All eyes were on Erie’s senior ace Maddox Burnett as he took the mound in Arizona.
Nine big-league scouts, all armed with their own radar guns, had come to see the BYU pitching prospect at the prominent Coach Bob Invitational last month. There to witness his four-pitch arsenal for themselves, they wanted to see if his fastball really clocked in the mid-90s — and it did.
Through it all, Burnett was calm. Dialed in.
Of course, it wasn’t always like this. The fiery competitor used to show his emotions quite regularly on the mound, coach Eric Dillinger said. But he has since learned what it means to be in control.
“You can’t let that stuff influence how you play,” Burnett said. “You can’t overthrow and stuff like that. So I don’t really focus on any of that. It’s just me and my catcher, and we’re going after hitters.”
Burnett, in a word, is poised. He and the rest of the Tigers are hitting on all cylinders and have the No. 1 spot in CHSAA’s 5A rankings thanks to an 11-0 start to the season.
“I’ve never had a team play for each other like this,” said Dillinger, Erie’s third-year head coach.
Before taking over the program in 2024, Dillinger served under three different coaches during his five years as an assistant with the Tigers. He said that continuity has helped shape the program’s culture, while staying present is helping the Tigers stack wins.
On Thursday, Burnett threw his latest gem in a 13-2 road win over Fairview. He also homered for a third straight game and drove in three.
On the season, Burnett is now 4-0, with a microscopic 0.88 ERA. He’s struck out 46 of the 96 batters he’s faced and has walked just six.
At the plate, he’s 7 for his last 9 and is hitting .559 with 12 RBIs on the year.
Against the Knights, Burnett was one out away from a second straight shutout after tossing a six-inning no-hitter against Centaurus last weekend. However, two errors and a pair of hits in the inning led to two unearned runs before Burnett ended things by fanning Grayson Dinges — his 10th strikeout of the day.
Even so, the Tigers had been in control from the outset, snapping Fairview’s three-game winning streak.
Boston Coslett, a Dayton commit, put Erie on the board in the first inning with his fifth home run of the season. The Tigers led 4-0 before blowing things open with a nine-run fourth, which included a bases-clearing triple from Evan Dillinger and a three-run bomb by Burnett.
“Fairview is a good team. They beat us the last two years,” said Dillinger, the team’s senior catcher, whose 20 RBIs are tied for second in the state this spring. “But we came out here, forgot about those last two years and just played how we normally play.”
It starts with poise.
“In pregame, (Maddox and I) are sitting there having fun, talking to each other and just being loose,” the catcher said. “Then the second we take the field, a switch flips, and we know it’s go time.”
Erie’s Evan Dillinger watches his deep drive against Fairview on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)
Fairview’s Liam Goetz pitches against Erie on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)
Fairview’s Isaac Waymire bats against Erie on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Boston Coslett (right) celebrates his scored run with Chase Craddock (left) against Fairview on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)
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Erie’s Evan Dillinger watches his deep drive against Fairview on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)