While the regular season is coming to an end Coach James Johnson and his team of varsity baseball players know that their season is anything but over. With the postseason on the horizon, the Discoverers competed in the annual Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament in Lincoln back on the ides of April.  

During the tournament, the Discoverers played a sampling of all the same teams they would throughout the regular season. A good thing that comes from this is that it ensures all of the teams have a quality and competitive schedule. Another perk of these tournaments is that the outcome does not have a direct impact on who makes it to state; it is just for fun and some friendly competition, which can improve team sportsmanship, technique, and skill. 

At this tournament, the Discoverers competed well and won their first game against Grand Island 2-1. Regrettably, the tournament is a single-elimination tournament. This means that if you lose a single game, you are eliminated and can no longer participate. Even though they did win their first game in the tournament, the Discoverers were eliminated when they competed against Lincoln East and lost 8-2. 

As a whole, the team played a solid defense while playing against Grand Island. However, despite the team playing well together, there were a few superstar players who went above and beyond. Ryan Eickhoff pitched 6 innings with only one run given up. Trevor Schumacher got the save with one inning pitched. Wyatt Swanson batted in the team's only two runs off of a two-run homer.

There are only three regular season games left in the season before districts start on Friday. Even though district assignments won't be assigned until Wednesday the Discoverers know they need to qualify for state for a second consecutive year. In that time, they also plan on improving their skillset and energy level so it carries the team through districts and results in a productive trip to the state tournament as well. 

While Columbus would prefer a few more wins on their ledger, Johnson has helped keep the boys spirits up and helps to ensure that their heads are in the game. If you want to see the Discoverers play home one more time, come on out to Pawnee Park where they will be playing against Omaha North. 

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