The baseball mind can’t help but wander. So when discussing Widefield senior Evan Kenebrew, the name of former slugger Harmon Killebrew is sure to pop up.
Last weekend they had a lot in common.
Kenebrew put on a hitting display as the 25th-seeded Gladiators became unlikely winners of Class 4A’s District 8. Kenebrew hit four home runs and drove in 12 runs against No. 8 Golden, then hit another home run and drove in five runs against Castle View.
“I’ve never seen anybody hit four home runs in a row,” said Gladiators coach Tom McCabe, who added two of those homers came on 0-2 counts.
Kenebrew, bound for Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Mo., and the upstart Gladiators are part of a wide-open state championship series. The two-week, eight-team, double-elimination tournament begins Friday at Lakewood’s All-Star Park and Cherokee Trail High School.
The Gladiators (14-7) feature solid hitters and a revamped pitching staff. Kyle Clemens returns from injury, but Sebastian Gilmore (shoulder) is shut down.
Another standout worth watching is Cheyenne Mountain’s Austin Darby, a sophomore from Florida. The Indians (19-2) have been living off pitching and timely hitting, coach Bernie Moncallo said.
It’s not surprising that half of the field hails from the powerful Northern League, including No. 1 Broomfield (20-1), No. 2 Mountain View (19-2), Silver Creek (16-5) and 22nd-seeded Roosevelt (12-8) — fresh up from 3A.
Like the rest of the Northern League, Mountain View has multiple strong arms, starting with Nick Miller (7-1) and Derek Neeper (5-1). Broomfield has rolled behind junior left-hander Erik Lockwood (6-1) and Noah Coleman (5-0), while Silver Creek boasts Tyler Gibbons (6-0) and Scott Hoyt.
Preseason No. 1 Wheat Ridge (16-4), which finished second in 5A in 2007, has the talented Jacob Nelson.
Pueblo South (17-4), winner in 2001 and a perennial threat, rode right-hander Tim Zufall for two narrow district victories.
