Stay in school.
It’s overwhelmingly what Coloradans are
planning to do after a 2008 season that was
considered pedestrian by professionals in
terms of senior talent. More pencils, more
books and professors’ looks are more realistic
than beating the bushes in the minor
leagues to chase their fields of dreams.
After the 59th season in state annals,
recent graduates agree the college route
is the way for them, a nice, overall batch
that includes two-time player of the year
Andy Burns of Rocky Mountain
(Kentucky), and Ron Burton Jr. (Pacific)
and Dexter Price (Auburn) of Air
Academy. The exception may be Mullen
product Tyler Sample, who has signed
with Arkansas, but was selected 80th in
the MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals.
Two other front-liners, Curtis
Cunningham of Columbine (Colorado)
and Alex Kelly of Rocky Mountain
(Colorado State), have opted to play
high-end college football.
A sprinkling of other Division I
signees and the usual, heavy load of
locals headed to the junior-college ranks
will have opportunities to prove their
best baseball is ahead of them.
And what would a Colorado schoolboy
baseball season be without mentioning
the weather? Funny, but not even an
early daylight-savings time could smooth
one of the longer, colder, windier springs
of the era. Delays and postponements
lasted into the penultimate week. On the
final day, both upper-class champions,
Rocky Mountain (Class 5A) and Ralston
Valley (4A), needed two games apiece to
secure pennants in an 11-hour, 16-minute
marathon session at All-City Field.
Eaton’s Big Red Machine roared again
with another 3A title – its eighth since
1994 – while Custer County won in 2A
and Eads made it two in succession in 1A.
Word is, next year’s senior class
should be more pro-rated.
Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post
