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

CLASS 2A BASEBALL STATE PREVIEW – TEAM CAPSULES

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Friday’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.  This is the first season of double elimination play.  Denver Christian is undefeated and will await to see who they face in the State Championship. 

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

#2 DENVER CHRISTIAN THUNDER (23-4)

COACH: Sam Jones

STATE TITLES: 2023, 2013, 1996

RUNNER-UP: 2002, 1992, 1990, 1997

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

STATE: Beat Monte Vista (4-1), Dayspring Christian (11-2), Lyons (6-2)

STREAK: Won 18 straight

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .416; 47 doubles, 17 triples, 11 home runs; Hawes 8 HR; 92 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .954, 32 errors, 7 double plays; Team ERA 1.90; 258 K, 80 BB, 13 HBP, 9 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Asher Hawes	.523	32	46	45	6
Patrick Elson	.417	25	33	17	20
Brayden Epperhart	.470	21	39	28	3
Caleb Stork	.452	22	38	19	5
Mason Reilly	.432	30	38	39	11
Nate Bovasso	.387	25	29	21	16
James Lord	.387	20	29	21	7

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Mason Reilly	1.01	48.2	100	25	1
James Lord	1.14	12.1	23	3	0
Caleb Stork	1.62	34.2	46	16	5
Brayden Epperhart	2.00	56.0	82	22	5

#12 LYONS LIONS (18-8)

COACH: Kale Olson

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

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

STATE: Beat Swink (12-2), Beat Limon (5-1), Lost to Denver Christian (6-2)

STREAK: Won 7 of their last 11 games

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .298; 31 doubles, 9 triples, 8 home runs; Oetting 4 HR; 87 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .908, 63 errors, 3 double plays; Team ERA 1.83; 265 K, 60 BB, 12 HBP, 23 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Zack LaCrosse	.430	29	34	23	8
Jake LaCrosse	.425	22	17	9	12
Davis Abernathy	.402	34	33	14	12
Wyatt Waters	.390	16	30	27	8
Michael Ping	.293	23	17	8	13
Finn Oetting	.276	20	21	25	15
Henry Johnson	.270	13	20	17	3

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Finn Oetting	0.00	9.2	20	8	0
Zack LaCrosse	0.50	41.2	61	8	2
Jake LaCrosse	1.83	30.2	53	10	1
Wyatt Waters	2.55	77.0	127	28	9

#1 LIMON BADGERS (26-1)

COACH: Rocky Rockwell   

STATE TITLES: 2022, 2021, 2010, 2006

RUNNER-UP: 2023, 2016, 2009, 2001

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

STATE: Beat Buena Vista (17-7), Lost to Lyons (5-1), Beat Las Animas (2-1 (8))

STREAK: Won 9 of their last 10 games

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .373; 55 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs; Rockwell 7 HR, Bandy 5 HR; 194 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .947, 34 errors, 19 double plays; Team ERA 1.76; 275 K, 76 BB, 36 HBP, 18 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Keon Bandy	.541	51	40	39	43
Jordan Rockwell	.532	50	41	41	28
Cale Bennett	.385	26	30	33	42
Lance Beedy	.366	28	26	25	31
Brody Scherrer	.356	25	31	20	17
Trey Smith	.314	42	27	25	13
Nathaniel Coonts	.312	18	20	17	6

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Trey Smith	0.89	23.2	37	21	4
Jordan Rockwell	1.73	48.2	87	18	21
Keon Bandy	1.85	75.2	127	24	8
Cale Bennett	2.62	10.2	14	7	2

#8 BUENA VISTA DEMONS (19-7)

COACH: Greg Perrin

STATE TITLES: None

RUNNER-UP: None

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

STATE: Lost to Limon (17-7), Beat Swink (6-5), Beat Dayspring Christian (7-4)

STREAK: Won 9 of their last 11 games

TEAM NOTES: Team BA .326; 40 doubles, 16 triples, 4 home runs; Camp 2 HRs; 129 total stolen bases; fielding percentage .919,43 errors, 10 double plays; Team ERA 3.37; 242 K, 140 BB, 38 HBP, 28 wild pitches.

NAME	AVG	RUNS	HITS	RBI	STEALS
Elio Ynfante	.500	6	8	5	0
Caleb Camp	.422	40	35	16	30
Elio Rizzi	.415	19	34	21	11
Trey Cardwell	.403	5	31	24	2
Knox Reid	.320	23	24	19	3
Nolan Verrier	.289	31	24	21	26
Hudson Wingo	.271	29	23	23	7

NAME	ERA	INNINGS	STRIKEOUTS	WALKS	HBP
Caleb Camp	1.63	51.2	111	50	8
Elio Ynfante	2.10	6.2	12	7	3
Julian Lopez-Olsen	2.76	45.2	54	32	5
Elio Rizzi	3.00	35	38	19	10