Holy Family senior Jake Syverson belted a home run against fellow hitting-pitcher standout Jacob Moats of Longmont Monday, then barked a little something to him as he rounded the bases.
The two admitted afterward to exchanging some good-natured barbs in their league showdown, characterizing it as just two competitive guys trying to will their teams to victory.
With a couple weeks remaining in the sport’s regular season, these types of aces, who can also hit, are leading the way for many of the top contenders in each classification.
Let’s discuss a few of them.
Class 4A
Jake Syverson, Holy Family: The senior took the state’s lead in strikeouts after fanning a dozen in a five-inning win over Longmont Monday. He now has 81 in 38 1/3 innings this spring.
His bat has been heating up of late, too. He homered twice in the doubleheader over the Trojans and has hits in five of his last six games.
“When he’s on the mound, we always know we have a chance to win no matter who we’re playing,” Holy Family coach Marc Cowell said. “And if he can bring it on both sides, I like our chances of winning. I hope he stays hot.”
The No. 3 Tigers (13-2), winners of 11 straight, open a two-game series against Windsor Saturday.
Jacob Moats, Longmont: The senior had his first rough outing of the season at the hands of Syverson and the Tigers Monday, but he still sports a 2.41 ERA in 40 2/3 frames for the 14-2 Trojans.
He’s also the team’s most trusted middle-of-the-order bat, hitting .481 with a team-leading 23 runs driven in.
No. 5 Longmont, now two games back of Holy Family in the 5A/4A NCAC, opens a two-game set against Silver Creek Saturday.
Ryland Nostrand, Grand Junction Central: The junior has a 1.72 ERA in 44 2/3 innings on the mound and is second to Syverson in state Ks with 76.
In an 8-0 win over Eagle Valley last week, he tossed a one-hitter in seven innings with 13 strikeouts. He drove in four runs on three hits, moving his season batting average to .420.
The Warriors are home against No. 5 Fruita Monument Friday. They lost 16-1 to the Wildcats Tuesday.
Class 5A
Noah Scott, Broomfield: Scott is a five-tool player who will likely have a large selection of colleges to choose from for his next baseball home.
For now, he’s leading the defending champs with a 7-0 record on the mound and a .408 batting average.
He tossed five solid innings and drove in two in a 13-2 win over Prairie View Monday.
Broomfield is at Poudre on Thursday.
Sean Barta, Rock Canyon: The senior has hits in 10 of 15 games and has allowed just five earned runs in his 30 innings pitched.
The No. 6 Jaguars have won seven of their last eight and are home against Douglas County Friday.
Class 3A
Mitch Haythorn, Eaton: The junior has allowed just eight hits in 29 innings this spring, sporting an itty-bitty 0.24 ERA for the undefeated Reds (16-0).
He tossed a five-inning one-hitter in Wednesday’s 13-0 win over Strasburg, striking out nine. He’s hitting .405 with 16 RBIs.
No. 1 Eaton is at Wellington Saturday.
Miles Frost, Montezuma-Cortez: The Panthers (14-3) are having their best season in recent memory and Frost is a big reason why.
The senior is 5-1 on the mound with a 0.54 ERA in 39 innings. He’s hitting .382 with 16 RBIs, helping Montezuma-Cortez win eight straight.
The No. 5 Panthers are at Dove Creek Saturday.
Class 2A
Logan Nickell, Peyton: If you had a ‘Nickell’ for every run the senior has allowed, you’d be broke.
Nickell hasn’t allowed an earned run in 24 innings pitched for the 14-0 Panthers. He’s hitting .540 with three home runs and 22 RBIs.
No. 1 Peyton is at Colorado Springs Christian School Tuesday.
Mason Reilly, Denver Christian: The sophomore has been a strong No. 2 in the rotation to ace Brayden Epperhart, who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 21 2/3 innings.
Reilly has a 0.70 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 20 frames. He’s hitting .514 with 16 RBIs.
No. 4 Denver Christian is home against 1A No. 8 Flatirons Academy Thursday.
Class 1A
Julian Terrazas, Holly: The senior has put his team on his back this spring, leading them in nearly every offensive and pitching category.
On the mound, he’s 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA in 25 innings. He also leads the team in batting average (.641), on-base percentage (.731), home runs (four) and stolen bases (21).
No. 3 Holly is at No. 10 McClave Friday.
Ty Coleman, Cotopaxi: Coleman is averaging more than two strikeouts an inning this spring, tallying 68 in 30 frames.
He’s 7-0 on the mound with a 1.40 ERA. At the plate, he’s hitting .607 with 24 RBIs.
Cotopaxi (9-3) is at South Park Saturday.