The state baseball tournaments officially began on Friday with 24 games being played out to establish semifinal matchups. Find photo galleries from select games below.

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Class 5A

(Matt Meyer)

The rivalry is between Cherry Creek is always heated, but it’s particularly warm for Tyce Smith.

The junior started his career with the Raiders as a freshman before changing to the Bruins the following season. On Saturday at All City Field, he endured ample trash talk from Regis fans — both kids and adults.

But Smith got the last laugh as his sacrifice fly into left field in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Bruins to a 4-3 victory. It kicked off an emotional celebration directed at least in part toward the Raiders’ dugout and stands, one of many charged moments between the last year’s state finalists.

Read Matt Meyer’s full story from Day 1 here.

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(Matt Meyer)

In the bottom of the second inning Saturday, Cael Knobbe was Cherry Creek’s only hope.

The Bruins had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the frame with station-to-station baseball, and RBI single from Tyce Smith and a two-run single from Owen Else. But by the bottom half, Grandview had scored its first run via a bases-loaded walk, the third in four batters.

Read Matt Meyer’s full story from Day 2 here.

Photos:

(Steve Abeyta/steveabeytaphotography.com)

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Class 4A

(Marcus Hill/The Gazette)


From top to bottom, the Golden lineup is dangerous.

There’s not a standout player for which other teams can game plan. Instead, there’s a cohesive lineup that grinds out at-bats, wears out opponents pitchers and stresses out defenses.

When Luca Casali laced a 2-RBI triple to straight away center field as part of a big fourth inning, two-out rally in Golden’s 13-6 win Class 4A baseball second-round win against Falcon at UCCS on Friday afternoon, it typified the Demons’ offensive attack.

Read James Noke’s full Day 1 story here.

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Caycen Mead adjusted his stance and hasn’t stopped hitting.

The sophomore catcher was the catalyst at the bottom of the Golden order that moved runners over, kept innings alive, wore out opposing pitchers and helped propel the Demons to a wild 12-11 win against Windsor in a Class 4A semifinal baseball game at Erdle Field on the campus of the Air Force Academy.

Read James Noke’s full Day 2 story here.

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Golden has been in the Final 4 of the Class 4A baseball state tournament recently, but the Demons have never been in this position.

Golden (25-3 record) went 3-0 during the first weekend of the double-elimination state tournament. Victories over Cheyenne Mountain and Falcon on Friday, May 23, followed up by a marathon 12-11 victory over Windsor on Saturday at Erdle Field at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs automatically pushed the Demons’ ticket to the 4A championship game Saturday, May 31, back at Erdle Field.

Read Dennis Pleuss’ assessment of Golden’s golden opportunity here.

Photos:

(Andrew Rydland/AndrewRydlandPhotography.com)

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Class 3A

(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)


A year ago, a crafty sophomore came out of the bullpen to steady University in its effort to get to the Class 3A baseball semifinal.

This year, Gage Viken, now a steady junior, wanted the ball from the start. And he showed why.

Viken threw a complete game, giving up just three hits and one earned run, all while striking out nine hitters to lead the Bulldogs to a 5-2 win over Resurrection Christian. The Bulldogs return to Butch Butler on Friday to take on Coal Ridge, who beat Delta to start the day then handed Eaton its first loss in the 3A state tournament since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read Dan Mohrmann’s full Day 1 story here.

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Coal Ridge baseball coach Dan Larsen had a tough decision to make, so John Luke Houston made it for him. The junior pitcher demanded the start against No. 1 seed University at Butch Butler Field.

It might have been a gamble, but Houston wanted to be in that position at that moment. And when he held the Bulldogs in check to get a 3-0 win for the Titans, reality set in. Coal Ridge will play for the John Haefeli Class 3A state baseball title next Friday.

Read Dan Mohrmann’s full Day 2 story here.

Photos:

(Paul Shepardson/paulshepardsonphotography.com)