Eaton Reds
Coach: Jim Danley
Record: 23-0
Hot at the plate: Who isn’t? The 3-4-5 holes are potent. Tyler Wallace, Bennett Pickar and Logan Hall are just a few with pop.
Menace on the mound: Any Reds hurler with the ball in his hand. If the knuckle-curve is working, it is hard to touch.
Around the yard: This is Eaton’s tournament to lose. The Reds are playing all-around good ball and, at 3-0, are sitting in the catbird seat.
Faith Christian Eagles
Coach: Gino Carbajal
Record: 19-5
Hot at the plate: The balanced attack features a good contact team, from freshman C Alex Buchmann to junior Mariano Carbajal.
Menace on the mound: When healthy, Pierce Johnson has one of the top arms in the state. Is he ready to go?
Around the yard: Faith’s youthful exuberance is contagious, but does it win games? The Eagles were swept in a doubleheader by Holy Family at the end of the regular season.
Holy Family Tigers
Coach: Marc Cowell
Record: 21-2
Hot at the plate: Leadoff hitter Evan Genders may be the best table-setter in the classification for a lineup healthy with power in the middle.
Menace on the mound: Arms aplenty for the Tigers, who saw Josh Tinnon and Matt Lopez surrender just two runs to Faith in the doubleheader sweep.
Around the yard: The Tigers seem to be the most likely challengers to Eaton but are 0-2 against the Reds this year.
Manitou Springs Mustangs
Coaches: Daniel Mohrmann and Rick Reiter
Record: 18-4
Hot at the plate: Senior C/P Alex Reiter is as good as any in the classification and showed off his power in the first inning of the first game the Mustangs played last week in Greeley.
Menace on the mound: It’s going to take a strong effort from a multitude of arms.
Around the yard: After losing its first game, Manitou Springs bounced back with wins over Gunnison and Kent Denver.
Jon E. Yunt, The Denver Post
