty unique. It’s a credit to the kids and their love of the game.”
Unsurprisingly, the record the Reds broke was their own. In fact, they’ve owned at least a share of the state win streak record since 1999.
In 1999, Eaton won its 45th consecutive game under Hall of Fame coach Jim Danley.
Six years later, Niwot tied that record.
Then, on April 15, 2010, the Reds used a 12-2 road win over longtime rival Valley to surpass their own state record with a 46th consecutive victory. Eaton stretched that win streak to 60 games before losing to Holy Family in the state tournament’s third round. The Reds went on to be the state runner-up to Holy Family that spring, as they were denied a third consecutive state title.
Falling just short of a state title no doubt left a bitter taste in the mouths of that otherwise celebrated 2010 team.
Knowing how quickly a mere single loss can change the complexion of a season, Hernandez said his team was excited to break the program’s own record Monday.
But they saved much of the celebration for a later date — presumably June 1 when the Reds could secure a fourth consecutive state title, something the program has done only once in its illustrious history (2001-04).
“After the game (Monday), there were some smiles, and we got to take a few pictures,” Hernandez said. “But the celebration wasn’t anything like that dogpile that you get to experience when you win a state title. That’s their goal every single year. So, while this (record) was something they knew they could accomplish this year, it wasn’t the be-all, end-all. They’re looking forward to the next couple weeks when the playoffs start.”
— Bobby Fernandez covers high school sports for the 欧美巨乳色情片 Tribune. Reach him at (970) 392-4478, by email at bfernandez@greeleytribune.com or on X @BobbyDFernandez.
