The Cumberland County High School Jets, under the guidance of first-year coach Tyler Thompson, had one their best baseball seasons in quite a few years in 2025. Players say Thompson came in and changed the program culture, and taught the players to believe they can win.
And the proof was in the pudding. Cumberland County finished with 11 wins overall and proved to be a definite district contender. The Jets gave powerhouses Upperman, DeKalb County and White County all they could handle in the postseason tournament.
A big reason for the program’s turnaround and the Jets’ drive to relevance again was the play of senior Eli Ostrander. The talented right-hander was a force on the mound and at the plate, and earned the 2025 Chronicle Award for Male Athlete of the Year at Cumberland County High School.
“Well, I’m very grateful, very pleased to win this award,” said Ostrander. “I have worked my butt off to get in this position, and it’s paid off. I’m grateful, and I think it’s awesome.”
Ostrander got into baseball through his father, Isaac, who also played in school. He began playing in the youth leagues and grew in his skill as he progressed through middle and high school ranks. Ostrander’s drive to be successful comes through his family. His younger brother Titus is the starting center fielder, while cousins Zach and Rebekah are two of the best cross country and track stars in the state.
“I love baseball,” Ostrander said. “It is a sport that you can watch yourself get better from all the hard work you do in practice. I am also very competitive. So, I enjoy the competition aspect of baseball.”
Ostrander played several different positions for the Jets this season. He was Cumberland County’s ace on the mound, while also seeing time at just about any position in the infield. He could, if needed, also play in the outfield.
And wherever he played, Ostrander was effective.
He hit .372 on the season with a .426 on base percentage and an OPS of .972. Ostrander had 32 hits, including 22 singles, six doubles, three triples and one home run. He had 10 stolen bases and 10 runs batted in.
On the mound, Ostrander won four of six decisions with an earned run average of 2.30. He also had 69 strikeouts.
“I felt like I made a lot of progress on the mound,” Ostrander said. “I had some points in my year that I wish I did better at, wish I could pitch better in big moments. Some of the time, I just wasn’t feeling it, wasn’t all there. But, I knew I had to pitch.
“I feel like I was very satisfied with how I ended the year on the mound. In the postseason, I pitched out a full game and won the next game to help us in the district tournament. I was very happy with my stats.”
Ostrander felt like he probably could have done better with his trips to the plate, too.
“For the most part, I was pleased,” he said. “In the beginning of the year I struggled at the plate,” he said. “I felt like I would have done better if I had started off a little bit more focused.
“I wish I had done better in the district tournament. I wasn’t as consistent as I wish I was.”
Ostrander said a lot of the success the Jets experienced this season should lay at the feet of Thompson. He said the new coach has turned the program around.
“Hats off to Coach Tyler. Tyler is an awesome coach,” Ostrander said. “He has brought the team closer together and worked with us in everything. The main thing is he got us all together and to play as a team.
“So we grew closer and learned how to play for each other. I think that’s what he did the absolute best at. All the hard work we did paid off.”
Ostrander was a leader on the team this season, there’s no doubt about that. He was more of a leader by example than he was a vocal leader. And that’s just how he wanted it.
“My biggest thing, I think, for a leader, I didn’t want anyone to ever quit, ever give up at any point in the game,” Ostrander. Said. “I feel like in past years, if we were down at all, everyone just quit and let the game slip from our fingers. I felt like if I stayed on top of it, made everyone feel like we were always going to have a chance to win, we did a lot better.”
Ostrander has no plans to play baseball in college. He is already focusing on his career and has a job lined up. However, that will allow him to attend some CCHS games in the future.
“As long as Coach Tyler is there, I think we are a sound team,” Ostrander said. “There are a couple of guys on the team that are going to play a big part in making this team go forward and win some ballgames.
“I think Coach Tyler can get them there. The future for this team is bright.”