Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Chaparral (6)
0-0
86
2
Cherokee Trail (2)
0-0
80
3
Valor Christian (1)
0-0
59
4
Eaglecrest
0-0
49
5
Cherry Creek
0-0
47
6
Fort Collins
0-0
41
7
Grandview
0-0
37
8
Chatfield
0-0
22
9
Mountain Vista
0-0
19
10
Fossil Ridge
0-0
15
Others receiving votes:
Rampart 11, Windsor 9, Adams City 5, Rocky Mountain 4, Columbine 3, Pine Creek 3, Rock Canyon 3, Legend 2.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lewis-Palmer (9)
0-0
95
2
Holy Family
0-0
64
3
Longmont
0-0
61
4
Niwot
0-0
57
5
Palmer Ridge
0-0
38
6
Discovery Canyon
0-0
37
7
Mead (1)
0-0
35
8
Cheyenne Mountain
0-0
32
9
Silver Creek
0-0
31
10
Ponderosa
0-0
21
Others receiving votes:
Evergreen 17, Berthoud 14, Pueblo West 10, Air Academy 9, Thomas Jefferson 9, Erie 5, Montrose 5, Coronado 4, Palisade 3, George Washington 2, Mullen 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lutheran (8)
0-0
88
2
Eaton
0-0
73
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0
70
4
Alamosa
0-0
46
5
Faith Christian
0-0
42
6
Sterling
0-0
40
7
University
0-0
36
8
Platte Valley
0-0
33
9
Resurrection Christian
0-0
20
10
Valley
0-0
17
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 7, Bishop Machebeuf 5, Centauri 4, Pagosa Springs 4, Delta 3, La Junta 2, Middle Park 2, St. Mary’s 2, Peak to Peak 1.
If talent heading into 2019 is being judged on where volleyball players sat on the state stat leaders list, there are high-quality players returning this season.
The 2018 season saw players at all classifications put up impressive numbers throughout the year and in the case of some categories, overall leaders will be right back on the floor when things get rolling this fall.
Ahead is a look at some of the players that are looking at putting up solid stats once again when the 2019 Colorado volleyball begins next month.
[divider]
Kills
Silver Creek senior Caitlin Volkmann was a wrecking machine last year. She finished the season with the most kills in the state, recording 552 through the course of the season. She was one of just two players in Colorado to record more than 500 kills in 2018. The other was Fleming’s Whitney Chintala who cleared that mark as a freshman and should be one of the premier hitters in the state.
Eaglecrest’s Audrey Black led all Class 5A hitters with 442 kills and will be back for the Raptors this season. Lutheran’s Payton Brgoch led all 3A returners with 434 and Lyons’ Taylor Maguire had 481 to top all players returning at 2A.
Aces
The ability to score a point without the other team returning a serve can be vital to a team’s success. Pikes Peak Christian’s Kyler Sweat returns in 2019 having dished out 87 aces last year to lead players coming back this season. Dawson’s Angelina Sala was just five behind sweat with 82 aces to top the 2A field and she’ll be back as a junior.
Fossil Ridge’s Rachel Lambrecht recorded 73 aces, topping returning 5A players. In her first year of varsity volleyball, Lincoln’s Evelyn Montalvo-Lopez was tied for third in all of 4A with 70 aces. She’s hoping she can top the field in 2019 as just a sophomore.
The same can be said for DSST: College View’s Jandel Bracamontes. Her 80 aces were tied with Eagle Ridge Academy’s Emma Cable for second in all of 3A. Both players will be back and trying to strike off the serve for their teams.
Blocks
Ellicott’s Dalton Henderson was a nightmare for hitters trying to attack the net. The now-sophomore ranked second in the entire state with 159 blocks last year topping the list of players coming back this season.
She edged Horizon’s Lauren Strain who led all 5A returners with 157. If Grandview’s Addison O’Grady and Chaparral’s Julianna Dalton are factored in, 5A sees its top three blockers returning in 2019.
Alameda’s Felicity Trujillo Maldonado tops the returning 4A players with 112. Woodland Park’s Sarah Garner was right behind her with 111.
Soroco’s Tyla Johnson led 2A returners with 142 and La Veta’s Desi Ortivez led all of 1A 123 and will return as a senior.
Digs
Holy Family’s Peyton Frank doesn’t top the list of returning players with the most digs, she led the entire state in the category last year.
Merino’s Faith Trenkle tops the field of returning 1A players with 642 and Fleming’s Whitney Chintala was also right there at 639. Both players joined Frank as three of the top four leaders across the state last year.
Rampart’s Grace Wilkinson is the 5A player coming back with the most kills (497) this fall while Sterling’s Jade Feather (571) holds that honor in 3A.
Highland’s Alyssa Winter led all 2A players with 552 digs last year and will be back as a senior in 2019.
As long as Kennedey Johnson is setting up Payton Brgoch for a kill, good things are going to be happening for Lutheran volleyball.
That was certainly the case a year ago. As juniors, Johnson and Brgoch put up staggering numbers as the Lions made their way through the Class 3A bracket, ultimately coming away with the program’s third state championship.
“It was the best feeling ever,” Johnson said. “Especially after losing to (five-time defending champion Eaton) in the second round. We knew we’d have another opportunity to do it and we knew we were the only team that could do it.”
The first thing that helps on a road to a championship is a dominating hitter. Brgoch proved to be just that as she was one of just two 3A players to record over 400 kills in the 2018 season. The other was Eaton senior Mackenzie Harris.
Harris and Brgoch went head-to-head early in the state tournament it was Eaton who came away with the four-set win.
Harris edged Brgoch in kills 23-21, and although the eventual 3A player of the year had a more effective hitting percentage (.588 to .365), the Reds’ win over the top-seeded team in 3A was a big deal early in the tournament.
“Getting over the mental hurdles (was going to be big),” coach Alicia Oates said. “They were beatable, we just had to play our game.”
The new double-elimination format kept Lutheran alive, but the Lions couldn’t afford another slip-up.
“Our biggest thing was getting to the semis,” Brgoch said. “That was our goal so we just started focusing on the next team.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The next three matches were all dominating wins for the Lions as they dropped just one set the rest of the way. They advanced to the semifinals where they once again clashed with Eaton. Harris again edged Brgoch in kills, but Johnson and Brgoch were effective enough (31 assists and 29 kills, respectively) to lead Lutheran to a five-set win.
It took just four sets for Lutheran to beat Colorado Springs Christian to win the state title.
“We all just came together,” Brgoch said. “We learned something from the loss (to Eaton) and I think we played more together at that point.”
The Lions lost four seniors from last year’s championship team, but still returns plenty of veteran experience. But perhaps the biggest factor coming back is the dominating duo of Johnson and Brgoch.
“It’s huge, just as far as confidence and leadership,” Oates said. “They are really good leaders in terms of service leadership. They’ll be the first ones in the gym setting up the nets and the other girls will see that. They lead by example.”
Both were first-team all-state selections and were the only juniors to be awarded that honor. They’re hoping that the momentum they establish last season will carry over to 2019.
What else would the expectations for a championship-winning duo heading into its senior year be?
“Having Payton and I accomplish that and knowing we’re the only ones returning is a great feeling,” Johnson said. “We’re going to be constantly working and we’re going to be pushing our teammates so that we’re able to try and repeat. We’re setting a tone that we’re going for it.”
The 2019 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
Mountain Vista’s Sam Ireland. (Tim Bourke)
Player of the year: Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista
Coach of the year: Matt Darr, Regis Jesuit
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Riley Cornelio
Pine Creek
RHP/INF
Senior
Sam Ireland
Mountain Vista
RHP/3B/1B
Senior
AJ Jergensen
Ralston Valley
OF
Senior
Geno Macias
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Brice Martinez
Cherry Creek
Jack Moss
Cherry Creek
Drew Stahl
Mountain Vista
INF
Senior
Jacob Thompsen
Regis Jesuit
Junior
Caden Wagner
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Justin Boyd
Legend
SS/CF
Senior
Jose Cintron
Overland
3B/2B/INF
Senior
Peter Goldy
Grandview
RHP/1B
Senior
Calvin Hunt
Ralston Valley
RHP
Senior
Cale Lansville
ThunderRidge
Grant Magill
Mountain Vista
C
Senior
Nathan Mitchell
Cherry Creek
Ryan Stohr
Dakota Ridge
RHP/1B
Senior
Patrick Strawbridge
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Case Williams
Douglas County
RHP/3B/1B
Junior
Honorable mention:
Trey Adams, Ralston Valley, INF/RHP, Senior
Simon Baumgardt, Lakewood, P/SS, Senior
Radek Birkholz, Valor Christian, P/INF, Sophomore
Zach Boone, Castle View, CF/LF, Senior
Clay Burke, Mountain Vista, RHP/1B, Senior
Jake Campbell, Rocky Mountain, P/1B, Senior
Tony Castonguay, Grandview, C/3B, Junior
Pete Chronowski, Heritage, LHP, Senior
Kellen Cox, Cherokee Trail
Garrett Crawford, Overland, OF/RHP, Junior
Clay Cutter, Cherry Creek
John Emerson, Denver East, CF/LHP/SS, Senior
Chase Esplin, Legacy, Junior
Matt Glover, Denver South, RHP/OF/SS, Sophomore
Jake Greiving, Legend, C/OF/3B, Senior
Josh Hojnowski, Grandview, RHP/3B, Senior
Ben Horwith, Douglas County, Senior
Owen Lockner, Windsor, Senior
Jayden Martinez, Grandview, OF, Senior
Braden Martinez, Windsor, Senior
Bryce Matthews, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Ryan McKown, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Mason Mitchell, Heritage, OF/RHP, Senior
Justin Moehlenpah, Horizon, LHP/OF, Senior
Ben Perla, Cherry Creek
Jaren Piepho, Rocky Mountain, C, Senior
Kevin Pipich, Rock Canyon, RHP/1B, Senior
J.C. Rodriguez, Far Northeast Warriors, Sophomore
Jacob Roybal, Chatfield, P/OF, Junior
Teddy Schoenfeld, Boulder, Senior
Macully Sehr, Legacy, Sophomore
Colby Shade, Fort Collins, OF, Junior
Derek Shaver, Grand Junction, Senior
Blake Templeton, Fort Collins, SS/RHP, Junior
Diego Velasquez, Smoky Hill, P/1B/OF, Junior
Ben Whipple, Valor Christian, RHP/1B, Sophomore
Tristan Wolf, Mountain Range
Matt Zaccaro, Bear Creek, OF/P, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
Pueblo West’s Tyler Barth. (Bobby Stevens/MaxPreps)
Player of the year: Tyler Barth, Pueblo West
Coach of the year: Dan Sanchez, Pueblo West
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Lincoln Andrews
Canon City
INF/P
Senior
Aaron Arcilise
Wheat Ridge
RHP/INF
Senior
Tyler Barth
Pueblo West
Senior
Aaron Berkhoff
Cheyenne Mountain
INF
Senior
Charlie Deeds
Palmer Ridge
SS/RHP/2B
Senior
Nate Denniston
Pueblo West
Senior
Kyle Jameson
Pueblo West
Senior
Collin Kringlen
Holy Family
1B/RHP
Senior
Spencer Rich
Silver Creek
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Tayler Aguilar
Northridge
CF
Senior
Brodie Blackford
Pueblo West
Junior
Jayden Cordova
Pueblo West
Senior
JP Hamer
Fort Morgan
Senior
Ben McLaughlin
Golden
SS/RHP
Junior
Brady Renck
Longmont
2B/SS/P
Senior
Jason Shuger
Lewis-Palmer
P/INF
Senior
John Thoren
Erie
Michael Wegleitner
Silver Creek
Junior
Honorable mention:
Zach Becker, Holy Family, SS/2B/RHP, Senior
Johnny Behm, Lewis-Palmer, /OF, Senior
Dominic Bronk, Wheat Ridge, 3B/RHP, Junior
Angel Carlos, Lincoln, Senior
Tyler Declusin, Pueblo West, Senior
Devin Dodson, Cheyenne Mountain, C/RHP, Junior
Tyler Dollahan, Glenwood Springs, Senior
Garrett Flaagan, Eagle Valley
Avery Fulford, Conifer, Senior
Michael Guber, George Washington, UTIL/RHP, Senior
Chris Gumeson, Longmont, RF/C/INF, Senior
Tyler Hrin, Thomas Jefferson, OF/1B/LHP, Freshman
Charlie Jackson, Silver Creek, Junior
William Kapner, Evergreen, 2B/1B, Junior
Emmert Kastendieck, Montrose, OF, Junior
Noah Lasecki, The Classical Academy, 1B/P, Senior
Isaac Linker, Fort Morgan, Senior
Cesar Loma, Greeley Central, 3B/RHP/C, Senior
Seth Lucero, Denver North, SS/RHP/OF, Senior
Nico Martin, Pueblo Central, CF, Senior
Parker Martin, Coronado, C/INF/OF, Senior
Cole Martino, Pueblo County, P/1B/3B, Sophomore
Bryce McKee, Coronado, SS/UTIL/RHP, Senior
Kolton Miller, Ponderosa, Sophomore
Adam Muniz, Pueblo Central, 3B/SS/2B, Senior
Corey Musch, Skyview, CF/LF, Senior
Cameron Nellor, Thompson Valley, SS/P/UTIL, Junior
DENVER, PUEBLO and GREELEY — The 2019 state baseball championship games in 3A, 4A and 5A are on Saturday. The 3A and 5A tournaments have semifinals prior to the title games, with three teams remaining in those brackets.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
GREELEY — University won their first baseball crown in 21 years when they topped Lamar last season. That team was deep with hitters as 10 Bulldogs finished with a .400 or better average.
Jerry Martinez is a talented batter, but he was not in the lineup back then. In fact, he moved from California around three months ago. He had heard about the stacked blue and white ball club though.
“I just knew they were a really great squad,” he said. “My dad was here before and he talked to me about the schools. I looked into them and their record last year was incredible.”
On Saturday, during a matchup between the only 2-0 teams in the Class 3A state tournament, Martinez and his fellow Bulldogs were able to fend off Lutheran 9-7 in a memorable game. With the victory, University is the only 3-0 team remaining in the bracket. They will be joined by Eaton, Resurrection Christian, and Lutheran in next weekend’s semifinals.
Jerry Martinez. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
Martinez did his part for his new club, pitching four scoreless innings before finally allowing two earned runs in the fifth. A hot Lutheran lineup, one that produced 17 hits and 15 runs against Resurrection Christian on Friday, was mostly quieted by the junior. He only allowed three total hits and had a pair of hits himself.
“I was going with a fastball and a curveball most of the time,” Martinez said. “Those were working. I needed to stick to that and stick to my mentality.”
He did, but his pitching counterpart, Landin Latino (5 1/3 innings, 4 strikeouts, 3 earned runs), kept Lutheran in the game as well.
The contest was still scoreless after four innings. Finally, University broke the tie as Nolan Johnson’s infield single allowed River Jackson to cross home plate to give University a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
The Lions responded by loading the bases in the bottom of the inning and scoring on a wild throw and a sacrifice fly Brody Schneider. Lutheran held a 2-1 advantage with only two innings to go.
Then, the bats really came alive as each team began dipping further into their pitching staff. A young Lutheran (16-10) team that is growing up quickly was challenging the defending state champions and this year’s favorites.
University’s offense is potent though and the Bulldogs went on a scoring binge in the top of the sixth inning. Mason Ewing scored on a fielder’s choice, and then sophomore catcher Alex Martinez cranked a towering triple to drive in another run.
University tacked on three more runs on an error, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Johnson and led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth. They had five hits and five runs in the inning.
And yet, Lutheran matched University in hits and runs in the bottom half of the frame. An RBI single by Aaron Morgan and an RBI double by Kyle Budnack pulled the Lions within 6-4. Then, Nate Nejedlo cracked a two-RBI single to tie it. Teagan Rae added an RBI double as Lutheran took a 7-6 lead.
How would University respond?
“For us, we’ve been down before but that doesn’t mean anything,” Jerry Martinez said. “These guys can really hit. No matter what the score is, what inning, how many outs, we just bang the ball. No matter what, we always bounce back.”
While Lutheran again showed off their firepower, and they will be very dangerous in the semifinals, it is difficult to beat the champions. They have a 26-1 record for a reason.
Only a freshman, River Jackson came through again with a game-tying RBI double in the top of the seventh inning. Then, senior Joe Medina singled in two more runs. Another senior more than did his part, as well, in the final inning.
“I have to give it to Braden Furister,” Martinez said proudly. “He came in seventh inning, two outs, behind in the count, and he draws a walk. That allows River to score him in.”
Furister closed the game out by retiring all three Lutheran batters.
“Everybody in the lineup can hit, everybody can pitch,” Martinez added.” If we need someone to pinch run, they do their job. There’s excellent talent on this team.”
With how many members of the team contribute for University, the Bulldogs (Patriot League champs) remain the title favorites going into the last weekend. Lutheran has also advanced to the semifinals.
They are joined in the final four by two Patriot League rivals in Eaton and Resurrection Christian. Eaton piled up 25 runs on Saturday, beating St. Mary’s 9-3 and Delta 16-1. The Reds are also the only team who has beaten University this season, a 10-4 home win on April 6.
Resurrection Christian, a two-time state champion in 2A, reached the Final 4 for the first time in 3A (they moved up in 2017) by defeating Alamosa 18-7 on Saturday. They have a number of talented hitters and pitchers, as well.
