CLASS 2A BASEBALL STATE PREVIEW – TEAM CAPSULES by Kerry Sherman

CLASS 2A BASEBALL STATE PREVIEW – TEAM CAPSULES

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Class 2A has reached the state tournament after last weekend’s regional round. New to the classification this season is a double elimination bracket from here on out. The move aligns Class 2A with the three larger classifications in that aspect. Beginning with Friday’s quarterfinals and running through next weekend’s semifinals will be played at the Runyon Complex in Pueblo. The championship game will be played at Rawlins Field on the campus of CSU-Pueblo. Denver Christian in the defending champion, after the Thunder prevented a Limon three-peat last year, 5-3.

Individual statistics quoted below are courtesy of MaxPreps. Teams are listed in bracket order.

#1 LIMON BADGERS (24-0)

COACH: Rocky Rockwell   

STATE TITLES: 2022, 2021, 2010, 2006

RUNNER-UP: 2023, 2016, 2009, 2001

REGIONALS: Beat Sanford (20-0), Ignacio (10-1)

STREAK: Won 24 straight

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 4-0

            Wins: Monte Vista, Buena Vista, Denver Christian, Akron (1A runner-up)

            Losses: None

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .386; 55 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs; Rockwell 7 HR, Bandy 5 HR; 171 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .949, 28 errors, 17 double plays; Team ERA 1.48; 248 K, 62 BB, 29 HBP, 17 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Keon Bandy	.576	49	38	37	39
Jordan Rockwell	.538	48	37	38	23
Cale Bennett	.420	25	29	31	39
Lance Beedy	.371	25	23	23	28
Brody Scherrer	.350	23	28	20	13
Trey Smith	.346	38	27	25	11
Aiden Kollath	.315	19	17	16	6

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Trey Smith	1.19	17.2	32	17	2
Keon Bandy	1.40	70	122	19	19
Jordan Rockwell	1.47	43	76	15	7
Cale Bennett	3.23	8.2	11	7	1

#8 BUENA VISTA DEMONS (17-6)

COACH: Greg Perrin

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

REGIONALS: Beat Del Norte (8-3), Fowler (5-0)

STREAK: Won 2 straight, 7 of last 9

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-3

            Wins: None

            Losses: Limon, Denver Christian, Monte Vista

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .334; 40 doubles, 14 triples, 3 home runs; 3 players with 1 HR apiece; 121 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .917, 39 errors, 9 double plays; Team ERA 2.93; 220 K, 111 BB, 31 HBP, 24 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Elio Rizzi	.452	18	33	19	11
Caleb Camp	.431	37	31	12	29
Trey Cardwell	.420	5	29	22	2
Knox Reid	.353	22	24	18	3
Nolan Verrier	.289	28	22	20	24
Kaden Schell	.273	19	21	21	9
Hudson Wingo	.267	27	20	23	7

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Caleb Camp	1.29	48.2	105	32	8
Julian Lopez-Olsen	2.49	39.1	49	28	4
Elio Rizzi	2.87	31.2	36	16	8
Trey Cardwell	8.84	6.1	8	9	5

#13 SWINK LIONS (17-7)

COACH: Jeremy Hunter

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

REGIONALS: Beat Yuma (12-11), Peyton (7-4 in nine innings)

STREAK: Won 3 straight, 5 of last seven

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-2

            Wins: None

            Losses: Las Animas (2)

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .366; 54 doubles, 16 triples, 12 home runs; Mills 5 HR; 122 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .951, 26 errors, 10 double plays; Team ERA 4.33; Cabrera 1 no-hitter; Paolucci 1 shutout; 209 K, 90 BB, 49 HBP, 8 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Nate Cabrera	.541	37	33	20	20
Landon Mills	.485	29	33	42	13
Conner Clodfelter	.413	13	19	3	8
Hunter Bauserman	.408	30	29	37	17
Hunter Reynolds	.370	25	27	19	7
Nick Paolucci	.354	36	23	24	29
Jackson Tomky	.304	19	14	10	11

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Nate Cabrera	3.02	41.2	67	28	12
Nick Paolucci	4.01	43.2	65	28	11
Hunter Bauserman	4.64	28.2	45	12	15
Landon Mills	7.33	14.1	22	18	8

#12 LYONS LIONS (16-7)

COACH: Kale Olson

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

REGIONALS: Beat Trinidad (6-0), Holyoke (9-3)

STREAK: Won 2 straight, 3 of last 4

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 2-2

            Wins: Flatirons Academy (1A), Dayspring Christian

            Losses: Colorado Academy (3A), Denver Christian

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .299; 28 doubles, 9 triples, 8 home runs; Oetting 4 HR; 80 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .905, 58 errors, 2 double plays; Team ERA 1.87; 245 K, 51 BB, 9 HBP, 21 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Zack LaCrosse	.457	26	32	22	8
Jake LaCrosse	.455	19	15	8	11
Davis Abernathy	.387	31	29	12	12
Wyatt Waters	.368	15	25	23	7
Michael Ping	.314	22	16	6	13
Henry Johnson	.297	12	19	17	3
Finn Oetting	.273	18	18	24	13

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Finn Oetting	0.00	9.2	20	8	0
Zack LaCrosse	0.39	35.2	57	7	1
Jake LaCrosse	1.73	24.1	44	7	1
Wyatt Waters	2.65	71.1	120	23	7

#3 LAS ANIMAS TROJANS (23-2)

COACH: Cody Hines

STATE TITLES: 2005, 1973, 1972, 1968

RUNNER-UP: 2004, 1970, 1955

REGIONALS: Beat Dolores Huerta Prep (12-2), St. Mary’s (10-5)

STREAK: Won 4 straight, 20 of last 21

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 2-0

            Wins: Swink (2)

            Losses: None

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .375; 56 doubles, 13 triples, 3 home runs; 3 players with 1 HR apiece; 149 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .945, 44 errors, 7 double plays; Team ERA 1.88; Servaes and TJ Ortiz with a no-hitter apiece; 248 K, 58 BB, 16 HBP, 1 wild pitch.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
TJ Ortiz	.623	24	48	40	15
Braydon Ortiz	.494	2	41	33	0
Damien Baca	.440	20	37	20	3
Conan Tyler	.436	12	17	15	4
Orion Martinez	.431	41	28	13	36
Logan Servaes	.323	18	21	19	15
Kree Wallace	.297	29	22	15	15

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Braydon Ortiz	0.92	53	95	6	1
TJ Ortiz	2.03	31	42	5	0
Damien Baca	2.10	50	80	23	8
Logan Servaes	2.86	14.2	20	19	4

#11 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN EAGLES (15-5)

COACH: Gilbert Salazar

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: 1997

REGIONALS: Beat Byers (6-1), Wray (7-1)

STREAK: Won 11 straight, 13 of last 14

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-3

            Wins: None

            Losses: Lyons, Denver Christian, Flatirons Academy (1A)

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .310; 34 doubles, 9 triples, 4 home runs; 4 players with 1 HR apiece; 54 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .906, 48 errors, 2 double plays; Team ERA 3.38; 187 K, 62 BB, 12 HBP, 23 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Owen Steward	.465	14	20	17	2
Logan VanIddekinge	.413	13	26	23	7
Josiah Rodriguez	.412	14	21	14	3
Peyton Coleman	.293	18	12	13	10
Sawyer Klein	.283	11	15	9	1
Gage Davis	.273	13	15	9	7
Kai Polk	.270	10	10	14	2

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Logan VanIddekinge	0.83	33.2	62	8	4
Gage Davis	3.15	40	60	17	2
Bode Shovlin	4.10	13.2	23	6	1
Josiah Rodriguez	5.62	18.2	33	20	2

#2 DENVER CHRISTIAN THUNDER (20-4)

COACH: Sam Jones

STATE TITLES: 2023, 2013, 1996

RUNNER-UP: 2002, 1992, 1990, 1997

REGIONALS: Beat Crowley County (11-0), Meeker (6-0)

STREAK: Won 15 straight

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 5-4

            Wins: Dayspring Christian, Buena Vista, Flatirons Academy (1A), Colorado Academy (3A), Lyons

            Losses: Limon, Regis (OR), Blanchet Catholic (OR), McMinnville (OR)

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .413; 44 doubles, 16 triples, 11 home runs; Hawes 8 HR; 86 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .952, 29 errors, 6 double plays; Team ERA 2.13; 225 K, 75 BB, 11 HBP, 9 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Asher Hawes	.551	32	43	43	6
Patrick Elson	.475	21	29	17	18
Caleb Stork	.444	20	32	16	5
Brayden Epperhart	.438	18	32	25	3
Mason Reilly	.430	27	34	37	9
Nate Bovasso	.388	23	26	18	16
Nathan Buehrer	.377	33	29	21	9

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Mason Reilly	1.19	41.1	87	25	1
James Lord	1.31	10.2	19	3	0
Caleb Stork	1.91	29.1	42	14	4
Brayden Epperhart	2.13	49.1	70	19	4

#6 MONTE VISTA PIRATES (19-3)

COACH: Luke Bradshaw

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

REGIONALS: Beat Ellicott (5-4), Dawson School (2-1 in nine innings)

STREAK: Won 14 straight, 19 of last 20

RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-1

            Wins: Buena Vista

            Losses: Limon

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .331; 44 doubles, 13 triples, 2 home runs; Hurtado 2 HR; 114 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .885, 60 errors, 8 double plays; Team ERA 2.35; 204 K, 72 BB, 19 HBP, 8 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Kaden Mellott	.420	28	29	15	11
Domyon Naranjo	.364	20	20	9	6
Jakoby Ross	.346	19	27	13	13
Judah Howe	.345	23	20	16	8
Azariah Hurtado	.343	29	24	30	20
Kobe Jiron	.288	34	17	13	23
Jeremiah Baumgardner	.282	24	20	21	9

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Kaden Mellott	1.85	56.2	93	14	2
Jeremiah Baumgardner	2.27	24.2	31	17	4
Kobe Jiron	2.31	39.1	55	28	5
Azariah Hurtado	4.00	7	10	7	3