CLASS 5A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

Friday May 18th

10:00am:  #1 Cherry Creek (19-2) vs #8 Pine Creek (19-2)

12:30pm:  #4 Ralston Valley (15-6) vs #5 Legend (16-4)

10:00am:  #3 Regis (17-4) vs #6 Dakota Ridge (17-3)

12:30pm:  #2 Grandview (19-2) vs #7 Highlands Ranch (15-6)

Second Round

3:00pm:  Cherry Creek/Pine Creek vs Ralston Valley/Legend

3:00pm:  Regis/Dakota Ridge vs Grandview/Highlands Ranch

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CLASS 4A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

Friday May 18^th

10:00am:  #1 Air Academy (19-2) vs #8 Windsor (13-8)

12:30pm:  #4 Cheyenne Mountain (17-4) vs #5 Canon City (17-14)

10:00am:  #3 D’Evelyn (16-5) vs #6 Longmont (15-6)

12:30pm:  #2 Broomfield (17-4) vs #7 Montrose (18-3)

Second Round

3:00pm:  Air Academy/Windsor vs Cheyenne Mountain/Canon City

3:00pm:  D’Evelyn/Longmont vs Broomfield/Montrose

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CLASS 3A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

Friday May 18^th

10:00am:  #1 Faith Christian (20-1) vs #8 Holy Family (16-5)

12:00pm:  #4 Olathe (16-5) vs #5 Trinidad (14-7)

10:00am:  #3 Weld Central (10-11) vs #6 Brush (15-6)

12:00pm:  #2 Eaton (18-3) vs #7 Lamar (11-10)

Second Round

3:00pm:  Faith Christian/Holy Family vs Olathe/Trinidad

3:00pm:  Weld Central/Brush vs Eaton/Lamar

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CLASS 2A – STATE SEMIFINALS

Friday May 18th

12:00pm:  #1 Rye (21-1) vs #5 Byers (14-4)

2:30pm:  #3 Resurrection Christian (18-3) vs #7 Paonia (17-5)

• Winners play for Championship on Saturday at 3:30pm

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CLASS 1A – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday May 19^th

1:00pm:  Baca County (16-2) vs Stratton (12-4)

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DISTRICT #1

10:00am:  #1 Air Academy (17-2) vs #32 Silver Creek (9-9)

12:30pm:  #16 Discovery Canyon (12-7) vs #17 Pueblo County (12-7)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #2

10:00am:  #8 Evergreen (14-5) vs #25 Windsor (11-8)

12:30pm:  #9 Palisade (17-2) vs #24 Lewis Palmer (7-12)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #3

FINAL:  #4 Cheyenne Mountain beat #29 Fort Lupton 11-1

FINAL:  #13 Valor Christian beat #20 Roosevelt 13-1

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Cheyenne Mountain beat Valor Christian 8-4

DISTRICT #4

FINAL:  #5 Durango beat #28 Delta 17-0

FINAL:  #12 Canon City beat #21 Wheat Ridge 11-1

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Canon City beat Durango 7-4

DISTRICT #5

FINAL:  #2 Broomfield beat #31 Palmer Ridge 12-2

FINAL:  #15 Green Mountain beat #18 Falcon 10-0

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Broomfield beat Green Mountain 3-1

DISTRICT #6

FINAL:  #7 Montrose beat #26 Glenwood Springs 6-0

FINAL:  #10 Pueblo West beat #23 Kennedy 15-5

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Montrose beat Pueblo West 6-5

DISTRICT #7

FINAL:  #3 D’Evelyn beat #30 Widefield 8-1

FINAL:  #19 Thompson Valley beat #14 Thomas Jefferson 10-0

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  D’Evelyn beat Thompson Valley 7-3

DISTRICT #8

FINAL:  #27 Coronado beat #6 Northridge 3-2

FINAL:  #11 Longmont beat #22 Fort Morgan 2-1

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Longmont beat Coronado 3-2

DISTRICT #1

FINAL:  #1 Faith Christian beat #32 Gunnison 11-1

FINAL:  #17 Cedaredge beat #16 Classical Academy 6-5

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Faith Christian beat Cedaredge 12-1

DISTRICT #2

FINAL:  #8 Holy Family beat #25 Sheridan 7-3

FINAL:  #9 Bayfield beat #24 Buena Vista 6-4

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Holy Family beat Bayfield 6-4

DISTRICT #3

FINAL:  #4 Hotchkiss beat #29 Centauri 3-2

FINAL:  #13 Olathe beat #20 Peak to Peak 15-5

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Olathe beat Hotchkiss 6-2

DISTRICT #4

FINAL:  #5 Florence beat #28 Roaring Fork 3-1

FINAL:  #21 Trinidad beat #12 Platte Canyon 1-0

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Trinidad beat Florence 6-5

DISTRICT #5

FINAL:  #2 Eaton beat #31 Academy 6-0

FINAL:  #15 Middle Park beat #18 La Junta 4-3

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Eaton beat Middle Park 15-5

DISTRICT #6

10:00am:  #7 Lamar (14-4) vs #26 Alamosa (8-11)

12:30pm:  #10 Machebeuf (15-4) vs #23 Valley (11-8)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #7

FINAL:  #30 Weld Central beat #3 Rifle 6-0

FINAL:  #14 University beat #19 Colorado Academy 1-0

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Weld Central beat University 6-0

DISTRICT #8

FINAL:  #6 Brush beat #27 St Mary’s 7-3

FINAL:  #11 Strasburg beat #22 Bennett 1-0

• CHAMPIONSHIP:  Brush beat Strasburg 5-0

DISTRICT #1

Play in Game:  George Washington vs Westminster (Wednesday May 9^th)

10:00am:  #1 Cherry Creek (17-2) vs GW/Westminster winner

12:30pm:  #16 Monarch (14-5) vs #17 Ponderosa (13-6)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #2

10:00am:  #8 Pine Creek (17-2) vs #25 Pomona (9-10)

12:30pm:  #9 Mullen (12-7) vs #24 Fort Collins (9-10)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #3

10:00am:  #4 Columbine (13-5) vs #29 Mountain Range (12-7)

12:30pm:  #13 Ralston Valley (13-6) vs #20 Grand Junction (13-6)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #4

10:00am:  #5 Legend (14-4) vs #28 Prairie View (11-8)

12:30pm:  #12 Brighton (17-2) vs #21 Douglas County (13-6)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #5

10:00am:  #2 Grandview (17-2) vs #31 Rangeview (10-9)

12:30pm:  #15 Chaparral (11-7) vs #18 Rocky Mountain (18-7)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #6

10:00am:  #7 Highlands Ranch (13-6) vs #26 Chatfield (10-9)

12:30pm:  #10 Poudre (12-7) vs #23 Rampart (13-6)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #7

10:00am:  #3 Regis (15-4) vs #30 Northglenn (10-8)

12:30pm:  #14 Denver East (17-2) vs #19 Liberty (13-6)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

DISTRICT #8

10:00am:  #6 Dakota Ridge (15-3) vs #27 Fruita Monument (11-8)

12:30pm:  #11 Legacy (15-4) vs #22 Cherokee Trail (11-8)

• Winners play at 3:00pm

All games below are listed in bracket order.

CLASS 1A STATE TOURNAMENT

SAT/MAY 12^TH – Thomas Jefferson HS

FINAL:  Elbert beat Dove Creek 7-1

FINAL:  Baca County beat Caliche 7-2

• SEMIFINAL:  Baca County beat Elbert 16-0

SAT/MAY 12^TH – Englewood HS

FINAL:  Stratton beat Granada 10-0

FINAL:  Fleming beat Community Christian 6-4

• SEMIFINAL:  Stratton beat Fleming 8-1

State Championship May 19^th at Englewood High School (1:00pm)

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CLASS 2A REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

SAT/MAY 12^TH – Runyon Complex – Pueblo

FINAL:  #1 Rye beat #16 Center 20-0

FINAL:  #9 Swink beat #8 Limon 4-2

• FINAL:  Rye beat Swink 10-3

SAT/MAY 12^TH – All City Field – Denver

FINAL:  #4 Denver Christian beat #13 Dayspring Christian 14-1 (5)

FINAL:  #5 Byers beat #12 Sedgwick County 9-2

• FINAL:  Byers beat Denver Christian 5-2

SAT/MAY 12^TH – All Star Park – Lakewood

FINAL:  #3 Resurrection Christian beat #14 Rangely 6-2

FINAL:  #6 Lutheran beat #11 Burlington 8-6

• FINAL:  Resurrection Christian bat Lutheran 6-4

SAT/MAY 12^TH – Runyon Complex – Pueblo

FINAL:  #2 Las Animas beat #15 John Mall 6-0

FINAL:  #7 Paonia beat #10 Sargent 5-4

• FINAL:  Paonia beat Las Animas 2-1

Only the third qualifier from the Intermountain conference has yet to be determined as results from the Pagosa Springs – Monte Vista doubleheader are not yet known.  The final berth from the Tri Peaks conference was determined in cross divisional play on Saturday as St Mary’s downed Manitou Springs 14-4 in a battle of fourth place teams.  Florence also blanked Lamar (6-0) to win the overall league championship.

CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT QUALIFIERS

Frontier

1. Middle Park (15-3)
2. Platte Canyon (12-6)
3. Bennett (12-7)
4. Sheridan (13-6)
5. The Academy (9-10)

Intermountain

1. Bayfield (13-6)
2. Alamosa (8-11)
3. Pagosa Springs / Centauri

Metro

1. Faith Christian (17-1)
2. Machebeuf (15-4)
3. Holy Family (12-5)
4. Colorado Academy (12-6)
5. Peak to Peak (12-6)

Patriot

1. Eaton (16-2)
2. Brush (13-6)
3. Strasburg (13-6)
4. University (12-7)
5. Valley (11-8)
6. Weld Central (8-11)

Tri Peaks

1. Florence (11-8)
2. Lamar (14-4)
3. Classical Academy (14-4)
4. La Junta (12-7)
5. Trinidad (12-7)
6. Buena Vista (12-7)
7. St Mary’s (11-7)

Western Slope

1. Rifle (17-2)
2. Hotchkiss (15-2)
3. Olathe (14-5)
4. Cedaredge (12-7)
5. Roaring Fork (9-8)
6. Gunnison (9-10)

CLASS 2A REGIONAL QUALIFIERS

1. Denver Christian (15-6)
2. Lutheran (13-7)
3. Sargent (12-3)
4. Center (10-11)
5. Swink (15-4)
6. Las Animas
7. Resurrection Christian
8. Dayspring Christian
9. Sedgwick County
10. Burlington
11. Rye
12. John Mall (11-8)
13. Limon
14. Byers
15. Paonia
16. Rangely

CLASS 1A STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS

Dove Creek vs Elbert (8-4)

Baca County (14-2) vs Caliche

Stratton (10-4) vs Granada (11-6)

Fleming (14-5) vs Community Christian (16-3)

CLASS 1A

District One (1 team qualifies)

SAT/MAY 5TH – CHAMPIONSHIP:  (Montrose High School)

FINAL:  Dove Creek beat Cotopaxi 23-4

District Two (3 teams qualify)

THURS/MAY 3RD – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

FINAL:  Elbert beat Simla 17-7

FINAL:  Stratton beat Community Christian 10-0

FINAL:  Stratton beat Elbert 6-0 (Championship)

FINAL:  Community Christian beat Simla 2-1 (Third Place) – Stratton, Elbert and Community Christian advance

District Three (2 teams qualify)

TUES/MAY 1ST – QUARTERFINALS (Home Sites)

Baca County – Bye

FINAL:  Holly beat Eads 9-8

FINAL:  Cheyenne Wells beat Manzanola 7-4

FINAL:  Granada beat Springfield 13-3

FRI/MAY 4TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Rocky Ford HS)

FINAL:  Baca County beat Holly 13-3

FINAL:  Granada beat Cheyenne Wells (final n/a)

FINAL:  Baca County beat Granada 16-6 (Championship) – Baca County & Granada advance to state

District Four (2 teams qualify)

TUES/MAY 1ST – PIGTAIL & QUARTERFINALS (NJC in Sterling)

FINAL:  Peetz beat Prairie 13-3 (Pigtail)

FINAL:  Fleming beat Peetz 14-6

FINAL:  Merino beat Briggsdale 12-5

FINAL:  Haxtun beat Pawnee 4-3

FINAL:  Caliche beat Weldon Valley 11-0

WED/MAY 2ND – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

FINAL:  Fleming beat Merino 11-10

FINAL:  Caliche beat Haxtun 1-0 (9)

FINAL:  Fleming beat Caliche 13-3 (Championship) – Fleming and Caliche advance to state

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CLASS 2A (Top 2 teams advance from each district)

District One

FRI/MAY 4TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Ortega MS – Alamosa)

FINAL:  Sargent beat Sanford 6-4

FINAL:  Center beat Del Norte 12-3

FINAL:  Sargent beat Center 18-3 (Championship) – Sargent and Center advance to regionals

District Two

SAT/MAY 5TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Cortez)

FINAL:  Rangely beat Dolores 7-0 (Denny no-hitter)

FINAL:  Paonia beat Ignacio 14-2 (5)

FINAL:  Paonia beat Rangely 17-4 (5) (Championship)

District Three

TUES/MAY 1ST – QUARTERFINALS (Host Sites)

Limon – Bye

FINAL:  Peyton beat Evangelical Christian 7-1

FINAL:  Kiowa beat Miami Yoder 20-0

FINAL:  Byers beat Calhan 14-3

SAT/MAY 5TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Spurgeon Field – Colorado Springs)

FINAL:  Limon beat Peyton 8-1

FINAL:  Byers beat Kiowa 14-3

FINAL:  Byers beat Limon 9-6 (Championship)

District Four

SAT/MAY 5TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Resurrection Christian HS)

FINAL:  Resurrection Christian beat Alexander Dawson 3-0 (no-hitter by Aaron Boettger)

FINAL:  Dayspring Christian beat Lyons 4-3

FINAL:  Resurrection Christian beat Dayspring Christian 10-0 (6) (Championship)

District Five

TUES/MAY 1ST: (Host Site)

FINAL:  South Park beat Cripple Creek 20-3

SAT/MAY 5TH – SEMIFINALS (Greenhorn Valley Park – Colorado City)

FINAL:  Rye beat South Park 25-0

FINAL:  John Mall beat Custer County 10-2

FINAL:  Rye beat John Mall 12-0 (Championship)

District Six

TUES/MAY 1ST – QUARTERFINALS

Swink – Bye

FINAL:  Fowler beat Crowley County 5-4

FINAL:  Rocky Ford beat County Line 13-1

Las Animas – Bye

SAT/MAY 5TH – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Swink HS)

FINAL:  Swink beat Fowler 14-3 (5)

FINAL::  Las Animas beat Rocky Ford 11-1

FINAL:  Las Animas beat Swink 4-2 (Championship)

District Seven

FRI/MAY 4TH – QUARTERFINALS (Holyoke High School)

Holyoke – Bye

FINAL:  Sedgwick County beat Akron 12-2

FINAL:  Burlington beat Yuma 7-5 (8)

FINAL:  Wray beat Wiggins 18-4 (5)

SAT/MAY 5TH – SEMIFINALS (Holyoke High School)

FINAL:  Sedgwick County beat Holyoke 5-2

FINAL:  Burlington beat Wray 14-1

FINAL:  Burlington beat Sedgwick County 6-1 (Championship)

District Eight

THURS/MAY 3RD – SEMIFINALS (Highlands Ranch Field)

FINAL:  Denver Christian beat Denver Academy 13-1

FINAL:  Lutheran beat Front Range Christian 5-2

FRIDAY/MAY 4TH – CHAMPIONSHIP (Highlands Ranch Field)

FINAL:  Denver Christian beat Lutheran 9-2 (Championship) – Denver Christian and Lutheran advance to regionals

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WESTERN SLOPE (Top 6 qualify)

Rifle is coming off a very good week where they posted four road wins to stay alone atop the standings.  The Bears (13-1) scored single wins over Roaring Fork and Coal Ridge but also swept Cedaredge 10-7 and 3-1.  Those wins kept Rifle in first place with a one game lead on second place Hotchkiss (10-2) and by three games over Olathe and Cedaredge (both 10-4).  Rifle finishes up at home with two league doubleheaders against Gunnison (this Saturday) and Basalt (next Saturday).  Should they win out, the Bears will not only claim the league championship but likely secures a top four seed as well.

Against Cedaredge, the Bears trailed 7-3 through five innings in game one before plating two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh for a 10-7 come from behind win.  Hunger Finger had two hits including a home run and three runs batted in.  Danny Bartels also drove in two.  Bartels was far from his best of the season on the mound but still worked seven innings for his state leading ninth win.  In game two, the Bears collected a 3-1 decision as Finger allowed just four hits to post his fourth pitching victory.

Second place Hotchkiss also collected a 3-1 win over Cedaredge last week securing the Bulldogs hold on second place.  They pushed across single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to avenge an earlier season loss to their arch-rivals.  Hotchkiss is at Basalt this Saturday and then hosts Coal Ridge a week from then.

Cedaredge and Olathe should determine third and fourth a week from Saturday when they collide on the Pirates home diamond.  Both teams are expected to post doubleheader sweeps this weekend and if that happens, then each team can finish no worse than fourth and automatically qualify for the post-season.  Cedaredge heads to Grand Valley on Saturday while Olathe entertains Aspen the same day.

Roaring Fork (7-7) currently leads Gunnison (6-8) and Basalt (5-8) in the race for fifth.  The Rams have already swept both the Cowboys and Longhorns so they’re in great shape to land the position.  They’re on the road to Coal Ridge Saturday before closing at Aspen on May 5^th.

Gunnison also picked up two wins over Basalt during the first week of the season so they have the edge for the sixth and final playoff berth from the conference.

FRONTIER (5 qualify)

Bennett’s clutch 4-3 win over Platte Canyon last Tuesday put the Tigers alone in first with a one game edge on the Huskies and Middle Park.  The Tigers have a key game at Middle Park on Thursday and then battle Sheridan away from home next Tuesday and wins in both should give them the top spot.  They’ve won six in a row since an 8-6 non-conference loss to Limon.  In the win over Platte Canyon, Bennett scored all four runs in the first inning with six players gaining at least one hit with three of them driving in a run.

Despite that loss, Platte Canyon remains in good position to end up second.  The Huskies recovered from the Bennett loss to upend Middle Park 6-2 three days later and that gives them the advantage in any possible tie with the Panthers.  If the Huskies drop Denver Science tomorrow (Thursday) and Denver Science next Wednesday, they’ll finish no worse than second.

Zach Boline had two hits to lead Platte Canyon’s offense against Middle Park.  Hunter Bode also scored twice to support the pitching of Brandon McGlynn who struck out 12 without a walk for the win.

Middle Park (3-1) and Sheridan (5-2) should be able to hold onto those spots to grab post-season bids.  The Academy and Bruce Randolph are tied for the final playoff spot but since the Academy routed the Grizzlies 24-8 earlier this season, they have the advantage plus Bruce Randolph still must face Platte Canyon and Bennett before season’s end.

TRI PEAKS (7 qualify)

The top three teams from each division automatically advance to the playoffs and will square on May 5^th to determine post-season seeding.  The fourth place teams from each division also battle that day with only the winner moving on so fourth is the position that all contenders are trying to avoid.

The races are very tight in both divisions and will come down to the final day of the regular season.  In the East, Trinidad (7-1) split two games with second place Lamar (6-2) so they continue to lead the Savages by one game in the standings.  Since they face Trinidad for two games on Saturday, third place La Junta (5-3) is still a factor but the Tigers are also trying to hold off suddenly hot St Mary’s (4-4) for the final guaranteed post-season berth.  The Pirates upset La Junta twice last week to stay in contention for third.

If Trinidad sweeps La Junta, then the Miners are the division champs with Lamar finishing second.  Should that happen, then St Mary’s moves into third by beating Dolores Huerta Prep twice at home on Saturday.  That scenario would then force La Junta into the play-in game on May 5^th.

Lamar, who should post two easy wins over Ellicott, can gain a share of the league championship if Trinidad and La Junta split.  The Savages of course win the title outright with two wins if La Junta sweeps Trinidad.

Over in the West, Classical Academy and Florence now share the top spot (both 6-2).  The Titans were unbeaten and in control of the league chase before dropping two games at Buena Vista last Saturday.  Because of those losses, Florence had a chance to take over sole possession of the lead but split two games with Manitou Springs the same day.  Now the championship will come down to the Saturday doubleheader between the Titans and Huskies in Florence.

Buena Vista (5-3) can still be a factor in the championship race as they begin the final week one game back of the co-leaders.  They close with two games against arch-rival and at least one win will guarantee no worse than a third place and a post-season bid.   A three way tie for the top spot is possible if Buena Vista sweeps Salida and TCA and Florence split two games.  It’s our understanding that Florence would be awarded the top spot on tiebreakers if that scenario occurs.  Of course if either the Titans or Huskies sweep the other this Saturday, that team is the conference champ while the loser would slide to third if Buena Vista grabs two wins.

INTERMOUNTAIN (3 qualify)

Bayfield and Alamosa (both 4-0) each has a three game edge on third place Centauri (3-3) and since the Wolverines and Moose don’t meet until May 5^th, the championship won’t be determined until then.  Bayfield beat Pagosa Springs 1-0 and 17-4 last Saturday and is now prepping for two games with Centauri this weekend.  In the game one shutout, Matt Knickerbocker (6 innings) and Clay Miller (1) combined for the two hit shutout.  Alamosa hammered Centauri 14-40 and 10-0 to stay unbeaten inside the conference.  The Moose face Monte Vista on the road this Saturday.

Bayfield and Alamosa each need just one win this weekend to secure a top two finish and earn a playoff berth.  Centauri also clinches third place if they at least split with Bayfield.  If the Falcons lose both ends of the doubleheader, Pagosa Springs remains alive.  The Pirates are outside the conference this weekend against Piedra Vista NM but are expected to beat Monte Vista in their regular season finale on May 5^th.  If they win out, a tiebreaker will be needed as the Pirates and Falcon split two games earlier this season.

METRO (5 qualify)

Although there are several games remaining, the playoff picture seems very clear.  Faith Christian (12-0) has all but officially clinched the league championship as they’ve already beaten all the top challengers.  Holy Family (5-2) has a very busy closing stretch with the most important taking place on Saturday when they battle Machebeuf (6-3).  Those games should determine the second and third playoff qualifiers.  Both are chasing Lutheran (10-3) for second place but since the Lions are a 2A team, they do not factor into the league 3A playoff entrants.  As we recapped in our 2A report, Lutheran is coming in district play next week for a spot in the 16-team 2A bracket.

Colorado Academy (6-4) and Peak to Peak (6-5) are currently fourth and fifth in the playoff race and since they’ve both beaten sixth place Kent Denver (3-6), the Mustangs and Pumas should be playoff bound.  Kent also has a tough road remaining with contests against Holy Family (Friday) and Faith Christian (next Tuesday).

PATRIOT (6 qualify)

Five teams are within two games of the top spot but the championship is for Eaton to lose.  The Reds (7-0) lead University and Weld Central (both 6-1) by just one game but the Reds have given up only two runs during conference play.  Brush tallied those runs in a 5-2 loss to Eaton last week but the Reds have otherwise posted six shutouts so they remain the heavy favorites.  The Reds though has some work to do as they’ve yet to face several of their top challengers.  After going to Mead on Thursday, Eaton battles University on Saturday and then both Weld Central and Valley next week.  Valley is currently tied with Brush (both 5-2) in fourth place.

The key game on the agenda this week is Thursday as University entertains Valley.  The Bulldogs have won five in a row since a loss to Strasburg and a win over Valley could give them a leg up in the race for second.  They’ve already downed both Brush and Weld Central.  Valley also collides with Brush on Saturday so by weeks end, the race should clear up quite a bit.  Brush rebounded from their loss to Eaton by downing Estes Park (13-3) and Mead (7-3).

Of the top three teams, Weld Central has the most difficult remaining stretch with games against Brush and Eaton next week.  They also visit a very good Strasburg team on Thursday (tomorrow) and losses in all three could see them tumble all the way to sixth.

DISTRICT ONE

Sargent locked up the number one seed with their two game sweep of Del Norte last Saturday.  The Farmers took out the Tigers 8-7 and 15-3 to remain unbeaten in league and district action.  In game one, Sargent built a 7-0 lead and then hung on as the Tigers scored all seven of their runs in their final four at-bats.  Sargent pushed across a single run in the top of the sixth which proved to be the game winner.  Game two was much easier with Sargent scoring nine runs in the top of the first.

Sargent closes the season with a game against Sanford this Saturday.  Another important matchup that day pits Del Norte at home against Center.  Del Norte, Center and Sanford all remain in contention for spots two through four and all want to avoid the fourth spot and a first round district matchup with the top seeded Farmers.  La Veta currently sits in fifth and should post a pair of wins against Antonito this week but the Redskins need help to advance.

The district tournament is set for Ortega Middle School in Alamosa on Friday May 4^th.

DISTRICT TWO

By splitting with Las Animas last Saturday, Swink is in position to land the number one seed and the right to host the district tournament next week.  The loss was the first of the season for Las Animas and also ended their conference schedule at 9-1.  Swink improved to 7-1 in league action so if they sweep Fowler this Saturday, the Lions earn the tiebreaker to get the number one seed and the chance to play at home.  If Swink drops one or both games to the Grizzlies, then the hosting honor and top seed goes back to Las Animas.

Swink scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to beat Las Animas 6-3 in the opener of the doubleheader last Saturday.  Shane Lovato went two for three at the plate with a double and most importantly three runs batted in.  Aaron Ames worked all seven innings to earn the pitching victory.

Las Animas responded with a resounding 12-1 win in game two scoring five runs in their first at-bat and then adding at least two more runs in three other innings.

Fowler (4-4) is currently third and tied with Rocky Ford in the league standings but the Meloneers have the advantage since they swept the Grizzlies 8-3 and 14-8 on April 14^th.  That means Rocky Ford can take home the third seed by beating Crowley County twice when they host the Chargers on Saturday.

The district tournament opens with the pigtail round next Tuesday May 1^st.  Those two winners join Las Animas and Swink in the championship round on Saturday May 5^th.

DISTRICT THREE

Entering the final week, this race is far from over as three teams currently share the top spot with Limon, Byers and Kiowa all sitting at 4-1 in district action.  Those three squads have a two game edge on fourth Peyton (3-3) so the Badgers, Bulldogs and Indians will take home the top three spots and a tiebreaker will likely be needed since they’ve beaten each other but all three have a game remaining so the standings could change.  Calhan challenges Limon and Kowa goes to Evangelical Christian on Thursday while Byers visits ECA on Saturday

If the higher seeds win those three games then Peyton is locked into the fourth seed with ECA fifth, Calhan sixth and Miami Yoder seventh.  HIgher seeds will host the first round of the district tournament on Tuesday May 1st with the semifinals and championship games set for Spurgeon Field in Colorado SPrings on May 5th (Saturday).  Those games will open at 10:00am with the finals set for 3:00pm.

DISTRICT FIVE

Defending state champion Rye moved past Custer County 8-0 and 19-0 last Saturday to wrap up the number one district seed.  With the two wins, the Thunderbolts also improved to 16-1 on the season ahead of games with Fowler and Trinidad in the final week of the regular season.  Rye will serve as host of the district tournament which will take place on Saturday May 5^th.  Custer County, which fell to 8-5 with the doubleheader loss to Rye, hosts John Mall for two games this Saturday and the first game will determine second and third place in the district.  It matters little as the two teams will still face off in the district semifinals next week.    South Park and Cripple Creek are seeded fourth and fifth.  They’ll play in a pigtail contest with the winner advancing to challenge Rye in the second semifinal.

Rye’s Nick Highberger and Dillon Drury each tossed complete game shutouts in the sweep of Custer County.  Highberger struck out 14 and surrendered only three hits in the 8-0 opening win.  Drury registered five strikeouts but limited the Bobcats to just one hit in the 19-0 nightcap victory.  Highberger improved to 4-1 with Drury staying perfect at 3-0.

DISTRICT EIGHT

The top four seeds and pairings for the district tournament have already been determined.  The games will take place on Thursday May 3^rd and Friday May 4^th at Highlands Ranch Field.  Denver Christian is the number one seed and will meet Denver Academy at 4:00pm and at the same time; the second semifinal pits 2^nd seeded Front Range Christian against 3^rd seeded Lutheran.  Winners play for the district championship the next day at 4:00pm.

We could have a preview of the tournament by Thursday.  Denver Christian blew past Denver Academy 16-4 and they’ll face a rematch in the first round of districts.  Should the Crusaders get another win as expected, they could meet Lutheran in the district finals.  Those two hook up this Thursday in what could be a championship preview.

The Crusaders offer up a very tough tandem offensively in Jacob Monsma (.558) and Tate Kastens (.511).  Monsma has 29 hits and 29 runs scored to go along with 17 runs batted in.  Kastens paces the team with 19 RBI’s and trails on Monsma in hits with 23.  The two have combined for 13 doubles and eight triples as well.

We begin in District One where Tuesday doubleheaders between Cotopaxi-Sierra Grande and Dove Creek-Nucla will determine the two playoff qualifiers.  The District tournament involves just two teams as the first place 1A teams from the Southern Peaks and San Juan conferences square off in a one game playoff to determine which team qualifies for the state quarterfinals.

Only the first game between Sierra Grande and Cotopaxi impacts the playoff picture.  Sierra Grande edged Cotopaxi 3-2 earlier this season so if they beat the Pirates again on Tuesday, they’re in the district tournament.  Cotopaxi gets the nod if they score a win by at least two runs.

Both teams feature great offenses.  Cotopaxi (9-4) is paced by the tandem of Douglas Troutman and Alex Martin.  Troutman leads the team in batting (.613), hits (19), doubles (4) and triples (7) and is tied with Martin with 20 RBI’s apiece.  Martin has blasted four home runs and also paces the squad with 24 runs scored.

Sierra Grande counters with the trio of Adam Gomez (.429), Mason Mizokami (.533) and Lorenzo Cepeda (.467).  Gomez has a team best 10 runs batted in while Mizokami and Cepeda have both crossed home plate 13 times.

Dove Creek won the first game with Nucla (7-3) earlier this month behind three RBI’s from Klancey Krafka and two from Tyler Ebberts.  Another win on Tuesday gives the Bulldogs a spot in the district tournament but they’re just 1-4 since that win.  Nucla has won three straight since falling to Dove Creek including a nice doubleheader sweep of Dolores last Saturday.

Only the top four teams from District Two advance to the post-season and three of those spots have already been determined.  Simla has earned the top seed from the eastern side with defending state champion Stratton gaining the second berth.  The Cubs beat Stratton 2-1 ten days ago to determine the top two positions.  Community Christian (12-2) has nailed down one of the two western berths with the second spot yet to be determined.

The Crusaders (12-2) scored three wins last week including a nice 7-3 win over Elbert last Friday.  They banged out only seven hits in the win with three coming from Chris Eggebrecht.  Bryan Hodge allowed two solo home runs but still went the distance to collect the win and struck out 17 in the process. Noah Shafer and Lance Bickell went deep for the Bulldogs who also fell to Denver Jewish Day two days later (8-6).  Shafer had two hits and one RBI in the loss.

Simla (7-2) beat Deer Trail 15-6 in their only game in the past seven day.  It was their sixth straight win since a loss to 2A Crowley County.  The Cubs scored ten runs in the first inning highlighted by Cody Norris and his three run homer.  Dustin Jenkins also cleared the fence with a two run blast and finished with three runs scored.  Simla finishes up at Kiowa on Tuesday and at Peyton on Thursday.

Stratton picked up shutout wins over Genoa Hugo (14-0) and Deer Trail (12-0) sandwiched around a 3-1 loss to Kiowa last week.  Against Genoa Hugo, the Eagles scored seven runs in the top of the sixth with Jorge Cruz and Cordell Burton each knocking in three runs.  Kyle May had three hits, three runs and two doubles in the win over Deer Trail and knocked in the only run in the loss to Kiowa.  Another tough set of games is on tap this Thursday as the Eagles host Burlington for two non-district contests.

Three of the top four teams from District Two reach the state tournament and those teams will be determined on May 3^rd as all four games will be played in one afternoon.

Three teams open the week with one loss in District Three but Baca County (4-0) has the advantage in the race for the top seed since they’ve already beaten Granada and Manzanola (both 3-1).  The Bombers played just once last week as they handled Cheyenne Wells 10-1.  They go to Eads on Tuesday and then host Springfield on Friday.  A win in either will lock up the number one district position.

Granada and Manzanola collide on Tuesday with the winner moving very close to the number two seed.  Granada split two games with 2A Swink last Tuesday beating the Lions 9-5 in the first game before falling 4-3 in the nightcap.  The Bobcats also face Cheyenne Wells on Friday in their final game of the regular season.

Manzanola stayed alive for a top two seed by besting Eads 14-9 on the road last Thursday.  Even if they beat Granada on Tuesday, the Bobcats still meet a very good Holly club on Friday so they likely need two wins to secure at least a top two seed.  Holly opens the week at 2-2 in district play and still in position to land a top two or three seed.

First round games for District Three will be played Tuesday May 1st at the home sites of the higher seed.  With only seven teams competing this year, the top seed will earn a first round bye into the semifinals.  Those games and the championship battle will take place Friday May 4th in Rocky Ford.

Fleming sits alone atop the North Central league and should finish off a perfect run through the conference when they face Prairie for two games on Thursday.  The Wildcats, who handled Pawnee 10-0 and 13-1 last Monday, have basically been unchallenged by league foes and regardless of how they fare against Prairie, the Wildcats will be the #1 seed from the North Central league.

Haxtun is the favorite to land the top 1A seed from the Lower Platte and to be placed opposite Fleming in the District Four tournament bracket.  Haxtun (9-7) swept Merino 5-0 and 10-0 last Saturday to remain unbeaten against 1A foes on the year including an 11-7 win over Fleming on April 9^th.  Haxtun is off until Saturday when they close the regular season with two games against Caliche.  The Buffs (5-11) have played good baseball at times this year and have the talent to upset the Bulldogs but they dropped four of five games last week.  That includes two losses to the same Merino team that Haxtun swept.

The District Four tournament will be held Tuesday May 1st and Wednesday May 2nd in Sterling.  Other than Fleming, the bracket cannot be finalized until games are conducted later this week.

NOTES:  Schedules and statistics used with permission from MaxPreps.

At this point of the season, the Jeffco chase is probably the most crowded.  Evergreen and Green Mountain (both unbeaten) currently have a one game edge on three other teams, D’Evelyn, Conifer and Valor Christian (all 2-1).  Green Mountain collected their fourth league win without a loss by pounding Alameda 15-4.  The Rams scored at least two runs in each of the first four innings including six in a decisive fourth inning.  Evergreen was also in action against Conifer on Wednesday needing a win to keep pace but results from the contest are still unknown.

Evergreen’s offense has pushed them to the top of the league standings with five regulars batting at least .400 on the season.  Sam Grise leads the list at .474.  The Cougars also present excellent power with 14 homers as a team.  Nine players have gone deep so far this season led by James Maroney with three.  He’s also one of five players with at least ten runs batted in and paces the team with 16.

Adam Cox is the top hitter for Green Mountain.  He’s leads the team in average (.529), runs (18), hits (18) and is second on the squad with 13 runs batted in.  Cox and his teammates have a huge game at Valor Christian this Saturday.  Valor already dropped a league game to D’Evelyn (7-4) so they can’t afford another league loss and keep serious title considerations.

Air Academy (5-0) took over sole possession of first in the Plains division of the Colorado Springs Metro by beating Palmer Ridge (10-7) on Tuesday.  The loss for the Bears was their first in league play and dropped them into second place where they have a one game edge on Falcon, Coronado and Vista Ridge for that spot.  Curtis Butler and Luke Yeager both drove in three runs for the Kadets and the team had eight doubles in the win.  Kevin Kimbrow added three hits including a home run.

With the win, the Kadets all but secured the league title as they have now posted wins over their top four challengers.  They’re off for the rest of the week and will face Mitchell and Sierra next week.  The Marauders and Stallions are a combined 1-7 in conference play.

Over in the Mountain division, Cheyenne Mountain (5-0) owns a one game advantage on Lewis Palmer and Woodland Park (both 4-1).  The Indians have already beaten Lewis Palmer so they can wrap up the league championship with a win over Woodland Park.  Those two collide in Colorado Springs next Tuesday.

Cheyenne Mountain blanked Discovery Canyon 4-0 on Tuesday to stay alone in first.  Despite scoring only four runs in the win, the Indians feature a very strong offense.  The team is batting. 332 and is averaging ten runs a game.  Jack Stimple is putting together a Player of the Year type of season.  The senior is batting .548 (23 of 42) with eight doubles and two triples.  He leads the team in several offensive categories including hits, doubles, triples and runs batted in (20).

Palisade may be the first team to clinch a conference championship.  The Bulldogs (5-0) own a two game on Eagle Valley (3-2) and since they’ve swept the Devils head-to-head, they’re almost a lock to win the Western Slope crown.  Palisade blew past Glenwood Springs (13-0 and 7-6) on Tuesday and now preps for a road trip to Craig for two games with Moffat County on Saturday.  Two wins there will clinch the league championship.

Cole Cummins (.636) and Caden Woods (.447) headline a powerful Palisade offense.  Cummins racked up five hits and six ribbies against Glenwood Springs.  He scored three runs in both ends of the doubleheader marking the fourth and fifth time this season Cummins totaled that number in a contest.  Woods leads the team with 19 runs batted in and knocked in six against Glenwood Springs while going 4 for 7 in the doubleheader.  He has eight extra base hits for the season.

Longmont trails Broomfield by one game in the Northern standings so the Trojans job over the next three days is to stay there ahead of two huge games with the Eagles next week.  The Trojans face Mountain View today (Thursday) and Saturday before challenging the first place team next Tuesday and Thursday.  Longmont was stunned in an 8-1 loss to Centaurus last Saturday or otherwise they would be unbeaten in league play and tied with Broomfield atop the standings.  All other league members have at least four losses.

Broomfield moved to 9-0 inside the conference with a narrow 2-1 win over Greeley Central on Tuesday.  The two rivals meet again this afternoon (Thursday).  Jackson Lockwood collected his fifth win on the season.  He allowed the Tigers a run in the top of the first inning but held them hitless the rest of the way while striking out 12.

Northridge (5-1) enters the weekend with a one game edge on second place Fort Morgan (7-2) in the Tri Valley.  The Grizzlies have already beaten the Mustangs twice and split with third place Roosevelt (6-3) so they’re in great shape to land the championship.  They’ve won five straight against in-state opponents including a blistering 15-0 shutout of Skyline on Tuesday.  The Grizzlies and Falcons square off again this afternoon (Thursday).

Offense is the key to Northridge’s success.  Batting .400 for the season, the Grizzlies have scored 84 runs in seven games against Colorado opponents and have been held under ten runs only twice in that span.  Roosevelt beat them 13-3 in early March and the Grizzlies posted a 6-2 win over Arvada West last week.

Fort Morgan stretched their winning streak to five by hammering Sterling 11-1 on Tuesday.  The two hook up again on Thursday.  In game one, the Mustangs scored all 11 runs over the first four innings and picked up three RBI from Mike Fitzsimmons.  Matt Godo had a team best three hits on the afternoon and joined Cole Frisbee and Aaron Anderson with two RBI’s apiece.  David Mendez went the first four innings for the victory.  He’s now 5-1 on the season.

Roosevelt has dropped two straight in league play and three overall.  They face Erie on Thursday after falling to the Tigers 3-2 on Tuesday.  The Roughriders have two key games with Windsor on tap next (Saturday and Monday) and those games could decide third and fourth.

There’s also a great race brewing in the South Central.  Through the first round of league play, Canon City and Pueblo County managed to win five of six games to share the top spot.  The second half of league action gets underway this weekend.  Pueblo County has the tiebreaker at this point as they banged out 14 hits in a 10-4 win over Canon City last Saturday.  It was their second straight win since a wild 13-12 loss to Pueblo South.  The Hornets are averaging 11 runs in league action.

Canon City recovered from the loss to Pueblo County by pounding Pueblo Central 9-3 on Tuesday.  They’re off until Saturday when they host Pueblo East.  Pueblo South (4-2) sits in third place and is still very much in contention.  They face Canon City again on the 26^th and then go Pueblo County on the 28^th so next week is a very important stretch for the Colts.

NOTES:  All individual stats and team records provided by MaxPreps and used with permission.

The game between Rifle and Cedaredge pits the great pitching of the Bears against the hot hitting of the Bruins.  Rifle has a team earned run average of just 1.62 and that staff will face a Bruins offense that his hitting 428 and one that has scored 138 runs in 12 games.

Both teams enter Saturday’s doubleheader at 10-1 in league play with each suffering their only league loss to third place Hotchkiss (7-2).  Since Hotchkiss has already beaten both teams, they remain very much in contention for the league championship and will be watching the scoreboard as they face Grand Valley on Saturday.  Hotchkiss also has a second game with Cedaredge next Tuesday that will help determine the conference title.

Rifle’s pitching staff is paced by Danny Bartels.  He’s worked a team high 45 innings, is 7-0 on the season with five complete games and features an ERA of only 0.93.  Bartels has struck out 65 hitters and walked only five.  Giving Bartels plenty of support is Hunter Finger (3-1).  Second team with 24 innings, Finger gives up about three runs per nine innings and has three complete games on the season.  Don’t be surprised if those two get starts in the Saturday twinbill.

When on the mound, they’ll face a Cedaredge lineup that features six hitters batting at least .400.  Leading that list is Trent Walker (523). Just a sophomore, Walker leads the team with 23 hits with 11 runs scored and 18 runs batted in.  Drew Beach (487) has scored a Bruin best 22 runs and also paces the team with 18 RBI.

Beach is the top Cedaredge pitcher as well with five wins in five decisions.  Sterling Rose (5-2) shares the workload and between the two, they’ve thrown 63 winnings and combined for 80 strikeouts.  They both are giving up about one hit per inning on the season.

Rifle is coming off their fifth straight win in an 8-2 win over Coal Ridge n Tuesday.  Bailey Hoffmeister and Bartels each drove in three runs while Triston Quigley banged out three hits.  That trio has led the team most of the season.  Hoffmeister (417) tops the team in hitting; Bartels (12) in runs batted in and Quigley (15) in hits.

Should Rifle get a sweep, the Bears will be in great shape to land the league title since they’ve already faced third place Hotchkiss.  As mentioned, Cedaredge cannot clinch with a sweep since they have that rematch with Hotchkiss waiting for next Tuesday.  Olathe (8-3) is in fourth place and remains a factor in the title picture as well.

With league sweeps of St Mary’s, Ellicott and Dolores Huerta Prep, first place Trinidad (6-0) has a one game edge on Lamar and La Junta (both 5-1).  But since the Miners have not faced either of their top challengers, they’re a long way from grabbing the championship in a league dominated in the past by Lamar.

Trinidad is giving up almost five earned runs a game so they’re winning with a deep and powerful offense.  Brett Dixon (.600) is coming off a nine RBI performance in a 21-0 blowout of Rocky Ford on Tuesday.  That gives him 28 for the season which ties him with Nick Mason (522) for the team lead.  Dixon blasted two home runs in the win and finished 4-4 at the plate.  Mason has five home runs overall including two against Ellicott.  Chris Deangelis (538) is also putting together a solid campaign.  He knocked in six runs in a win over Monte Vista and added five against Ellicott and currently sits third on the team with 21.

Lamar has won five straight since splitting a doubleheader with La Junta.  Because of that split, they likely need to win at least one of the two with Trinidad to stay in title contention but two wins could give them the championship since Trinidad and La Junta have yet to play.

Lamar is coming off an easy sweep of Dolores Huerta (10-0 and 19-0) last Saturday.  They banged out 23 hits on the day but individual stats have not been available.  La Junta rolled Ellicott (19-1 and 14-0) last week stretching their win streak to six since the 9-3 loss to Lamar.  They meet St Mary’s this weekend.  Should La Junta and Trinidad both win twice on Saturday, the league champion will be determined when they collide on the 28^th.

Faith Christian took complete control of the Metro chase with two surprisingly easy wins over Holy Family last Saturday.  The finals were 13-3 and 9-7.  Stephen Galambos had a huge day for the two winners driving in three wins in the opening game and two more in the nightcap.  Ben Rice also knocked in three runs in game one and Trevor Wolf matched that total in game two.

The wins put Faith Christian (9-0) alone in first atop the Metro standings with at least a two game cushion on all other contenders.  Faith Christian has also beaten third place Lutheran easily (26-2) and have a three game edge on Machebeuf and Colorado Academy (4-3).  With the league championship likely locked up, the Eagles toughest remaining game is with traditional power Eaton on May 7^th.

It took only two weeks for Eaton to be alone in first in the Patriot.  The Reds (4-0) have yet to allow a run while posting four shutout wins.  In that stretch, they’ve outscored league opponents 43-0 but did struggle for a 2-0 win at Strasburg on Tuesday.

The Reds lead Brush, Weld Central and University (all 3-1) by one game in the league standings and have yet to play any of those three.  First up is a big date with Brush on the road tomorrow (Thursday).  The Reds blanked the Beetdiggers 6-0 in a non-league tilt two weeks ago and will be favored again this week.  Eaton and University tangle on the 28^th.

Brush was in a first place tie with Eaton before falling to University on Tuesday (6-0).  They had scored 45 runs in their first three league games but the Bulldogs pitching staff cooled off their bats. University also has a win over Weld Central already so they’re in great shape to finish no worse than second.

Weld Central has the most difficult remaining schedule.   Their three league wins are against Lyons, Mead and Valley so they must still face the likes of Strasburg, Brush and Eaton.  Those three opponents come in the final two weeks of the season and three are on the road.  The Rebels went only 2-6 in non-league action.

Middle Park and Bennett (both 3-0) share the Frontier league heading to the weekend.  Bennett maintained a piece of the first place tie with a very important 4-3 win over Platte Canyon on Tuesday.  For the Huskies, it was their conference loss of the season.  Josh Palmer and Chance Rodriquez both had a hit, RBI and a run in the victory.  Hunter Bell pitched the first six innings and then Jacob Brown finished up in the seventh to earn the win.

Platte Canyon fell into a third place tie with Sheridan (both 4-1) and they square off in Bailey next Tuesday.  Before that, the Huskies challenge co-leader Middle Park on Friday.  Middle Park and Bennett battle next Thursday (26^th).

Middle Park has won eight in a row since falling to Steamboat Springs (8-1) in the season opener.  They’ve beaten Academy, Sheridan and Bruce Randolph in league action.  They scored eight runs in the third and seven in the fifth on Tuesday to blow past Bruce Randolph 18-1.

Bayfield and Alamosa (2-0) have a one game edge on Centauri (3-1) in the crowded Intermountain race.  Bayfield slammed Monte Vista 6-1 and 14-1 last Saturday and heads to Pagosa Springs on Saturday.  They host Centauri for two games on the 28^th and then close with Alamosa on May 5^th so the race won’t be decided for two more weeks.  Alamosa and Centauri collide on Saturday and the Moose can turn it into a two team race if they pick up the sweep.

Classical Academy scored two wins over Salida (8-4 and 7-3) last Saturday to remain alone in first in the Tri Peaks West.  They have a one game edge on Florence (4-1) and the two leaders face off April 28^th.  Against Salida, McKinnon Walker popped a two run triple in the sixth inning for the game one win while Lucas Gordon slammed two home runs and drove in five in game two.

NOTES:  All individual statistics and team schedules provided by MaxPreps with permission.

We begin the rundown with defending state champion Rye as they look to lock up the West Central crown against fellow league unbeaten Custer County.  The Thunderbolts are 6-0 in conference games with the Bobcats keeping pace at 4-0.  The offensive numbers for both teams are off the charts as Rye is batting .455 as a team with Custer County even better at .464 so it may come down to pitching and the Thunderbolts seem to have the advantage there.

Creighton signee Nick Highberger pitched important innings for Rye as they captured the state title last Spring and is again putting together a tremendous season.  The senior is 3-1 with two saves and an ERA of .54.  He’s worked 26 innings overall and given up only 14 hits and his strikeout to walk ratio is 38-4.  Tyler Milligan is 4-0 and has pitched 22 innings giving up only 14 hits with 35 strikeouts and only five walks.  Luis Ortiz JR is also 4-0.  He’s worked only ten innings but has struck out 22 and allowed only eight hits.

Custer County counters with the trio of Lance Byerly (3-0), Zack Flinn (2-1) and Bryce Carty (2-1).  They lead the team in wins but none of the three has an ERA below three.  Thomas Mullett (1.11) leads the team in that category but has pitched only six innings.  He may see more duty on Saturday in the key twinbill.

Both teams feature deep lineups offensively.  Rye has six regulars batting over .500 and each of the six has at least 24 hits overall.  They have nine players with at least ten RBI with Milligan (27) and Seth Keys (26) leading the charge.  Ortiz JR is next with 23 and Dillon Drury has 20.  The Thunderbolts have cracked seven home runs with Keys on top with three and Drury, who’s batting .610, next with a couple.

Custer County has six players batting at least .400 with seven having at least 11 hits on the season.  Five of those seven also have at least ten RBI’s.  The Bobcats have won seven of their last eight with their only loss coming against Buena Vista (7-1) last week.

Las Animas has the best pitching numbers of any team in Class 2A.  The unbeaten Trojans (14-0) have surrendered only ten runs all season and are coming off an easier than expected sweep of Crowley County (13-1 and 17-2) last Saturday.

Justin Thaxton (5-0) leads the staff with four complete games including three shutouts.  He has 51 strikeouts with only ten walks.  Beau Cebulski (3-0) has two complete game shutouts with 32 strikeouts and six walks.  Asa Brown (3-0) is a third hurler with at least three wins.  He’s also tossed a shutout.  Thaxton (.558) and Cebulski (.514) also pace the team offensively combining for 42 hits, 36 runs and 45 runs batted in.

Against Swink, the pitchers will focus on slowing down Shane Lovato.  The Lions standout is hitting at a .611 clip with 22 hits in just 36 at-bats.  He dominates the Swink lineup with 28 RBI and is the only player on the roster with more than nine.  Lovato also has five of the team’s seven home runs.  In a loss to Limon last week, Lovato was limited to just one hit without a run scored or RBI.  The Trojans hope to have similar success on Saturday.

Las Animas is 8-0 in conference play and a sweep with lock up the Santa Fe championship.  The Trojans close with two non-league games against Burlington next Saturday.  Swink (6-0) also has conference games remaining with Fowler next week but they’ll clinch at least a tie for the title if they hand the Trojans their first two losses of the season.  Swink also faces a good test against 1A Granada Tuesday before fully turning their attention to Las Animas.

Peyton (4-0) and Kiowa (2-0) collide on Saturday to likely decide the Black Forest championship.  Peyton (9-4 overall) had lost four straight before picking up a lopsided sweep of Calhan (28-2 and 15-2) last week.  They should continue their winning ways at home against non-conference rival Ellicott today (Tuesday) before heading to Kiowa on the weekend.  Kiowa (8-2 overall) also beat Calhan rather easily in a twinbill (29-5 composite score) but also they own a win over a Byers club that defeated Peyton earlier in the season.  Kiowa also tangles with Stratton on Thursday and that game will serve as a nice tune-up before the key Black Forest doubleheader.

Kiowa’s offense is paced by the tandem of Gerardo Madera (.571) and Jordan Gabeheart (.516) who have combined for 24 RBI and 28 runs scored.  With three triples, Madera also has flashes of power.  Peyton also provides a talented one-two punch in Cole Ellis (.600) and Jake Loyd (.511).  Ellis has three home runs and 25 runs batted in while Loyd, only a freshman, has 14 RBI and 23 runs scored.  Ellis and Loyd combined for 13 hits in the doubleheader blowout of Calhan with 14 runs scored.

Sargent (5-0) opens their doubleheader against Del Norte (5-1) with a one game edge in the league standings.  The Farmers swept Center and La Veta over the past two Saturdays and Del Norte took two from Antonito and Sanford in the same stretch.  Their only league loss came against LaVeta when they split two one run games with the Redskins on March 24^th.  Sargent beat the Redskins 9-4 and 8-4 this past weekend.

Del Norte stayed in the league championship picture by beating Sanford 6-4 and 17-12 on Saturday.  In game one, Keegan Leckler and Greg Goldman each drove in a pair of runs to support the pitching of Kris Lohr.  In game two, nine players drove in a run led by Jesse Gallegos.  He had just one hit officially but finished the game with four ribbies.  Preston Pacheco added a double and triple and three runs batted in.

There are also some key games inside the Mile High race this week.  Resurrection Christian (3-0) stayed unbeaten in conference play with a key 4-2 win over Denver Christian last Thursday.  That win put them alone in first with a one game edge on Front Range Christian (4-1), Denver Christian (3-1) and Alexander Dawson (2-1).  Alexander Dawson has the most important week as they meet both Front Range (Tuesday) and Denver Christian (Thursday) in a three day stretch.  They’ll need wins in both to stay in contention for the league championship.

Burlington snapped an eight game winning streak with a 3-1 loss to Byers last Friday.  The Bulldogs managed just three hits against the duo of Chase Dean and Jake Eikleberry.  Dean surrendered only three hits over six innings and picked up the victory.  Eikleberry struck out the side in working a perfect seventh inning to earn the save.

For Byers, it was their fourth win in five games and pushed their record above five hundred (5-4).  Included in the stretch are quality wins over Stratton, Byers and Burlington.  Four more wins are likely this week as the Bulldogs will be favored against both Calhan (Tuesday) and Miami Yoder (Thursday).

Limon, as mentioned, scored a 4-2 win over Swink last week but also toppled Evangelical Christian 13-3 to stretch their winning streak to six.  Their last setback came in a doubleheader loss to unbeaten Las Animas.  In the win over Swink, Dilan Yowell drove in two runs and joined Tim Albers and Landon Stang with two hits.  Jason Brown scattered six hits while giving up two runs for his third win of the season.

The Lower Platte chase likely won’t be determined until the final Saturday of the season when Holyoke (12-0) meets Wray (10-1) for two games on the 28^th.  Holyoke has two games with 1A Caliche this Saturday while Wray heads to Burlington today (Tuesday) for a rematch of a great game last Tuesday.  Burlington picked up the 5-1 eight-inning victory behind 17 strikeouts in seven innings for Spencer Deines.  Max McKinster worked the final inning to earn the win.  Wray also entertains Akron for two league games on Saturday and will be favored to get those two.

Sedgwick County (9-3) currently sits in third place and may not be able to climb the league ladder much more as they’ve already played both Holyoke and Wray losing three of the four to the top two teams.  Cougars standout Chase Dunker has been literally unhittable of late.  He pitched back-to-back five inning no-hitters in lopsided wins over Caliche and Wiggins and has struck out 14 batters in that stretch.  Jeff Sherman also tossed a no-hitter against Wiggins as the Cougars swept the doubleheader with the Tigers without giving up a base hit.  Offensively, Dunker went 3-5 with a key triple and also struck out 16 in the win over Wray making the Cougars the only league team to beat the Eagles.

Paonia continues to be the top team out west.  The Eagles did drop two games to 4A Steamboat Springs last week but recovered for a very impressive 11-1 win over Cedaredge yesterday (Monday).  They scored six runs in the first inning to gain early control.  Paonia has two games at Meeker this Saturday and then goes to Rangely for two more games next weekend.  The Eagles swept all four games with their league rivals at home with three of the four decided by at least six runs.

NOTE:  All schedules and statistics provided with permission from MaxPreps.

Against Stratton, the Cubs reached home plate only during a two run fifth inning but great pitching from Dustin Jenkins made those runs stand up.  The senior worked all seven innings allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out seven.  The impressive effort pushed his season record to 3-2 on the season.  Offensively, the Cubs had just four hits on the day but Aaron Thieman and Josh Young each drove in a run in the fifth inning.

Simla had much less difficulty on offense while scoring 37 runs in wins over Pikes Peak Christian and Calhan.  Against Calhan last Monday, the Cubs tallied six runs in the decisive second inning.  Nine different players recorded a hit with Damian Bell cracking a home run and Jenkins belting a triple.  The Cubs also racked up 24 hits in a 25-2 blowout of Pikes Peak Christian last Saturday putting the game away with 11 runs in the third inning.

Stratton had a difficult week all together as they also split two games with Granada the day before dropping the decision to Simla.  The Eagles fell 3-1 in the first game before posting an 8-4 win in the nightcap.  In game two, Stratton scored six runs in the third and Josh Johnson and Trevor Thompson each contributing two hits and two RBI.  Those two also combined for five innings on the mound in the win.  Thompson worked the fifth inning in shutout fashion to secure the win.

In the opener, Clay Korliss had two hits including a double and Dylan Burton drove in the only run of the game.  Kyle May (4 innings) and Jorge Cruz (3 innings) were effective on the mound despite the loss allowing eight hits while striking out eight.

Both Simla and Stratton are in action again this week.  Simla heads to Deer Trail on Tuesday for their only contest but have two difficult opponents on the slate next week facing both Evangelical Christian and Peyton.  Stratton meets Genoa Hugo on Tuesday and then faces Kiowa and Deer Trail Friday and Saturday respectively.

Another attractive matchup over the past week took place last Monday as Haxtun picked up a hard-fought 11-7 win over Fleming.  It was the first game against a 1A opponent for the Bulldogs this year who added a second win over a division rival the next day as they pummeled Peetz 32-4.  Haxtun also dropped a pair of Lower Platte league contests to 2A power Wray on Saturday (5-2 and 7-6).  Stats are not available for the Bulldogs who continue league play this Saturday with two games against Merino.

Fleming, the defending state runners-up, was also surprised by Caliche 2-1 last Saturday.  In between were two lopsided wins over Peetz.  Caliche picked up RBI’s from Cade County and Austin Jones while Andrew Roche went the distance for the win.  For the Buffs, it was only their fourth win of the season but they’ve won three of their last five.  Like Haxtun, their game with Fleming was their first against a 1A opponent.  They’ll be at Merino on Tuesday before hosting Peetz on Wednesday.

Elbert, which has won three straight since a loss to Community Christian, continues to play good baseball.  The Bulldogs scored 43 runs and gave up just five in lopsided wins over Rocky Mountain Lutheran (13-3 and 17-1) and Cornerstone Christian (12-1).  The Bulldogs face Denver Jewish Day on Tuesday and then host Community Christian on Friday.  Both are rematches of earlier games.  Elbert downed Denver Jewish Day 19-9 in the season behind Noah Shafer who finished with a home run, four hits and six runs batted in.  Cody Rosburg also had three hits and drove in three.  The Bulldogs fell to Community Christian 10-7 giving up six runs in the fifth inning.  Chance Hendrix and Brett Meredith both had three hits in the loss.

Community Christian enters the week 8-2 and has two games on tap before facing Elbert a second time.  The Crusaders should get by Peak to Peak’s JV today (Monday) and Pikes Peak Christian on Tuesday.  They’ve outscored 1A opponents 76-13 on the season and have won all six matchups.  Losses are against 4A Elizabeth (7-3) and 3A Estes Park (18-1).  Jacob Hodge and Tanner Barnes continue to lead the offense.  Both are batting at least .500 with Hodge recording 17 hits and 16 RBI.  Barnes enters the week with 14 hits and 15 RBI.  Both had two hits and combined for five runs driven in in the first win over Elbert.

In the southeast, Holly (3-4) had a good week.  They allowed just four total runs in a two game split with Baca County and then doubled up Eads 10-5.  They look to reach the five hundred mark for the season when they head to Cheyenne Wells for two games today (Monday).  Eads recovered from the Holly loss to bounce Springfield 10-3.  Kyle Crow had three hits and 2 RBI in the win while Cory Miller matched the RBI total.  Crow also pitched all seven innings striking out a dozen.

Dove Creek picked up a pair of league wins in the San Juan in beating Ignacio (9-6) and Nucla (7-3).  The win over Ignacio avenged an earlier 12-2 loss to the Bobcats.  Dove Creek scored at least one run in the each of the first six innings and five different players drove in a run.  Dalton Davis had a team four hits including a double and RBI.  Klancy Krafka and Alex Ogas each added two hits and a run driven in.  Davis added three more hits against Nucla and Krafka had three hits and three RBI.  Dalton Randolph worked all seven innings giving up seven hits but only two runs.  He struck out six.

Dove Creek continues San Juan action against Dolores at home on Tuesday.  They then visit Grand County UT on Thursday.

We should also mention Weldon Valley’s win over Briggsdale in 13 innings last Wednesday.  Both starting pitchers went 12 innings apiece with Weldon Valley’s Jace Chilson throwing an amazing 227 pitches.  Briggsdale’s Tyler Axelson threw a “paltry” 169 pitches in the loss.  Both were replaced in the decisive 13th inning.

NOTES:  All game schedules and statistics provided with permission from MaxPreps.