BOULDER — Cherry Creek’s 16-7 decision of Boulder at Scott Carpenter Field on yet another cold, windy and snowy Saturday morning this spring was a significant milestone that will be fleeting in mere days.
And that’s high school baseball.
The Bruins ran the table in the Centennial League (14-0) as well as their Class 5A regular-season schedule, both substantial achievements, but all it will get them is a high district seed when pairings are announced Wednesday, then be rendered meaningless once the playoff round begins in six days.
“Absolutely,” Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson said. “It’s what we just discussed.”
In 2000, Cherry Creek, coming off five consecutive championships, got to 20-0, then lost in districts. It happened to the Bruins another time earlier this decade, twice to Heritage, and Grandview, last season’s favorite, didn’t make it out of districts, either.
“This is a club that has responded better than we had expected,” Johnson said, noting contributions throughout the batting order; solid, deep pitching; and a family-type atmosphere that has kept each player pulling for others.
“It has been a fun club to work with and teach, and they really love the game,” Johnson said, noting his hopes that it may give the Bruins a playoff edge.
“When it gets to the postseason, the regular season means nothing,” Bruins junior shortstop T.J. Shantz said.
On Saturday, the Bruins trailed 3-1 after an inning, then took over behind Shantz (four hits, including two doubles), Alec Mielnicki (double and home run) and Duncan Satherlie (two hits, two RBIs).
The Panthers ended 8-11, 6-8, and out of the playoffs.
The Colorado High School Activities Association will announce the 32-team brackets for 5A-3A on Wednesday.
Cherry Creek 103 802 2 — 16 14 3
Boulder 300 102 1 — 7 10 4
Cherry Creek — O’Connor 2b 5-1-1-1, Satherlie 3b 4-3-2-2, Shantz ss 5-4-4-1, Mielnicki 1b 3-2-2-3, Blackford ph 1-0-0-0, Olsson lf-c 2-1-0-0, Blackburn ph 1-1-0-0, Loughran c 2-0-1-1, Phillips ph 2-1-1-1, Shoutta c 3-0-1-1, English ph 2-0-1-1, McCabe rf 2-1-1-0, Bodaness dh 2-1-0-1, Sullivan cf 2-0-0-0, Baus ph 0-1-0-0. Totals 33-16-14-12.
Boulder — Rianoshek cf 2-0-0-0, Fresques cf 2-1-0-1, Radley-Sharpe 2b 3-1-1-0, Maldonado dh 2-0-1-2, Wisher ss 2-0-1-2, Douthitt 3b 3-1-1-1, Kupfner p-3b 3-0-1-1 McIntosh cr 0-1-0-0, Rehnberg rf 4-1-2-1, Staarman 1b 3-1-0-0, Dowgiert 3-0-2-0, Wilkinson lf 4-1-1-0, Moore cr 0-1-0-0. Totals 31-7-10-6.
E — Douthitt, Wisher, O’Connor, Rianostek, Satherlie, Snedojevic, OConnor. DP — Cherry Creek, Boulder. LOB — Cherry Creek 5, Boulder 8. SB — McCabe. SAC — Sullivan. SF — Bodaness.
2B — Shantz 2, Rehnberg, Satherlie, Mielnicki, Shoutta, English. HR — Mielnicki, one on in fourth; Rehnberg, solo in seventh.
Batteries — Snyder, Hutchinson (2), Blackford (5), Childs (7) and Shoutta and Loughran (6); Kupfner, Caccavallo (4), Douthitt (7) and Dowgiert. W — Hutchinson (3-0). L — Kupfner (1-5). WP — Kepfner, Caccavallo. PB — Loughran 2.HBP — Olsson (by Kepfner); Baus (by Caccavallo). T — 2:04.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
