Senior pitcher Easton Pratt has helped the Ankeny Centennial baseball team to a 15-1 record and a No. 1 ranking in Class 4A. He tossed a four-hitter with five strikeouts as the Jaguars posted a 3-0 victory at Ankeny on Wednesday to complete a sweep of a doubleheader.
Pratt has compiled a 4-0 mark with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed no runs on nine hits in 21 innings while racking up 19 strikeouts.
Here is some inside info on Pratt:
Congratulations on your win over Ankeny. Do you think this was the best performance of your three complete-game shutouts?
Yeah, I think it was just because it was a crosstown rivalry, so it just meant a little more.
You pretty much cruised through the first six innings before the Hawks got two runners on base in the seventh. Were you confident that you could close it out?
I was pretty confident because I had a lot left in the tank, and I knew I had my guys behind me that already made some plays for me in the field.
Your pitching gem followed another one by teammate Emerson Alberhasky, who needed just 74 pitches to throw a three-hitter in the Jaguars’ 4-1 win in the opener. What did you think of his performance?
Yeah, Emmy is one of those guys who you know will always show up and bring the energy. He pitches with confidence every outing and keeps hitters off-balance throughout games, and that’s exactly what he did against Ankeny.
Your team had senior Kyle Miller back in the lineup at third base for the first time this season, and he had a pair of doubles with the go-ahead RBI in the first game. What will he bring to the squad?
Yeah, it’s great to have him back. He brings us gap-to-gap power with a simple approach, and you know every at bat he will be a tough out.
How many different pitches do you throw?
I throw a fastball, curveball, slider and a change-up.
Do you have a “strikeout” pitch, or does it vary depending on the batter and how you are throwing?
I think it varies batter to batter. Learning from their swings and trusting all my pitches really helps in keeping hitters off-balance.
Does your catcher, Nick Severson, call all of the pitches? Do you ever shake him off?
Yeah, Nick calls the pitches, and he does a great job. He knows what I want to throw so I rarely have to shake him off.
Opponents are batting just .166 against your team’s pitching staff, which has compiled a 1.51 ERA. What has been the key to your staff’s dominance thus far?
Getting ahead in counts to set up for your other pitches. It allows us to keep the hitters off-balance and guessing. I think another key is the support from the other pitchers. It just gives you the confidence knowing that your guys are there for you at any time.
Centennial has never qualified for the Class 4A state tournament. Do you feel like this team has the talent to not only make it to state, but to win it?
I think this team has a real good chance to make a run in the postseason. We’ve just got to keep getting better and better every day and just have fun throughout this season.
Do you have any other goals for the season?
My goal for this season is to be a good leader for the underclassmen, and to compete every time I’m on the mound.
You are headed to Minnesota State-Mankato to pitch for the Mavericks next year, and now your sister, Jaeden, is going through the recruiting process as well as she considers offers to play basketball and volleyball. Have you given her any advice?
The advice I’ve given to her is to take advantage of all visits. Go out and explore all the opportunities and find the university that feels like home. Also, building a great relationship with the coaching staff goes a long way, too.