Welcome to the Class 4A baseball Championship Series, a.k.a. in 2005 as the Northern League Invitational.
“It looks like it, doesn’t it?” Golden coach Brad Madden pondered.
Five of the league’s teams are here in the field of eight that will begin double-elimination rounds Friday, including defending champion Niwot.
The Northern, which turned into a super-league of sorts this season with 16 teams, dominated preseason rankings, the regular season and last weekend’s district rounds. It left two postseason spots for Jefferson County (Golden and Ralston Valley) and one for the South Central (Pueblo South) to decide the 4A crown into next weekend.
Here’s the trick: After a fun week of practice for eight teams – 57 others in 4A have been eliminated – immediate goals are to avoid the losers’ bracket and win two (of a possible three) games this weekend to ensure playing the next weekend.
Madden wasn’t kidding when he said Northern teams “are rolling.” Niwot, Broomfield, Longmont, Northridge and Sterling occupy main story lines, particularly Niwot, 21-0 this season and winner of 42 consecutive games.
“You have to give them that respect,” Ralston Valley coach Shane Freehling said.
Niwot is led by the superlative Sean Ratliff, a left-handed senior who led 4A in batting, home runs and runs batted in a year ago, and probably is Colorado’s best pitcher, hitter and position player. He has since settled in to an early signing to play at Stanford, enough promise to warrant consideration as a first-round draft choice by the major leagues next month and the opportunity to lead coach Bob Bote’s Cougars to their fifth title since 1998.
Ratliff has bopped seven home runs, a relatively modest total for him, but fret not. He’s looking at plenty of innings to play. Count Thomas Bauer, Brian Lux and Kyle Spencer as some of the many Cougars contributors who helped spark a two-game district sweep last weekend in which they outscored the opposition by a combined 32-0.
Truth is, the Cougars’ lineup, mound staff, depth, experience, coaching and abilities to execute fundamental and big plays in close games mean the top ballclub in the state resides in what has turned into an affluent bedroom community northwest of Denver. Combining the 2004-05 prep seasons and last summer’s American Legion World Series team, Bote’s bunch is 115-9.
Golden gets the Cougars first. Madden’s guys, who stepped in as prep youngsters a year ago after winning it all with a multitalented, senior-led group in 2003, have evolved nicely. They’re game, resilient and hungry, and never mind only two positions are manned by seniors.
“We’re coming around,” Madden said.
The Demons’ strength lies on the hill with senior right-hander Joel Lockhart. Also watch for left fielder Nick DeMouline, catcher Kevin Coughlin and center fielder Mike Rizzuto.
Meanwhile, Broomfield is bidding for its second consecutive title-game appearance. The Eagles may be without key front-liners from a year ago, when Colt Sedbrook demonstrated he was one of the fastest in-state schoolboys in years to run around the bases, but their usual lunch-pail approach continues.
Andy Herrman and Ben Hubbard had strong pitching efforts in districts. It’s a roster capable of scratching and clawing with anyone. Nearly half of the Eagles’ games have been decided by three runs or fewer.
Count Ralston Valley among serious challengers. At 42-15 over three seasons, the Mustangs also are on a mini-revenge tour. They knocked off Pueblo County in the district finale, the program that beat them in regionals under the previous format in 2002, and are eager to meet Broomfield, which rallied from a 6-0 deficit a year ago to send the Mustangs home and continue the Eagles’ march to the championship.
“We’re excited,” Freehling said, and added, “Broomfield’s really gritty and we expect (the Eagles) to give us everything they’ve got.”
The Mustangs, winners of 12 games in a row, plan to reciprocate with a lineup capable of damage throughout nine spots, strong pitching and inspired play. They have attained double figures in runs scored 13 times and are led by Levi Tapia, who has ripped seven home runs and flirted with a .600 batting average. Outfielders Dave Andres and Kyle Parzybok also deserve watching. The plan is for right-handers B.K. Harfst and Kevin Chritz to take turns on the bump.
The first of several possible all-Northern matchups will be Longmont versus Sterling. Longmont won 8-4 on April 13.
Longmont finished in a three-way tie with Broomfield and Sterling for second in the league. The Trojans lost by a run to Niwot – so impressive, the school is spelled “to win” backward – in its opener, then quietly won 16 of 20 games. Ten of the Trojans’ past 20 games have been decided by two runs or fewer, including 6-5 over Thompson Valley in the district championship.
Justin Mathews (8-0) is Longmont’s main man on the mound.
Sterling, featuring Spencer Johnson, Derek Pilkington and Jeff Squire, has won seven of its past eight games and has a core of multisport competitors, always a good idea in the playoffs.
Pueblo South completed one of the most successful seasons on record (18-1) in the demanding South Central and seeks its third title since 1997. The Colts also won in 1984 and in 2001). With eight seniors and four juniors who start, they have balance of talent as well as savvy.
“We knew this would be the year if we were to make some noise,” coach J.R. Crowell said.
The lead Colt is Wichita State- bound catcher Tony Pechek. The righty (Mario Mattivi)-lefty (Rocky Armijo) combination handles most of the pitching. Outfielders Ryan Carrillo and Brad Farbo, and second baseman Justin Snyder are looking for productive innings and another title for a baseball town.
Up and down? Ask Northridge. The Grizzlies jumped to an 8-3 start, then dropped three of their eight games down the stretch.
But the good trend returned in districts. Northridge rallied in the seventh inning to down league foe Greeley West 4-3, then whipped South Central runner-up Pueblo Centennial 11-2. Don’t forget: A game from playing for a title a year ago, Northridge began 2005 ranked No. 2.
Michael Crespin, Zach Huston (7-for-8 with seven RBIs in districts), Billy Mansfield and Travis Roth have chosen the correct time to get hot again.
Staff writer Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or Ndevlin@denverpost.com.
