East's Hamilton Reaches 300 Wins

Lakota East head baseball coach Ray Hamilton notched win number 300 this week when the Thunderhawks defeated Middletown in the teams final regular season contest.

Hamilton’s overall record of 300 wins and 165 defeats spans 18 seasons as a head coach at Ross and Lakota East High School. His coaching accomplishments include 5 FAVC and 1 GMC league titles. Hamilton took over the East baseball program in the 2000 season, following in the footsteps of Lakota baseball coaching legend Jim Rouff (1981-1999). Rouff’s 277 wins (321 career) at Lakota and Lakota East rank him as the all-time leader in district athletic history. Hamilton, a 1983 Lakota grad, was a catcher on Rouff’s baseball team.

"I was drawn to Lakota for an opportunity to work with Jim Rouff and Stu Eversole," said Hamilton. "These two guys played a huge role in my wanting to teach and coach."

In eight seasons as the East baseball mentor he has accumulated 103 wins versus 96 losses. When asked for a personal highlight during his eight seasons with the Thunderhawks, Hamilton pointed to a win over Oak Hills that clinched the 2005 GMC Championship

"I’ve been fortunate to have some great teams and players during my career at Ross and now Lakota," commented Hamilton. "It just validates some of the things I’ve tried to do at both programs."

Hamilton will be looking for win number 301 when his Thunderhawks begin sectional tournament play May 8 against Edgewood.


Submitted by Dan Hilen, East Sports Information