CHSAANow

Category: Baseball

  • Weather delay can’t slow Regis Jesuit en route to the 5A baseball title

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — A near-two hour lightning delay did nothing to slow the Regis Jesuit Raiders. If anything, it seemed to energize them.

    Already leading 3-0 when the game was halted in the top of the fourth, Regis Jesuit pushed four runs across an hour and 52 minutes later when it resumed. It sparked an eventual 8-3 win over Cherry Creek for the Class 5A baseball title, the program’s first title since 2011, and third overall.

    “It was frustrating, but I know this team was prepared for it,” said Raiders junior Ethan O’Donnell. “I knew we had depth in pitching, so I knew we could wait them out.”

    Said coach Matt Darr: “Being up 3-0, it still felt pretty good. I just told the kids, ‘You’re up three runs, just play the game right, and you’ve got a good chance to win.’ I don’t think it affected us a lot.”

    Regis Jesuit starter Jacob Thompsen was spectacular, as he has been all postseason. Against the Bruins, Thompsen went 4 2/3 innings, and allowed just four hits. He didn’t allow an earned run in 17 2/3 postseason innings.

    But just as the game was set to begin the top of the fourth inning, lightning struck within 10 miles — the ensuing delay lasted one hour and 52 minutes.

    “My concern was Jacob and whether or not he was going to be able to throw again,” Darr said. “We kind of left it up to him to see how he was feeling.”

    Thompsen, though, had no doubt he was staying in.

    “I knew,” he said. “Any other day, it might have been difficult, but today it was easy: State championship, adrenaline.”

    And it gave Regis Jesuit a boost knowing their ace was going to be back on the mound.

    “I think mentally, it was big for our kids. Because he’s our dude,” Darr said. “I think it mattered.”

    Cherry Creek pulled starter Zach Herrick after the delay, meaning they would need to dip into a bullpen which didn’t have a lot of available arms entering the game due to the road they took through the elimination bracket.

    And Regis Jesuit came out firing as the delay lifted. Bryce Parsons drew a four-pitch walk, Owen Best singled, and then Craig Kenny followed that with a single to left field which scored both. Two batters later, Ethan O’Donnell crushed a pitch to right center field for a two-run home run. Suddenly, it was 7-0.

    “I knew the moment I hit it, it was going to go out,” O’Donnell said. “It’s great, but it’s better for the team. It fires everyone up. It fuels everyone, not just myself.”

    Regis Jesuit Cherry Creek baseball
    (Tim Bourke)

    Said Thompsen: “We were ready to go.”

    The next inning, Best hit another RBI single to make it 8-0.

    The Raiders had stormed through the 5A tournament’s first weekend, emerging as the lone unbeaten, then weathered a loss to Mountain Vista on Friday in the double-elimination tournament. But the Raiders were undeterred.

    They did have to endure one final comeback attempt from a comeback-prone Cherry Creek squad. That the Bruins even advanced to the final weekend, let a lone the title game, was a bit improbable.

    Cherry Creek had rallied for seventh-inning wins in their regional final and in an elimination game in the state tournament’s first week. They also rallied from a one-run deficit to win in the Final 4 on Friday, and again on Saturday morning in a 4-1 win over Mountain Vista to reach the title game.

    True to form, in the bottom of the fifth, Cherry Creek got on the board when Ben Perla hit an RBI single and Jack Moss drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. Regis Jesuit turned to Chase Allen on the mound, and he got out of the inning to limit the damage to two runs, and help Regis Jesuit maintain the lead at 8-2.

    The Bruins again loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, and pushed a run across on a groundout from Shane Lippett to make it 8-3. But Allen again got out of the inning, this time with a chopper to third.

    Regis Jesuit brought Alec Willis out with one on in the seventh, and he sealed the victory, setting off a celebration out of the third-base dugout.

    Regis Jesuit Cherry Creek baseball
    (Tim Bourke)
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

  • University tops Resurrection Christian to repeat as 3A baseball champion

    (Ernie Derrera/CHSAANow.com)

    GREELEY — University has featured a wealth of good hitters the past two seasons. These guys lifted the Bulldogs to back-to-back Class 3A baseball titles.

    On Saturday, they defeated Resurrection Christian 10-3 in the championship game at Butch Butler Field.

    “University has been a very storied high school with baseball and there’s been great team after great team after great team dating back to the 1950’s,” coach Casey Miller said. “We are the first to go back-to-back.”

    When Resurrection Christian pinned a rare loss on University in Friday’s semifinals (6-5), opening the door for Lutheran and Rez to play another elimination game Saturday morning, UH responded by swinging the bats well in the title game.

    This wasn’t a big surprise. A team that closed with a 27-2 record, University carried a .391 batting average as a group. They recorded 13 hits in the finale.

    “We’re pretty grimy one through nine and if one guy is struggling, another picks him up,” Miller said. “We have hero after hero after hero. Anybody can do it, any given time. They just wear down pitchers.”

    University was favored again this season, but Resurrection Christian was carrying plenty of momentum. They knocked out Lutheran 5-3 in what amounted to be another semifinal game. Cooper Strong pitched five innings and gave up only four hits and two runs. He struck out four batters.

    After Brody Schneider smashed an RBI double and Lutheran took a 2-0 lead on the Cougars in the first, Rez tallied five hits and five runs in the fourth inning. That flipped the game and pushed the program into their first-ever 3A baseball finals. Resurrection Christian won 2A in 2012 and 2014 and this year’s team was on fire.

    But, as is often the case in state tournaments, pitching depth played a role. Resurrection Christian started Will Schrotenboer, a talented freshman, in the championship game. He had pitched just over 11 innings this season, but kept his team in the game for awhile.

    Colton Widler’s RBI groundout put University on the board first in the opening frame. Resurrection Christian tied the game on a balk in the top of the third. Then, the Bulldogs hitters really came alive.

    A 2-RBI triple by Andre Chacon followed with a run scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third inning. Alex Martinez connected for an RBI double and freshman River Jackson smashed a 2-RBI double.

    “It was for the team,” Jackson said. “We play for the team, play as one. You just have to do it for the person behind you, the person next to you. You have to do it for your brothers.”

    University’s scoring binge gave the Bulldogs a 7-1 lead after three innings. But, the challengers continued to grit their teeth. Zach Parrish’s RBI double pulled Rez within 7-2 of University in the fifth.

    “They put balls in play and touched us up a little bit,” Miller said. “We haven’t given up 10 hits to very many teams this year. They put barrel to baseball and did that yesterday as well. They did a good job with their hitting approach.”

    Nonetheless, University was in control on Saturday. Sophomore Nolan Johnson (.518 batting average), a key cog during both title runs, laced a double in the bottom of the fifth inning that plated two runs. Another run scored on a Rez error and the Bulldogs all but clinched the championship as they opened up a 10-2 advantage.

    “I have some friends on that team that I know pretty well and I really like them a lot,” Jackson said. “It feels pretty good to come out on top though.”

    University was able to save Kalob Padilla, a senior who pitched all four seasons for the Bulldogs. He entered the game with a 6-0 record and a 1.92 ERA this year. Against Resurrection Christian, Padilla only gave up two runs on seven hits in 4 ⅓ innings. He mostly cooled off a hot Cougar lineup.

    “I’m overcome with how proud I am of this group of guys,” Miller said. “Ever since we won it last year, everyone was talking back-to-back. Winning one championship is really, really hard, especially when you’re surrounded by good teams from all around the state.”

    Three of the final four teams came from the Patriot League. Eaton was knocked out by Lutheran on Friday.

    “We had to bang with them all year,” Miller, in his second year as the University head coach, said. “It compliments our league and Northern Colorado and what we have brewing here. The Patriot is going to be really tough the next couple of years, because there’s a lot of young teams that made noise this year.”

    University has now claimed six state titles in baseball. They took out Lamar 21-2 in last year’s final and won championships in 1997, 1992, 1982 (AA), and 1955 (as College High).

    “I’ve always taught at University, so I’ve seen what the program is all about,” Miller added. “It’s the attitude and the effort that these guys bring to practice every day and bring to off-season workouts. They grind and they embrace challenges.”

  • Here’s what happened at the 3A, 4A and 5A state baseball tournaments on Friday

    DENVER, PUEBLO and GREELEY — The 2019 state baseball tournaments in 3A, 4A and 5A are continuing on Friday. Four teams remain in each bracket.

    Brackets:

    Live coverage

  • 5A baseball: Mountain Vista, Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit remain for the final day

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    DENVER — Three teams remain heading into the final day of the Class 5A baseball season, setting up a de facto semifinal on Saturday morning ahead of the championship game in the afternoon.

    Cherry Creek and Mountain Vista, facing elimination, both extended their seasons with wins on Friday, and those two teams will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at All-City Field.

    “They’re always in the Elite 8 or Final 4, they’re dangerous,” Mountain Vista star Sam Ireland said of facing Cherry Creek. “We’re going to have to come out and play good baseball.”

    The winner of that game will face Regis Jesuit at 12:30 p.m. for the championship. The Raiders entered the day as the lone remaining unbeaten team in the double-elimination bracket.

    Recaps of Friday’s games are below.

    [divider]

    Mountain Vista 5, Regis Jesuit 0

    Mountain Vista Regis Jesuit baseball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    The defending champions leaned on their ace, and will continue their quest of defending that championship.

    Sam Ireland, the reigning 5A player of the year, threw a complete game, allowing just six hits over seven innings, and struck out six as Mountain Vista handed Regis Jesuit its first loss of the state tournament, 5-0.

    His performance allowed Mountain Vista to save every other pitcher for Saturday.

    “That’s huge,” said Mountain Vista coach Ron Quintana. “That’s what we expect out of Sam, and that’s what he expects out of himself. We need all the arms we can have going into Day 2.”

    Ireland’s biggest moment came in the third inning when Regis Jesuit loaded the bases with no outs and the heart of the lineup coming up. He struck out the next two batters, and then got a ground ball to short to end the threat.

    “I found a way to keep them in check, I couldn’t let them do anything,” Ireland said.

    Asked what he was thinking in that moment, Ireland said, “Strikeout. Strikeout. Just strike them out.”

    Ireland also went 1-for-2 with an RBI, and had a huge double which helped ignite the Golden Eagles’ potent lineup in the fourth inning.

    Mountain Vista hadn’t had a hit through three innings, and then Drew Stahl, their star leadoff hitter, led off the fourth with a single.

    Two batters later, Ireland doubled. And then cleanup hitter John Zakhem crushed a ball to left field for a three-run home run.

    Boom. 3-0.

    “I just put a good swing on it, and it flew out,” said Zakhem, who also drove in a run in the fifth to finish with four RBIs. “When I hit it, I watched it, and I definitely knew it was out.”

    Said Quintana of Stahl’s leadoff single: “That’s why he’s hitting at the top of the lineup. He’s the guy that gets it going.”

    Said Zakhem: “That single just brought everything together, and made us all click.”

    Said Ireland: “Hits are contagious for sure. Once we got Drew’s first one, that just kept rolling.”

    It was the 29th home run for Mountain Vista this season, which leads the state. (Regis Jesuit is second with 28.)

    Mountain Vista still has plenty of arms left, including senior Clay Burke, who threw a complete-game two-hitter against Chaparral last weekend, freshman Tyler Mejia, and junior Ben Cole.

    Likewise, Regis Jesuit has plenty pitchers left, too, including junior Jacob Thompsen, who allowed three hits in six innings against Grandview last weekend, senior Brent DiBiase, and four others who have thrown double digit innings this season.

    And the Raiders will be playing just one game on Saturday — their opponent will have to play two.

    [divider]

    Cherry Creek 8, Grandview 3

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Cherry Creek baseball as an underdog? Bruins coaching Legend Marc Johnson believes so.

    The Bruins, now 22-7 this season, advanced to the final day of the 5A season with an 8-3 win over Centennial League rival Grandview on Friday.

    “To be honest with you, in my opinion, we’ve been overachievers,” said Johnson, who notched his 800th career win earlier this season. “We talk about it all the time: We know we’re an underdog, we’re trying to be a wonderdog.”

    Cherry Creek got a stellar start from senior Nathan Mitchell, who threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up just three earned runs. He allowed a lone run in the second, and then nothing more until the seventh.

    “I was just anxious to get out here since yesterday,” Mitchell said. “They got a run early. I kind of had some jitters, just from being over-excited, I think. But I settled down, and had a lot better game.”

    It was Mitchell’s 11th win of the season, which sets a program record.

    “He threw strikes for us all year, and he did the same thing today,” Johnson said. “He didn’t walk many people, and gave us a chance.”

    The Bruins trailed 1-0 into the fourth inning, but it was a small hole compared to the 7-0 deficit they rallied from against Rocky Mountain last weekend. Alec Adolph’s double in the fourth tied the game, and then Cherry Creek scored twice in the fifth, twice in the sixth and three times in the seventh.

    “We’ve been in trouble all throughout the playoffs,” Adolph said. “We were down 7-0 against Rocky Mountain. Earlier, in (regionals), we were down 7-5, and we fought our way back. So one run didn’t really phase us.”

    Said Johnson: “Unbelievably resilient.”

    Adolph homered to right in the sixth inning, a two-run shot.

    “That’s what every kid dreams of, hitting a home run in the state tournament,” he said. “Right now, I’m just having fun. … There’s no pressure on us. Senior season, it feels good. I’m just happy to still be playing right now.”

    Johnson said the coaches asked Adolph to bunt on the first pitch he saw. “Then we said, ‘Forget it, let’s just let him hit,’ and he hit a bomb,” Johnson said. “Sometimes luck prevails.”

    “We did some of the small things today, and that’s what I focus on,” Johnson added. “In the playoffs, I tell people, big things take care of themselves, but you can’t coach that home run. That just happens.”

    Cherry Creek will start either sophomore Zach Herrick or freshman Codi Trebelhorn on Saturday morning, Johnson said. But, he added, “It may have to be a combination of pitchers. We may have to go two or three guys.”

    “We’ve just got to do whatever we can do to hang in,” Johnson said.

    The loss ends a great season for Grandview, which began the season 3-8 but turned things around to have a 16-game winning streak and reach the 5A Final 4.

  • 4A baseball: Silver Creek and Pueblo West bash their way to Saturday showdown

    Silver Creek Fort Morgan baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    COLORADO SPRINGS — And it’s down to two. With monster offensive outputs on Friday, Silver Creek and Pueblo West are set to square off with the Class 4A baseball title on the line.

    The Raptors maintained their undefeated 4A tournament record after a 13-7 win over Fort Morgan in the afternoon game. Earlier in the day, the Cyclones looked the best they have all year in a 14-1 win over Holy Family.

    Silver Creek’s win also keeps it’s record against Colorado teams perfect in 2019. They got things rolling early with a four-run first inning against Fort Morgan ace Mateo Salcido. Justin Swenson pushed the first run across the board with a ground ball to second base, scoring Charlie Jackson.

    Cam Hassert then got Michael Wegleitner and Swenson across the plate with a 2-RBI single. It was that first inning that helped set the tone and give starting pitching Ryan Suess a little breathing room.

    “That’s a senior stepping up right there,” Silver Creek coach Brad Steward said. “He didn’t do so well last week but he battled back and found his groove. That’s why we are where we are. A senior stepped up and found his groove.”

    The Mustangs (19-10 overall) started getting to Suess in the top of the fifth inning as JP Hamer ripped a 2-RBI double to the wall to cut the Raptors (27-2) lead to four runs. Isaac Linker added a single to score Hamer to make it a 7-4 game, but Suess got of the jam with a big strikeout of Nick Norris.

    The Silver Creek bats came alive again in the bottom of the sixth as six runs crossed the plate. The Mustangs tried to string together a rally in the seventh, but the hole was too deep to dig out of. 

    With a title within sight, the Raptors just have to play the kind of baseball they’ve played all year for one more day.

    “We just have to come back and keep our edge and our competitiveness,” Silver Creek centerfielder Spencer Rich said. “We have to have fun.”

    Pueblo West’s day started much the same way as Silver Creek’s. A six-run first inning was all the working room that starting pitcher Nate Denniston needed.

    He threw five innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits while striking out three hitters.

    Holy Family Pueblo West baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    “We hit the ball in timely spots but today was how we usually play,” coach Dan Sanchez said. “I wasn’t surprised at all and I can’t say enough about Nate Denniston on the mound. What a senior year for him. He’s been awesome for us.”

    The bats continued to roll as Pueblo West totaled 11 hits in the game. Only one of them went for extra bases as Tyler Barth ripped bases clearing triple in the first inning.

    Last week, the Cyclones (26-3) had to rally twice to get to the battle of unbeaten teams on Saturday. They didn’t have the comeback magic on Saturday and fell to Silver Creek. Now the Cyclones have to beat the Raptors twice. There’s not a team in Colorado that’s even managed to do it once this year.

    But the Cyclones aren’t worried about winning the second game. They know they have to just win the first and figure things out from there.

    “It’s just another game,” centerfielder Jayden Cordova said. “It’s taking it one game at a time and playing our game the right way.”

    Cordova went 1-for-1 with a single, a walk and he was hit by a pitch. He scored three runs on the day. The Cyclones will need that kind of production as well as the production they got through the lineup if they plan on coming away with a state championship on Saturday.

    Pueblo West baseball
    (Brad Cochi/BoCoPreps.com)

  • Video: June’s Jeffco Preps With Pleuss

    A roundup of Jeffco prep highlights from May with Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ Communication Specialist. This month’s edition features Golden’s boys lacrosse team pulling out a thrilling overtime victory in the Class 4A state championship game. Evergreen girls soccer battling it out in the 4A state title game for the second time in three years and Jefferson Academy trying to repeat at 3A girls soccer state champs. Wheat Ridge and Golden baseball teams headed to Colorado Springs for the 4A state tournament. We take a look back at the track and field state three-day state meet at Jeffco Stadium.

  • 3A baseball: Resurrection Christian, Lutheran and University still alive

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    GREELEY — All great teams are persistent.

    In the Class 3A baseball Final 4, Resurrection Christian was facing an uphill battle. They trailed University, the top seed in the bracket and the defending state champions, 4-0 heading into the fifth inning. The Cougars kept their focus, started chipping into the lead, and eventually crossed the plate for five runs in the seventh inning.

    Rez advanced to what amounts to a semifinal with a 6-5 upset of University, the only team who was unbeaten (3-0) entering the final weekend. The Cougars will now face Lutheran, 2-1 winners over traditional powerhouse Eaton, at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Butch Butler Field.

    The winner of that game will have another crack at University (26-2 record) at 12:30 p.m. for the championship.

    And so, Resurrection Christian (two-time state champions in 2A), has a shot to clinch their first title in 3A. They moved up a class in 2017.

    Will Schrotenboer

    “It feels great,” freshman Will Schrotenboer said of reaching the final day of the state tournament. “They deserve it. I love playing with those guys. We haven’t been there in 3A.”

    All three remaining teams, University, Rez, and Lutheran, have one loss. The Bulldogs will only have to play one game instead of two on Saturday, but Resurrection Christian proved again just how dangerous each of the teams have been in the playoffs. No one is going out quietly.

    The crucial 6-5 win over University was every bit as challenging as the one-run difference would indicate.

    Senior pitcher Colton Widler, one of the talented arms for the Bulldogs, had only given up two hits in the game through four innings. University had tallied runs on a two-RBI single by Jerry Martinez and an RBI triple by Andre Chacon in the third frame. A wild pitch allowed Chacon to score as well. At that point, the favored Bulldogs held a 4-0 advantage.

    Resurrection Christian found a spark.

    Zach Cook’s RBI single (two outs) pulled the Cougars within 4-1 of University in the top of the fifth inning. Then, Cook came through with another two-out RBI single in the seventh. Andrew Iwanicki and Zach Parrish followed with RBI hits of their own.

    Amazingly, the game was tied at 4-4. Will Schrotenboer, carrying a .367 average as a first-year hitter, stepped up to the plate. This was the biggest moment of the season.

    “Our coach is really good at talking us through it and getting us calmed down,” he said.

    Schrotenboer connected for a base hit and drove in two more runs. With five runs in the top of the seventh, the Cougars took a 6-4 lead against University.

    The defending champions were down to their last three outs, but Jerry Martinez came through with a sac fly to make it 6-5.

    Cook sealed the win for Resurrection Christian though. He pitched the final three innings after Sawyer Shepherd struck out six batters and scattered five hits. He gave up four runs, but limited the damage often. Shepherd also hit a double.

    “Zach Cook came in for relief and he pitched great,” Schrotenboer said. “Zach Parrish came in clutch with that hit at the end of the game.”

    Resurrection Christian boasts a 20-7 record. Their opponent in another semifinal game is Lutheran. The Lions began the season with four straight losses, three against teams from other states. One was a close loss against University (4-2), so they did show grit early on.

    Lutheran has a young group, but freshman Dorian Pacheco (RBI single to tie the game in fourth) is just one of many players who has shown growth. They are riding a 9-1 record in the past 10 contests.

    “We struggled to get things going,” Lutheran coach Seth Sorensen noted. “We couldn’t get any rhythm in the season with all the cancellations. Then, all of a sudden we started to come together as a team and get some momentum.”

    Pacheco is a key cog for the Lions, batting over .350 as a freshman. He delivered in crucial hit against Eaton.

    “Being a freshman, it is not easy at this level,” Sorensen said. “That kid competes all the time and for him to do what he did in that position, it was huge for us.”

    Sophomores Macy Barnhart and Saxton Sorensen combined for seven strikeouts and only one run given up despite facing one of 3A’s best lineups.

    Brody Schneider clouted a solo home run to left field, giving Lutheran a 2-1 advantage in the sixth inning. That was Schneider’s 11th homer this season. He has a .551 batting average.

    “He is truly a game-changer,” Sorensen said. “It is unbelievable and he’s such a humble kid. It’s pretty special.”

    Sorensen snuffed out Eaton’s attempts at tying the game. Ryan Ure did nail a triple for the Reds in the seventh, while adding a single and two walks. Jared Ure fanned eight Lutheran batters and gave up two runs. Eaton finished their season with a 22-5 record.

    Now only three teams are left standing in the 3A baseball playoffs. Lutheran, Resurrection Christian, and University, one will be crowned as the champion on Saturday at Butch Butler Field.

  • A look at the 12 remaining teams in this weekend’s state baseball tournaments

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2018-19 athletic season comes to an end this weekend with the conclusion of the Class 5A, 4A and 3A state baseball tournaments. Four teams remain in each class and champions will be crowned at three different sites.

    Heading into the weekend, here’s a brief breakdown of each remaining team and the outlook of each remaining classification.

    Brackets

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Regis Jesuit

    Regis Jesuit Grandview baseball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    • Season record: 23-5
    • State tournament record: 3-0
    • Next game: vs. Mountain Vista (12:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Caden Wagner (.432 avg., 10 HR, 38 RBI), Geno Macias (.389 avg., 9 2B, 2 HR, 25 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Patrick Strawbridge (1.50 ERA, 41 K, .174 OBA), Brent DiBiase (2.47 ERA, 47 K, .170 OBA)
    • Weekend outlook: The Raiders enter the second weekend of the tournament in firm control having not dropped a game last week. They’ll battle the defending 5A champion on Friday afternoon. A win over Mountain Vista would both eliminate a tough competitor and ensure that the Raiders must be beaten twice on Saturday.

    [divider]

    Mountain Vista

    Mountain Vista baseball team
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 25-3
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Regis Jesuit (12:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Sam Ireland (.426 avg., 12 2B, 5 HR), Grant Magill (.495 avg., 5 HR, 39 RBI), Drew Stahl (.391 avg., 8 HR, 40 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Ireland (8-0, 1.04 ERA, 54 K), Clay Burke (6-1, 2.22 ERA, 46 K)
    • Weekend outlook: A second-game loss to Grandview boxed the defending champs into a corner. With a lineup that is not short on power, the Golden Eagles will have to come out swinging and hope that there is enough pitching depth to work through three games. Ireland pitched a gem on April 20 when Mountain Vista beat Regis Jesuit so it wouldn’t be a shock to see the ball in the ace’s hand first thing on Friday.

    [divider]

    Cherry Creek

    Pine Creek Cherry Creek baseball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    • Season record: 21-7
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Grandview (10 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Brice Martinez (.412 avg., 6 3B, 31 RBI), Clay Cutter (.402 avg., 22 RBI, 25 R)
    • Pitching leaders: Nathan Mitchell (10-0, 2.52 ERA, 54 K), Nolan Livsey (3-1, 5.41 ERA, 53 K)
    • Weekend outlook: Down 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Bruins rallied back to advance to the second weekend of the state tournament. They’ll see league foe Grandview in an elimination game. Cherry Creek swept the regular season series against Grandview, winning 8-4 on April 6 and 13-9 on April 9. Both Livsey and Mitchell threw in those games so coach Marc Johnson could go either way with his starters.

    [divider]

    Grandview

    Grandview Mountain Vista baseball
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 19-9
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Cherry Creek (10 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Jayden Martinez (.407 avg., 3 3B, 27 R), Peter Goldy (.365 avg., 4 HR, 31 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Josh Hojnowski (7-4, 2.70 ERA), Goldy (5-0, 2.16 ERA, 47 K)
    • Weekend outlook: The Wolves battered the Mountain Vista pitching combination of Ben Cole and Tyler Mejia to stun the defending champions in the second day of the tournament. The had a chance to take control of the tournament, but fell to Regis Jesuit last Saturday. It’s win or go home for the Wolves and so far in 2019, their luck against Cherry Creek hasn’t been good. But all it takes is one game to advance.

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Silver Creek

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 26-2
    • State tournament record: 3-0
    • Next game: vs. Fort Morgan (1:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Spencer Rich (.505 avg., 7 HR, 45 R), Justin Swenson (.427 avg., 10 2B, 35 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Michael Wegleitner (8-1, 1.81 ERA, 41 K), Tanner Regan (7-0, 3.00 ERA, 53 K)
    • Weekend outlook: Silver Creek enters the final weekend of the state tournament as the lone undefeated team. In fact, the Raptors have no lost to a Colorado team at all in 2019. A win over Fort Morgan on Friday means that they’ll head into Saturday needing to lose twice to not come away with a state title.

    [divider]

    Fort Morgan

    Cheyenne Mountain Fort Morgan baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 19-9
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Silver Creek (1:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: JP Hamer (.395 avg., 6 3B, 5 HR), Nick Norris (.370 avg., 3 HR, 24 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Jacob Ortega (8-2, 3.96 ERA, 36 K), Mateo Salcido (5-1, 2.29 ERA, 38 K)
    • Weekend outlook: A seven-run fifth inning against Cheyenne Mountain powered Fort Morgan into the second weekend of the 4A tournament. If the Mustangs are going to have any hope of advancing to Saturday, they’ll have to beat Silver Creek, a team that hasn’t lost to a Colorado team all year.

    [divider]

    Pueblo West

    Pueblo West Silver Creek baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 25-3
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Holy Family (11 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Kyle Jameson (.477 avg., 7 3B, 51 R), Tyler Barth (.325 avg., 4 HR, 37 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Nate Denniston (8-0, 1.43 ERA, 64 K), Devon Neff (6-1, 4.47 ERA, 51 K)
    • Weekend outlook: When Pueblo West advances to the second weekend of the state tournament, it’s typically as the only undefeated team in the bracket. That’s not the case this year. Now the guesswork when it comes to pitching matchups is gone for coach Dan Sanchez. His boys just have to win and move on.

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    Holy Family

    Silver Creek Holy Family baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 22-6
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Pueblo West (11 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Collin Kringlen (.476 avg., 6 HR, 25 RBI), Zach Becker (.368 avg., 3 HR, 29 R)
    • Pitching leaders: Weston Siefken (1.58 ERA, 99 K, .195 OBA), Jordon McFarland (7-2, 2.55 ERA, 56 K)
    • Weekend outlook: Collin Kringlen put on a show last week, homering in each of the Tigers three games. If Holy Family is to get by Pueblo West and have a chance on Friday, he needs to continue swinging a hot bat and Siefken and McFarland need to shine on the mound just like they did against Cheyenne Mountain and Erie, respectively.

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    University

    University Lamar baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 26-1
    • State tournament record: 3-0
    • Next game: vs. Resurrection Christian (10 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Nolan Johnson (.513 avg., 9 2B, 39 R), Andre Chacon (.432 avg., 1 HR, 29 RBI)
    • Pitching leaders: Koy Jorgensen (10-0, 2.14 ERA, 66 K), Kalob Padilla (7-0, 2.19 ERA, 63 K)
    • Weekend outlook: Needing just two wins this weekend, the defending 3A champs have a solid one-two pitching combination and a wide distribution of offense through the lineup. Five players have driven at least 20 runs on the year and although University hasn’t blown anyone out in this state tournament, the play has been consistent. If that consistency carries over this week, they could easily defend its title.

    [divider]

    Resurrection Christian

    (Geoffrey Sager/MaxPreps)
    • Season record: 19-7
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. University (10 a.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Sawyer Shepherd (.432 avg., 4 HR, 34 RBI), Jackson Romero (.403 avg., 4 3B, 33 R)
    • Pitching leaders: Zach Cook (4-3, 1.11 ERA, 34 K), Sawyer Shepherd (5-3, 4.62 ERA, 42 K)
    • Weekend outlook: If there’s one big thing Resurrection Christian has going for it this week, it’s the confidence that they can beat a team that they didn’t in the regular season. The Cougars lost a 13-inning nail-biter to Eaton on April 25 but came out strong last weekend, beating the Red 10-2 to open their state tournament. Rez lost to University back on April 18, but get a second crack on Friday. A win over the Bulldogs would setup a true semifinal situation on Saturday with the winner getting a crack at the defending champs.

    [divider]

    Lutheran

    (Geoffrey Sager/MaxPreps)
    • Season record: 16-10
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Eaton (12:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Brody Schneider (.551 avg., 10 HR, 42 RBI), Nick Crandall (.416 avg., 26 SB, 32 R)
    • Pitching leaders: Macy Barnhart (5-1, 2.73 ERA, 35 K), Landin Latino (0-1, 4.67 ERA, 35 K)
    • Weekend outlook: At first glance, Lutheran scores a lot of runs, but the rest of the 3A field isn’t exactly shy of getting runners across the plate. After beating Rez Christian 16-6, the Lions hung with the defending state champs in a 9-7 loss last Saturday. They’ll have to beat Eaton if they want another crack at University.

    [divider]

    Eaton

    Eaton baseball team
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    • Season record: 22-4
    • State tournament record: 2-1
    • Next game: vs. Lutheran (12:30 p.m. Friday)
    • Offensive leaders: Ryan Ure (.506 avg., 5 HR, 50 RBI), Bryce Leafgren (.407 avg., 10 2B, 34 R)
    • Pitching leaders: Jared Ure (7-1, 1.98 ERA, 92 K, .195 OBA), Ryan Ure (4-0, 0.89 ERA, 69 K)
    • Weekend outlook: The Ure brothers have made Eaton a strong team all year. A loss in the first game of the state tournament set back the traditional 3A power, but with each game meaning potential elimination, the siblings will look to hit the cover off the ball and mow down hitters at every opportunity.

  • Game times set for final weekend of the state baseball tournaments

    Pueblo West Silver Creek baseball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    AURORA — The game times have been set for the final weekend of the state baseball tournaments.

    With four teams remaining in the class 5A, 4A and 3A brackets, the CHSAA office released game times for the Friday games at each site.

    Note that on Saturday, game times at each site will be 10 a.m. and, if necessary, 12:30 p.m.

    If weather is a factor, play will be completed on the next available day, which includes Sunday.

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    At All-City Field, Denver

    Remaining teams:

    • Regis Jesuit (3-0)
    • Cherry Creek (2-1)
    • Grandview (2-1)
    • Mountain Vista (2-1)

    Friday:

    • 10 am: Grandview vs. Cherry Creek (Game 12)
    • 12:30 pm: Regis Jesuit vs. Mountain Vista (Game 13)

    Saturday:

    • 10 am: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13 (Game 14)
    • 12:30 pm: If Regis Jesuit loses game 13 or Game 14, this game will be necessary (Game 15)

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    At Vibes Stadium, Colorado Springs

    Remaining teams:

    • Silver Creek (3-0)
    • Fort Morgan (2-1)
    • Holy Family (2-1)
    • Pueblo West (2-1)

    Friday:

    • 11 am: Pueblo West vs. Holy Family (Game 12)
    • 1:30 pm: Silver Creek vs. Fort Morgan (Game 13)

    Saturday:

    • 10 am: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13 (Game 14)
    • 12:30 pm: If Silver Creek loses Game 13 or Game 14, this game will be necessary (Game 15)

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    At Butch Butler Field, Greeley

    Remaining teams:

    • University (3-0)
    • Eaton (2-1)
    • Lutheran (2-1)
    • Resurrection Christian (2-1)

    Friday:

    • 10 am: University vs. Resurrection Christian (Game 12)
    • 12:30 pm: Lutheran vs. Eaton (Game 13)

    Saturday:

    • 10 am: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13 (Game 14)
    • 12:30 pm: If University loses Game 12 or Game 14, this game will be necessary (Game 15)

  • Rock Canyon hires Allan Dyer as its baseball coach

    Cherokee Trail Dakota Ridge baseball
    (File photo)

    Rock Canyon has hired former state championship coach Allan Dyer as its next baseball coach, athletic director Tom Brieske announced on Tuesday:

    Dyer coached at Cherokee Trail from 2003-17, where he started the program. He led them to two championships in his time as coach, including the Class 5A title in 2016.

    Dyer will take over for Garrett Duman, whose teams were 26-21 in two seasons.