Despite an under-.500 2022 record of 9-14, varsity baseball is currently 8-4 and nearly undefeated against in-state opponents.

2022’s season was, in a word, disappointing. The year before, in 2021, Creek had a 13-5 record and was 13th in Class 5A. But in 2022, finishing 30th in Class 5A, the team lacked “chemistry and confidence,” according to senior designated hitter Ben Steele, who is currently second in team RBIs with 11.

“We struggled last year because we didn’t have the same energy and fun as we are having right now,” Steele said. “We got off to a bad start last year and it translated to the rest of our season. Even our practices are much more energetic this year.”

Though not on varsity last year, senior middle infielder and outfielder Ryan Jones sensed the same dynamic during the 2022 season, citing a lack of “passion,” and credits this season’s success to a shift in the team’s attitude and cohesiveness.

“I think our success is due to the chemistry we have on our team,” Jones said. “Everybody has each other’s backs and there is constant energy from the dugout. We also have a ton of competition for spots and this forces everybody to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves.”

Jones is currently batting .467 across seven starts. He is among several seniors who did not make varsity last year, but did make the team in 2023. According to Steele, seniority is not considered in choosing who makes varsity and the lower teams.

Currently third in the Centennial League and sixth in Class 5A according to MaxPreps rankings released April 10, Creek has big hopes for the remainder of the season.

“Our goal is first and foremost to be the best team individually as we can be,” Steele said. “However, we all have the overall goal of winning state.”

But even these early wins have boosted the team psychologically and built the foundation for a better season than the last.

“A lot of people doubted what this team could do because of last year’s team and I think our early season success has earned our reputation of a great program back,” Jones said. “Hopefully we can keep it going.”

See moments from Creek’s 7-2 home win over Regis Jesuit below.