D’Evelyn finds a way, advances to 3A baseball state championship

GREELEY – For 14 more innings, D’Evelyn just has to keep doing what it’s been doing for nearly 14 weeks.

Just find a way.

Despite giving up two quick runs in the first inning against The Classical Academy, the Jags found a way to take a big lead and hang on for a 7-6 win.

Then, in the John Haefeli Class 3A baseball semifinal, they found a way to jump out to a massive lead over an Eaton program that has more or less held the deed at Butch Butler Stadium since 2021. A 12-7 win over the Reds on a toasty Friday afternoon has the Jags in uncharted territory.

Now they just have to find an overcome a heavy favorite in No. 1 University on Saturday.

“They’ve just been playing this way, they’re resilient, ” coach Dan Porreco said. “They’ll just come out and play. I don’t have to get them hyped up or anything, they’re just enjoying themselves and not feeling pressured or anything.”

Playing loose is an effective way to win baseball games and the Jags showed that early. They gave up two runs to the Titans in the bottom of the first of the first elimination game at the Butch. They tied it up in the top of the third thanks to an unsuccessful double play attempt by TCA that scored Jack Meiser. Darian Valdez-Berriel then singled to bring home Cameron Holthaus, who reached base on the fielders choice and advanced to second on the throwing error as the Titans tried to turn 2.

Holthaus had a 2-RBI triple in the fourth and scored on a dropped third strike that should have ended the inning. Jacob Sed added a 2-run home run in the fifth to push the lead to 7-2.

Kevin Feldon threw 5 2/3 solid innings before reaching the pitch count limit in the sixth and turning the ball over to Meiser.

The Titans pulled to within one run, but Meiser stayed steady on the mound to get D’Evelyn into the afternoon game against Eaton.

Mesier got the start in that clash and held the Reds in check as the Jags plated 10 runs in the first three innings.

“The win against TCA game us a lot of momentum,” Meiser said. “I was pumped up, had a lot of adrenaline going into the Eaton game and you have to have the mentality that you can’t be afraid of anyone.”

Eaton gambled with its pitching, opting to sit Gunnar Garrison, who gave up just one run and struck out 12 D’Evelyn hitters in the first weekend of the John Haefeli 3A state tournament.

Keldon got the Jags on the board in that game with an RBI-single in the top of the first. He and Marshall Pharris scored on a Seda single later in the inning.

As the runs stacked up, as the Jags found a way to put pressure on Eaton, belief started to sink in.

“My biggest thing is just to believe,” Feldon said. “We have a little ball in our dugout and no matter what, every single game we all touch it, and I think that’s the biggest thing about our whole season. We just believe from the start.”

On Saturday, the Jags must continue to believe and must continue to find a way. They know they’re struggling on the pitching front heading into the championship against University. Meanwhile, Gage Viken and Joel Ramirez are ready to go for the Bulldogs.

University is in search of its first baseball championship since 2019. D’Evelyn is in search of its first baseball championship in program history.

The ability to believe might help the Jags continue to find a way to the wins they need.

“We don’t have the pitching they do,” Porreco said. “They’re fresh, but we have 17 kids in our dugout who have been working hard together all year long. We’re going to give it our best. We’re going to get after it.”