Class 2A Baseball District Predictions and Breakdown
I will have a summary of my predictions posted Friday for all classes.
District 1
The District tournament has begun for District 1. #2 Sanford faced off against #6 Cripple Creek and cruised to a very easy victory winning 35-0. They advance now to face #2 Center. #4 South Park opened play against #5 Del Norte and it went down to the wire. Del Norte was able to pull off the upset beating South Park 4-3. Del Norte advances to face #1 Sargent. The semifinal games all take place at Adams State University. #1 Sargent faces #5 Del Norte. Sargent has played well this season going 15-4 during the regular season. Sargent has a loses to Centauri, Pagosa Springs, and Hotchkiss (x2). Sargent beat Del Norte during the regular season 14-0. Sargent is currently the only team in District 1 with a Top 16 RPI and look solid for making regionals with or without the District Crown. Del Norte is playing better baseball as of late. Del Norte nearly beat Center on 4/28 falling short 13-12. Del Norte followed that with a win against Cripple Creek 17-4. Del Norte lost to South Park to end the season but got revenge in the District tournament bating them 4-3. Del Norte will have to play their best game of the season to pull off the upset. In the other Semifinal game, we have #2 Center facing #3 Sanford. Center has played well during the second half of the season. Center played a very tough non-league schedule. Center finished league going 7-2. Center fell in their final game against Monte Vista rallying twice but coming up just short. Center sweep Sanford during the regular season 15-4 & 11-1. Center must regain the momentum they had when they Sanford. Sanford finished the season 10-9 also playing a tough schedule throughout. Sanford finished the year losing 7 of their last 11 games but played well against Cripple Creek in the District tournament winning 35-0. Sanford will be looking to avenge the losses to Center in the Semifinals. Sanford must pitch well to stay in the game. My Predictions for the District 1 tournament are: Sargent over Del Norte, Center over Sanford, and Sargent over Sanford. Sargent secures the District 1 championship.
District 2
The District 2 bracket is out, and all 8 teams take part in the Quarterfinal games. Currently the RPI numbers for District 2 are: #2 Sedgwick County, #7 Yuma, #17 Haxtun, #22 Wiggins, #26 Holyoke. Those are the 5 teams fighting for a spot in the Top 16. The bracket is as follows #1 Sedgwick County vs #8 Akron, #4 Haxtun vs #5 Holyoke, #3 Wiggins vs #6 Wray, #2 Yuma vs #7 Merino. Sedgwick County and Yuma look like solid locks for regionals with or without the District title. Haxtun, Wiggins, and Holyoke are going to need good showings in the District Tournament. Two games in the quarterfinals could determine the fate of two teams. #4 Haxtun faces off against #5 Holyoke. Haxtun went through a tough streak during league play going 9-7 in league. Haxtun now is going to need to play extremely well in the tournament and hope things fall their way in other Districts. Haxtun finished their year losing 5 of their final 8 games and Haxtun must find the success they had earlier in the year. Haxtun beat Holyoke during the regular season but both games were close with Haxtun winning 2-0 and 9-8. Holyoke played a tough schedule as well going 7-10 and 7-9 in league. Holyoke has played tough in most of their games just coming up short in a few that could have gone differently. Holyoke will need a magical run through the District 2 bracket to get into regionals and need that District title. The other big Quarterfinal game is #3 Wiggins vs #6 Wray. Wiggins is #22 in the RPI and more than likely need the District title or must upset Yuma in the semifinals to have a shot at Regionals. Wiggins played well this season finishing third. Wiggins went 10-9 and 9-7 in league. Wiggins struggled against Sedgwick County and Yuma losing both by 5+ runs. Wiggins also split with Wray during the regular season. Wiggins won 12-10 but lost 7-5 so this is going to be a very close game. Wiggins cannot afford to get upset and have a shot at regionals. Wray is going to need a very magical run to get into regionals. Wray will need the District title to get into Regionals and they will have to shock 3 teams to do so. The other Quarterfinal games are #1 Sedgwick County vs #8 Akron. Sedgwick County finished the year 18-1 with their only lose coming to #4 seed Sterling 11-5. Sedgwick County was challenged through the year by Yuma, Merino, and Caliche (x2). Sedgwick County beat Akron during the regular season by 10+ in both games. #8 Akron had a rebuilding year and will be looking to shock the world in the quarterfinals. The last quarterfinal game is between #2 Yuma and #7 Merino. Yuma played well this season going 14-5 and 14-2 in league. Yuma lost to Sedgwick County (x2), Limon, Burlington, and Brush. Yuma is back on a hot streak winning their final four games. Yuma is a lock for regional but are hoping to improve their seed for the Regional bracket. Yuma beat Merino during the regular season 4-1 & 10-5. This could be a trap game for Yuma, so Yuma cannot take Merino for granted. Merino is a scary #7 seed and could easily pull an upset. Merino has played tough against nearly every team but must find some magic to make a run for the district title. My Predictions for District 2 are: #1 Sedgwick County over #8 Akron, #4 Haxtun over #5 Holyoke, #3 Wiggins over #6 Wray, #2 Yuma over #7 Merino. Semifinals: #1 Sedgwick County over #4 Haxtun, #2 Yuma over #3 Wiggins and #1 Sedgwick County over #2 Yuma for the District title.
District 4
District 4 was a tough District to grasp with multiple league competing in league. The District bracket is set and kicks off tomorrow. #4 Denver Christian faces off against #5 Denver Academy with the winner moving on to face #1 Limon. The other Round 1 game is #3 Burlington vs #6 Byers with the winner advancing to face #2 Front Range Christian. In Round 1 Denver Christian will be looking to avenge their loss to Denver Academy. Denver Christian went 3-11-1 during the regular season and lost quite a few games by big margins. Denver Christian will need a District title to get into Regionals, so they will need to find some magic. Denver Academy went 3-9 during the regular season but did pick up the win on Denver Christian during the regular season. Denver Academy did win 2 of their final 3 games and have some momentum heading into this game. The other Round 1 game is #3 Burlington vs #6 Byers. Burlington finished the year going 7-7 and have some impressive wins. Burlington beat Holly and Yuma during the regular season, so they can compete with top teams. Burlington is currently #18 in the RPI and will need a good showing in the District Tournament to get into the Top 16. Burlington may need to upset Front Range Christian in the Semifinals to get a spot in the Top 16. Byers had a tough season this year going 0-9 on the year. #1 Limon and #2 Front Range Christian received byes to the Semifinals. Limon is #6 in the RPI and are a lock for Regionals. Limon did not play Denver Academy but did beat Denver Christian 15-4 during the regular season. Limon is looking to improve their seed for Regionals and a District title could do that. #2 Front Range Christian is #13 in the RPI and are not a secured as Limon is. Front Range Christian gets into regionals with a win in the Semifinals but a lose could but them in some jeopardy. Front Range Christian did not play Burlington or Byers during the regular season so when they face off it will be the first time. My Predictions for the District 4 tournament are: #5 Denver Academy over #4 Denver Christian, #3 Burlington over #6 Byers, Semifinals: #1 Limon over #5 Denver Academy, #2 Front Range Christian over #3 Burlington, and #1 Limon over #2 Front Range Christian.
District 3/5
District 3/5 kicks off their District bracket on tomorrow May 10th. The top 2 seed received byes and the rest of the field must battle it out to get into the Semifinals. #4 Dolores faces #5 Ignacio in the Quarterfinals. Dolores finished the year 8-11 and playing well down the stretch. Dolores beat Ignacio 3 times this year winning 2 of them by 10+ points. Dolores will need a District title to get into regionals and would need a magical run. Ignacio went 4-16 this year. Ignacio played well in some of their games this year just falling short. Ignacio will need to play a full game to pull the upset. Ignacio will also need a District title to get into Regionals. The other Quarterfinal game is between #3 Meeker vs #6 Rangely. Meeker will be heavily favored in this game and must take care of business against Rangely. Meeker had a solid season going 12-7. Meeker beat Rangely 4 times year 1 of which was only by 2. Meeker is #18 in the RPI and might need an upset of Paonia to get into the Top 16. Meeker will be watching their RPI if they do lose in the Semifinals to Paonia. Rangely had a tough year going 1-18. Rangely has played well in some games and an upset over Meeker could cap off a tough year for Rangely. #1 Hotchkiss and #2 Paonia both received byes and will play in the Semifinals. Hotchkiss had a great year going 16-2. Hotchkiss two losses are to Delta and Paonia. Hotchkiss beat both Dolores and Ignacio by 10+ runs but whoever they play will get the #2 pitch from Hotchkiss (my guess as they will want their ace for the District title). Hotchkiss is #3 in the RPI and have been climbing steadily. I am not sure if they can catch #2 Sedgwick County in the RPI, but Hotchkiss could at least finish with a top 5 RPI. Paonia had a great year as well going 17-2. Paonia lost to Grand Junction and Hotchkiss this year. Paonia beat both Meeker and Rangely this year. Paonia did not beat Meeker by 10+ points so could be challenged in the Semifinals by Meeker. Paonia is the #4 seed in the RPI and .008 behind Hotchkiss for the #3 seed. If Paonia and Hotchkiss meet in the championship it will be for either the #3 or #4 seed. My Predictions for District 3/5 are #4 Dolores over #5 Ignacio, #3 Meeker over #6 Rangely. Semifinals: #1 Hotchkiss over #4 Dolores, #2 Paonia over #3 Meeker, and #2 Paonia over #1 Hotchkiss for the District championship.
District 6
District 6 is off, and cruising and we have been semifinal matchups. In the previous round we had #5 Fowler upset #4 County Line 16-10 and #3 Crowley County over #7 Las Animas 9-4. The semifinals matchups are #1 Rocky Ford vs #5 Fowler and #2 Swink vs #3 Crowley County. Game 1 features #1 Rocky Ford vs #5 Fowler. Rocky Ford had a very impressive season going 15-3. All 3 of Rocky Fords losses came to 3A teams: Lamar, La Junta, and Rye. Rocky Ford las played against Fowler and they played well beating them 10-5 and 15-1. Rocky Ford cannot over look Fowler if they want to keep a Top 6 seed. Rocky Ford is #5 in the RPI and a District title will at least keep them in the Top 6. Fowler already has one upset this year beating County Line 16-10. Fowler will need another upset if they want any shot at Regionals. Fowler is #24 in the RPI and more than likely will need the District title to get into Regionals. Fowler has been playing very good baseball as of late and will need to get the bats going early as they will probably not get Rocky Fords Ace. In game #2 we have #2 Swink vs #3 Crowley County. Swink had a solid season going 12-7 including big wins against Calhan and Limon. Swink though will be tested in this game and it will be interesting to see how Swink pitches this game. Swink cannot afford to lose to Crowley County because they are the #15 team in the RPI. A lose by Swink to Crowley County could drop them out of the Top 16. Swink I am guessing does not want to throw their Ace but may be forced to pitch him a bit against Crowley County. #3 Crowley County also played well this year going 9-10. Crowley County played Swink tough last time losing 12-2 & 24-13. Crowley County will need a stellar pitching performance to advance into the Finals. Crowley County will need to have a magical run to get into Regionals. They currently are #23 in the RPI and a way back of #16. My predictions for District 6 are: #1 Rocky Ford vs #5 Fowler, #2 Swink over #3 Crowley County, and #1 Rocky Ford over #2 Swink for the District title.
District 7
District 7 also has your semifinal matchup set. In the Quarterfinals we had #4 Highland beat #5 Gilpin County 10-0 and #3 Dawson over #6 Clear Creek 10-1. So, the Semifinals games are #1 Dayspring Christian vs #4 Highland and #2 Lyons vs #3 Dawson School. In game #1 it’s a huge game for both teams. Dayspring Christian is #12 in the RPI and not a lock yet for Regionals. Dayspring Christian started the year slow losing their first 3 games but ended the year winning 7 of their final 8 games. Dayspring Christian has proven they can play with the top teams losing to Peyton in their final game by just 1 run in extra innings. Dayspring Christian beat Highland during the regular season 14-1. Dayspring Christian cannot overlook Highland as they are fighting for their playoff life. Highland is in the same boat as Dayspring Christian. Highland is #16 in the RPI and a lose could move them out of the Top 16. Highland is playing just .500 baseball in their final 6 games going 3-3. Highland will need to kick the funk and try and pull an upset in the semifinals. In semifinal #2 we have #2 Lyons vs #3 Dawson School. Lyons currently is in the best shape in District 7 with the #9 RPI. Lyons, I believe is a lock for Regionals but would like to improve their seeding for Regionals. Lyons went 13-3 this season and with 2 of those 3 loses coming in their final 5 games. Lyons beat Dawson School 10-6 on 4/23 and I expect a similar result when they face off against this time. Dawson School ended the year winning 4 or their 5 final games and playing solid baseball. Dawson School is #14 in the RPI and are right on the bubble for the Top 16. Dawson School may need to pull an upset or they will be RPI watching going into Sunday. My Predictions for District 7 are: #1 Dayspring Christian over #4 Highland, #2 Lyons over #3 Dawson School, and #1 Dayspring Christian over #2 Lyons for the District title.
District 8
District 8 is off and running and we have been Semifinals are set. In the Quarterfinals we had #4 Ellicott over #5 Dolores Huerta 8-3, and #3 Evangelical Christian over #6 Simla. The semifinals are #1 Peyton vs #4 Ellicott and #2 Calhan vs #3 Evangelical Christian. In semifinal game #1 we have #1 Peyton vs #4 Ellicott. Peyton is a lock for regionals with the #1 RPI. Peyton though would like to keep the #1 seed and will probably need the District title to do so. Peyton has two solid wins over Ellicott 23-3 and 24-7. Peyton went 17-1 this year and their only lose came to Limon 6-3. Peyton did avenge that lose later in the season. Ellicott grabbed a nice 8-3 win over Dolores Huerta who was on a hot streak. Ellicott now though must play their best game of the season against Peyton. Ellicott was beat easily last time these two teams played, and Ellicott must get their best pitching performance of the year. Ellicott is #20 in the RPI and a lose to Peyton will eliminate them from making it to Regionals. In Semifinal game #2 we have #2 Calhan vs #3 Evangelical Christian. Calhan had a solid season going 13-5. Calhan is #8 in the RPI and are nearly a lock for Regionals. Calhan would love to improve their seed and a win over ECA would do just that. Calhan and ECA split during the regular season with Calhan winning 13-12 but losing 9-7. This is going to be a very good game and could see both teams winning this game. Calhan must get good pitching to win this game. Evangelical Christian also had a solid season going 12-6. ECA lost 2 of their final 3 games but did rebound well blowing past Simla 13-3 in the quarterfinals. ECA is #10 in the RPI and are nearly a lock for Regionals but an upset win will push clinch a spot for sure. If ECA does lose I still think they get into Regionals but their seed could drop. Like I was saying this game will be very good and could risk both teams to throw their Ace in this game. My Predictions for District 8 are: #1 Peyton over #4 Ellicott, #2 Calhan over #3 Evangelical Christian, and #1 Peyton over #2 Calhan for the District title.
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