The Class 5A baseball scene went through another shakeup after Broomfield’s top-10 win over Erie on Thursday.
The Eagles entered the day ranked No. 8 in CHSAA’s 5A poll, but moved up to seventh after their 8-2 win over the Tigers, who dropped from No. 2 to No. 3.
Last spring, Broomfield was one of four teams to reach the final weekend of the 5A playoffs. It eventually lost to Regis Jesuit, which later fell to Cherry Creek in the state championship game.
This year, Brandon Harper — a former draft pick of the Florida Marlins — has taken and has the Eagles off to a 7-3 start, including a 4-0 mark in April.
On Monday, Jackson Shepherd homered in a 13-0 win over No. 30 Horizon. The following day, he drove in the winning run as part of a four-run 10th inning in a 9-5 win over No. 25 Heritage.
Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing matchups this week in 5A and 4A baseball.
Class 5A
No. 2 Regis Jesuit vs. No. 1 Legacy, Friday, 6:30 p.m. at Gameday Baseball Fields in Parker
Chase Hoelting has been one of the state’s hottest hitters, batting .632 and slugging 1.053 for the Lightning (8-1). He has driven in 14 runs, while teammate Bobby Hyatt added two RBIs in a 13-0 win over Horizon on Thursday, giving him 13 on the season.
Regis Jesuit (7-3) got four strong innings from Cade Filleman in its 4-3 win over Cherry Creek last week. The junior is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA across 11 2/3 innings.
No. 12 Douglas County at No. 9 Chaparral, Monday, 4:30 p.m.
Chaparral (7-4) got two hits and two RBIs from Carter Adams in its 4-2 win over Fairview on Tuesday, improving to 6-3 at home this season.
Bricen Moore has led Douglas County (7-4) at the plate, batting .576 with seven extra-base hits in 33 at-bats.
No. 5 Northfield at No. 11 Vista PEAK Prep, Tuesday, 4:15 p.m.
Since starting the season 0-2, Northfield (8-2) has won eight straight behind an offense that has slugged 12 home runs. Peter North leads the group with three of his own.
In March, the Nighthawks’ Nolan Taylor, Adler Hickey and Nate Dunavant combined to throw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Vista PEAK Prep (9-4) at a tournament in Fort Morgan. Together, they fanned 17 batters.
Class 4A
No. 1 Roosevelt vs. No. 24 Severance, Saturday at Severance, 11 a.m.; Monday at Roosevelt, 4 p.m.
The Roughriders swept a two-game series against Wellington over the past week to improve to 10-0. In Saturday’s first game against Wellington, Brady Mylander moved to 4-0 on the mound. This spring, he has allowed six runs in 20 1/3 innings — none earned.
Severance (9-3), meanwhile, is led by 4A’s top hitter, Finn Wischmeier. The junior is batting .639 with nine extra-base hits in 36 at-bats, including three home runs. He has driven in 21 runs.
No. 19 Pueblo South at No. 15 Pueblo County, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Pueblo County (9-5) was the top seed in last year’s 4A bracket but failed to advance out of the opening weekend. This spring, the Hornets have suffered three one-run losses but have played well of late, winning their last three. On Tuesday, Blake Swift threw a four-hitter in a 9-0 win over No. 29 Pueblo East.
Pueblo South (9-5) has also won three straight, most recently in 10 innings over Mesa Ridge on Saturday, when freshman Cortland Krummel delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly.