First baseman Tyler Drinkard (above) is a player to watch in this Monday's match-up, committing to UMBC in the fall after hitting .355 his junior year (Northeast High baseball pictures courtesy of Aaron Gray, Maryland State Senior Content Editor at DigitalSports)
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by Jim Bach

The Northeast High School baseball program has suffered only one losing season in the past 40 years, and continued their historic success this Friday with a 3-2 win over North Harford in the first round of the 3A Regional Tournament.

The Eagles rode the arm of senior pitcher Mike Riesett in the win, who scattered five hits over seven frames to get the win. Outfielder Jeff Marsh led the offense with two hits, including a double and an RBI.

Atholton will have their hands tied this Monday after their first round win over Howard, as Northeast boasts a strong roster. Tyler Drinkard, a 6-6, 220 pound first baseman signed a letter of intent for UMBC this fall and will play alongside familiar Howard County alumnus Ed Bach (Pitcher, Redshirt-Junior, Atholton), Austin Drewyer (Pitcher, Junior, River Hill), and Casey Medairy (Outfielder, Sophomore, Howard) next season.

Northeast head coach Adam Boling has a quite a billing to live up to, posting an 18-5 mark and notching an Anne Arundel County Championship title in only his first season. While the Eagles have only collected 11 wins in 2009, they have seven returning starters to help propel them through the brackets.

Alumni of Northeast and graduate of 2003, Chorye Spoone represents the team at the major league level, as he currently sits on the 40-man roster for the Baltimore Orioles after his stint with Catonsville Community College.

Atholton will have to turn the other cheek in the face of Northeast's illustrious history, as they will battle to keep their seasons alive this Monday at 4:30.