Class 3A and 2A baseball champions set to be crowned this weekend

More photos via Paul Shepardson

The final weekend of the high school baseball season in Class 3A and 2A has arrived.

State champions in each classification will be crowned on Saturday.

In Class 2A, top-seeded Forge Christian upended Platte Valley 10-0 in five innings in the state semifinals at Hobbs Field at the Runyon Sports Complex last Saturday.

Forge Christian (24-4) is undefeated in the double-elimination tournament and is in the driver’s seat waiting to play in the 10 a.m. championship game Saturday.

No. 7-seeded Platte Valley (18-10) dropped down into the consolation bracket and will play at 12:30 p.m., May 30 at Hobbs Field.

PV will play the winner of the No. 6-seeded Denver Christian (18-9) and No. 8-seeded Monte Vista (18-7) game at 10 a.m., May 30. Whichever team – Platte Valley, Denver Christian or Monte Vista – advances through the loser’s bracket will meet Forge in the championship and have to beat the Fury twice to claim the coveted state title.

Denver Christian is the reigning two-time defending 2A state champs. Forge Christian, formerly known as Faith Christian until the fall of 2023, has won three baseball state championships in 2007, 2011 and 2016 all in 3A.

Forge is paced offensively by Ben McLean (.471), Burke Jasa (.469) and Asher Garner (.372).

On the mound, Brock Wycoff (8-0) and Jasa (6-3) set the tone for the Fury.

Platte Valley is led by Hudson Flummerfelt (.385); Nick Silvas (.329); and Mason Hunt (.319). The top pitchers for PV are Dagan Gomez (9-1) and Hazen Weber (8-2).

Denver Christian is fueled by Mason Reilly (.523),James Lord (.434), and Caleb Stork (.432). Lord (8-4) and Reilly (7-1) are also DC’s top pitchers.

Monte Vista’s offense is paced by Jakoby Ross (.388) and Chayse Bouet (.385). Kade Mellott (5-0) is MV’s top pitcher.

Class 3A

Like Forge Christian in 2A, No. 2-seeed Coal Ridge (25-2-1) is sitting in the driver’s seat waiting in the championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Coal Ridge is on the cusp of making school history trying to become the first boys team in its school’s record books to claim a state title.

Ben Simons (.588), John Luke Houston (.500) and Dylan Miller (.384) set the tone offensively for the Titans.

Houston (8-0) and Simons (6-1) are CR’s top pitchers.

Top-seeded University (24-4) awaits in the 12:30 p.m. game Friday. No. 5-seeded Montezuma-Cortez (23-5) faces No. 4-seeded Resurrection Christian (19-9) with the winner meeting University.

University’s top hitters are Kaden Turk (.402), Brody Duran (.392) and Preston Natividad (.378). Gage Viken (6-1), and Joel Ramirez (6-1) are University’s top pitchers.

University has been the state runner-up three years running. The Bulldogs have won five state baseball titles in school history in 1982, 1992, 1997, 2018 and 2019.

No. 4 Resurrection Christian has two state baseball championships in school history in 2012 and 2014.

RC’s Charley Wilson (.391), Brayden Macalmon (.384) and Braedyn Budd (.371) are providing the offensive firepower. Vaughn Green (5-1) has been RC’s top hurler.

No. 5 Montezuma-Cortez (23-5) is chasing its first state baseball crown in school history. The Panthers lost to No. 4 Resurrection Christian 1-0 Friday, then beat Valley (1-0), and Eaton (9-5) to get to this elimination game.

Montezuma-Cortez is paced offensively by Cory Carver (.480), Michael Krupa (.436) and Samson Lein (.434). Seth Oakes has a team-high six wins.