The Tennessee commit helped lead the Lions to four state titles during a decorated career with the Parker prep power, capped by a Class 4A player of the year nod after she hit .547 with 52 RBIs and 10 home runs last fall. The shortstop also stole 10 bases and had a .933 fielding percentage in her fourth and final all-state season.

“She controls the game from her defensive position and can change it with one swing,” Riverdale Ridge head coach Ray Garza said in a release announcing the award. “And it’s not just stats. Coaches and scouts look at how she carries herself — she lifts up her team, she’s vocal, supportive and leads by example, even when things aren’t perfect.”

In addition to her work on the diamond, Barnhart has donated time to the Miracle League of Metro Denver, which offers children and adults living with intellectual or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball, and volunteered as a nanny for a family with a terminally ill parent.

She carries a 4.0 GPA and will play on scholarship at Tennessee starting next fall.

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On the first day of Legend’s football summer camp, Ryken Banks thought he knew the drill. Except for the bit where his new coach decided he was Hellbent on being an active part of it.

“He walks in the weight room, and he looks over at us, and he was like, ‘I’m next,'” Banks, the Titans’ running back, said of Jake Heaps’ first June in Legend blue. “So, he hops in.”

Before long, Banks, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his first three varsity seasons, was doing something he’d never done during a Titans lifting session before: Spotting his head coach on the bench press.

“Playing since I was a freshman, I’ve kind of had the same thing for three years,” the 6-foot-1 senior reflected. “Getting this new thing, seeing the type of players we have and (Heaps) really playing to the best of our abilities, it’s just kind of a new, refreshing thing that’s exciting.”

Dave Logan’s Cherry Creek dynasty rolls on like the Gunnison River. Valor Christian is tweaking again. Legend? Your reigning Class 5A football runners-up might be the most fascinating Front Range gridiron tale south of Boulder this fall.

Bolles on board

This past February, longtime coach Monte Thelen was replaced by Heaps, better known around these parts as Russell Wilson’s personal QB guru.

It’s one of those hiring Hail Marys that can get an athletic director in hot water if things go off the rails. Yet the Titans haven’t stopped swinging big since. Quarterback DJ Bordeaux, a three-star passer who’s committed to Boston College, got a hardship waiver to enroll at Legend, making the Titans his fourth program in four years. One of Heaps’ first hires was to bring in Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles on board to serve as director of player development.

“So, our wives are best friends. We’re best friends,” the affable Heaps, who quarterbacked BYU (2010-11), Kansas (2012-13) and Miami (2014), told me last week. “Our kids are playing the same flag football games together. And so we got really close. But going back to the mantra of we’re going to do it better than everybody’s ever done it before. I mean, I’ve got this unbelievable resource. How am I not going to get him involved in our program?

“When I took the job, (Bolles) was like, ‘OK, what can I do?’ He wanted to jump in and be on the coaching staff. And I’m like, ‘Oh, buddy, hey, you’ve got other things to do here, man.’ When you’re done playing, heck yeah, we’ll do this thing together. But I’ve got to keep you in a certain role. I don’t need George Payton and Sean Payton breathing down my neck, you know what I mean?”

There will be more Broncos, past and present, in and around Hilltop Road in the months to come, if Heaps can keep pulling strings.

“We’re working on it,” the coach said. “… We got some good relationships still there (at Dove Valley). And so, yeah, we’re,  I’m working all those things and not trying to put it all out there all at once, but yeah — we’re taking advantage of that connection. For sure.”

Sean Payton?

He laughed.

“That’s a Garett question,” Heaps countered. “He’s always welcome. We would love to have him, for sure. But we’re excited. I think Garett having that connection is just a fun opportunity for these kids to get exposed to that.”

Russ, too?

“I don’t know if I could get him to come back for the bye week,” Heaps replied. “But Russ will certainly have an influence and an opportunity to meet our kids, and for them to meet him, absolutely. How can I not pull all the resources that I possibly can?”

Was Russ OK with this?

“That was a really cool conversation, because I couldn’t take this job without his blessing,” Heaps continued. “That’s my first priority. And the school knew that.

“And immediately he was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. You are born to do this. This is going to be such a great opportunity for you to grow your craft.’ (Him) recognizing that as a best friend, which is what he truly is, was really cool and really special.”

‘I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan’

Legend built something special under Thelen, too, which only adds to the intrigue. Heaps, meanwhile, had never coached in this state, or at this level, before the Titans sought him out. Why this gig? Why now?

“I crave impact,” Heaps said. “And the reason why I crave it is because I know how important it was to me in my career, in my journey. And how important (my) high school coach was to me and shaping me and who I am and what I became.”

The office still needs some shaping. Actually, it’s not so much an office as a skeletal approximation of the old “Gruden’s QB Camp” set. A whiteboard hangs from one wall, opposite a wall that’s entirely a whiteboard. A small couch is tucked into a back corner.

“And eventually we’ll get like a little desk over here with a couple monitors and all that,” Heaps said. “Get it ready for the film-watching and all that good stuff.”

With Wilson with the Giants and ex-Ohio State QB Will Howard, another protégé, in Pittsburgh, Heaps figures to be racking up the airline miles soon, breaking down Grandview and Columbine tape while jet-setting to NFL stops. Which sounds not unlike a certain voice of the Broncos, now that you mention it.

“(Logan) is a legend here, and he’s done such a great job,” Heaps said. “It’s so unique to take over all the programs that he has had and then to churn out consistent, constant winners … he’s been a winner his entire life. And so you admire people like that.

“And Dave is Dave. I can’t be Dave, but I can be Jake Heaps … I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan. I don’t want to try to be anybody else. Dave’s uniquely Dave. I want to be me. And that’s how I’m going to do this thing: Full throttle.”

Among his players, though, that 13-10 loss to Logan’s Bruins in the 5A title game still burns. The Titans even have a group rolling that’s called “ABC.”

As in, Always Beat Creek.

“I’m absolutely grateful for what we had last year. Don’t get me wrong,” Legend wideout Ryan Iglesias said. “But this year the hype is up, and we’re ready to hit the hype. We have everything we need.

“I’d say we’re the bar. I don’t think anyone else is the bar. I think it’s us … we’re a better team than we were before. It’s going to be the best year we’ve ever had yet. Mark my words. We’re the bar.”

Heaps has Pete Carroll on speed dial. He could hook on with any number of NFL and college staffs from coast to coast. Instead, he’s grinding away in a room with no desk yet. Lifting with his kids at the crack of dawn.

“It’s just really funny,” Iglesias noted. “Not only is it super cool to see your coach lift like that, but I think it’s better because we get to connect with our coach personally. It’s so much fun because obviously I get to lift with my boys, and then I get to lift with another head coach that I really love.”

And like it or not, he’s next.

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En route to All-American honors at the University of Florida in 2024, the then-junior was fretting to her teammates about carrying a 93% in the class. Otis’ fellow Gators couldn’t help but laugh, if only because they knew exactly what was coming.

Otis demolished the final with a 112% … and finished the course with an A-plus.

“She was joking about having a really low A, and we were like, ‘Korbe, what are you talking about? It’s still an A,'” recalled Florida teammate Keagan Rothrock. “And she was like, ‘But it’s not good enough. It’s not high enough.’ We were like, ‘Korbe, it’s an A, sister, you’re okay.’

“When she ended up bringing that grade up by acing the final, we were like, ‘See, you had nothing to worry about. You prepare for everything.'”

Such is the approach for Otis, the Columbine High School alum whose blue-collar work ethic made her one of the best college players in the nation. In the final weeks of a Division I career that started at Louisville and ended in Gainesville, Otis was the sixth pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s inaugural college draft on May 3. After her Gators were eliminated in the Women’s College World Series last week, the 22-year-old began her professional career with the AUSL’s Blaze.

For Otis, playing professionally is likely just a detour en route to her ultimate career goal of becoming a surgeon. Otis graduated from Florida with a biology degree, earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the highest GPA (4.0) at the WCWS, and is currently in the process of applying to medical schools.

So yeah, she’s prepared for everything. But even the meticulous Otis didn’t prepare for this: Having the chance to go pro in both her sport and as a doctor.

“Playing professional softball is never something I thought I would be able to do,” Otis said. “I’m so happy to be able to do it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to enroll in medical school in the fall of 2026. What that’s going to look like for my playing career, I’m not sure yet, but I’m just here along for the ride as long as I can be.”

Otis was a centerpiece of two straight Women’s College World Series teams at Florida, where the outfielder was a force in the middle of the lineup. She hit .377 with a .519 on-base percentage, 15 homers and 109 walks across her two seasons with the Gators.

This season, she hit a homer in her first at-bat, homered in her final at-bat at the Women’s College World Series, and also had a walk-off grand slam in between to punctuate a college career that seemed unlikely when she was young.

In her early seasons of travel ball when she was 10, 11 and 12 years old, the 5-foot-6 Otis was routinely told college softball was out of the question for her. Coaches said she was too small. Even as Otis progressed, emerging as an ace pitcher, there were still doubters as to whether she could play Division I.

But by the time she reached high school, she was committed to Louisville and well on her way to stardom.

“As a young kid, I was told I was going to have to pursue JuCo and D-III schools because I wasn’t good enough, strong enough or tall enough to play D-I,” Otis recalled. “Hearing that as a young kid can be discouraging, but my dad and I chose to fight, for as long as it was going to take, and as hard as it was going to take, to accomplish those dreams.”

So that’s what Otis did.

For about six years from age 12 through 18, she and her dad, Matt, traveled to California most weekends. She started with the Orange County Batbusters, then switched to the Corona Angels for her high school years. She arrived in Southern California on Fridays, did hitting lessons with Angels coach Marty Tyson that night, then practiced or played tournaments with the Angels all weekend.

“We found flights that were cheap, we rented rental cars for $28 a day, and my wife (Jami) found every hotel that was under construction in Southern California — with an elevator that was down, or something that had discounts every weekend,” Matt Otis said with a laugh. “Korbe would sit on the plane and do her homework, sit in the hotel room and do her homework.

“We just put our head down and were determined to build on her strengths, even though she was small. She was always a really fast kid, super intelligent, really hard working. We made the determination that if (college softball) was really what she wanted to do, we had to put our foot on the gas and outwork everybody.”

Otis often practiced six hours on Saturdays and Sundays, with her Angels team as well as the club’s older team. She started working with a mental coach. And when she was back home in Littleton, she spent hours each evening hitting and pitching in the cage that Matt built in their unfinished basement.

“I approached the sport like it was my job,” Otis said. “… I saw what my parents were investing in me and my career, so I needed to also invest the time and make the sacrifices to show the same investment.”

With the Angels, Otis had her first coming-out moment as a hitter at the final tournament in the fall of her freshman year.

She blasted a no-doubt homer, which made Tyson believe the two-way player was probably going to be a pure hitter at the Division I level. Tyson’s had an array of Colorado phenoms play in his program, most notably Legacy pitcher Rainey Gaffin, who went on to star at Tennessee, and most recently, Eaton catcher Emma Anderson.

“Korbe hit a ball about 250 feet, turned everybody’s heads, and I told her, ‘Your future is going to be in hitting,'” Tyson recalled.

While Otis continued pitching for the next couple of years, helping lead Columbine to the Class 5A title as a junior, the impetus for her switch to full-time outfielder came a few weeks before the start of her senior season. At a national club tournament, she dove back into second base on a back-pick, and the shortstop spiked Otis’ right pinkie.

It shattered the finger into three pieces, injured the ligament and sidelined Otis from playing for the Rebels that fall. Even when she got healthy again, she wasn’t able to grip the ball the same on her pitches.

“It was a sign for me that my pitching career was over,” Otis said.

The change in trajectory worked out for Otis — the lone Coloradan playing in softball’s new-look professional era.

The AUSL is the latest attempt at a professional women’s softball league, picking up where National Pro Fastpitch (2004-2019) left off and what the Women’s Pro Softball League (1997-2001) began.

The AUSL is a 24-game regular season across 10 cities with four teams in a barnstorming format, culminating in a championship series in Tuscaloosa from July 26-28. The average player salary is $45,000, according to the league’s website.

The league plans on becoming a city-based entity in ’26, and it’s arriving at a time of intense growth for the sport. Softball will return to the Olympics in 2028 and AUSL broadcast partner ESPN recently announced it had its highest-rated pre-finals Women’s College World Series games ever, with an average of 1.1 million viewers.

Perhaps most important to the league’s long-term sustainability, Major League Baseball recently announced its first partnership with a women’s professional sports league. MLB’s “strategic investment” as an equity partner in the AUSL includes joint sales and marketing efforts, promotional support and broadcasts on MLB Network and MLB.com. The AUSL is helmed by former Marlins GM Kim Ng, who is the league’s commissioner.

All of which points to the AUSL being the best chance yet for professional softball to find its footing.

“The coolest part to me is I get to be part of inspiring the next generation of players to play in the pros, and work toward that goal,” Otis said. “What the AUSL is doing to amplify the presence of professional softball is huge for all the little girls like I used to be, and with MLB’s backing, it makes that dream that much more tangible. To send the sport in that direction, it’s incredible to be a part of.”

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The 6-foot-3, 205-pound first baseman, outfielder and pitcher had big numbers at the plate, batting .457 with 11 home runs, 37 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He also made seven appearances on the mound, earning a 2-0 record with a 2.41 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings of work.

“Larkin has come up huge in big games and big moments,” Grandview head coach Scott Henry said in a news release. “He’s the biggest offensive threat we faced all year.”

Larkin carried a 3.46 grade-point average and signed a written letter of athletic aid to play baseball at Oklahoma starting next fall.

He is the latest addition to a bevy of Bruins who have won the award over the years, joining Brian Wilkinson (1987), John Burke (1989), David Spykstra (1992), Matt Brunson (1993), Darnell McDonald (1996-97), David Aardsma (2000), Joey Andrews (2001), Griffin Jax (2013) and Jack Moss (2020). McDonald was also the national player of the year in 1997.

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It was impossible to miss as royal blue caps and baseball gloves soared into the air on a cloudless Saturday, celebrating Cherry Creek’s 10th state baseball title.

On the All-Star Park field after an 8-1 victory over Regis Jesuit, teammates screamed and hugged as parents, overcome with emotion, wiped away tears. There is nothing like finishing a season as a champion.

For Wyatt and Walker Rudden, it represented their last time on a high school diamond together. Wyatt, the senior ace on his way to Michigan, and Walker, the gritty junior second baseman who refused to give up on his dream of starting, paused when trying to wrap their heads around the scene unfolding around them.

“His last pitch was a groundball to me,” Walker said, shaking his head. “Can you believe that?”

“He battled all year to get out there,” added Wyatt. “This was really special.”

Joy comes in many forms.

On the mound, Wyatt operates more like a middle linebacker than a pitcher. His fastball reaches 88 miles per hour, and he throws inside without fear, a trait “that really separates him and leads to his success,” explained Bruins pitching coach Dave Veres.

Wyatt reacted to three inning-ending strikeouts by flexing like Hulk Hogan before his finishing move.

“There might be a sip of an energy drink involved,” said Walker, who allowed one run on three hits, while navigating six walks with eight Ks over five innings. “What can I say? I love to compete. And the stakes were high.”

Joy comes in many forms.

Behind home plate, mother Megan stood watching, cheering, hiding her anxiety with polite conversation and a nervous smile. Husband Nick planted down the left field line, watching as a proud father and former Cherry Creek feeder team coach who worked with many of the kids on the roster.

“It means so much not because of the outcome but everything that goes into it,” Nick said. “We are blessed.”

The Rudden family is a Cherry Creek family. Nick and his three brothers played for legendary coach Marc Johnson. Nick won back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999 as part of the school’s five-year run of dominance.

He carved out a role as a utility player at Michigan before returning home. That is when reality clobbered him over the head. His sister Tammy Rudden Krause’s 5-year-old daughter Gabby was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2003. She passed away after a 19-month battle.

Joy, even when facing unimaginable pain and loss, comes in many forms.

Tammy created the Bags of Fun Foundation in Gabby’s honor. Over 15,000 backpacks with toys and games have been given to children fighting critical, long-term and life-threatening conditions in Denver, Kansas City and Omaha.

“Gabby was so brave, such a strong spirit,” said Dananne Solomon, the foundation’s director in Colorado. “She turned her own fight into a movement of laughter.”

The program relies on fundraising — Cherry Creek High School plays an important role during their spring power week — and volunteers. Wyatt and Walker never met Gabby, but became immersed in her memory as they helped out in any way they could.

“They are always available for work at the warehouse,” said Tammy, who has been attending Cherry Creek games for decades, watching her brothers and nephews. “They go to work and do the not-so-fun stuff behind the scenes.”

The way Nick sees it, he would not have a family if not for Gabby. Megan worked as Gabby’s nanny after college. That is how she met Nick.

“My wife and our children, none of it exists without the cause. It is hard to articulate who Gabby was, her resilience,” Nick said. “I can’t do justice on what she has meant to us.”

It was around middle school when Wyatt and Walker began to realize how special Gabby was. It was natural for them to volunteer. But it went beyond that. At Cherry Creek, they recruited teammates and classmates. They saw firsthand how awful cancer is, and how customized bags of toys can allow kids to be kids again, even if only for a few hours.

“It just changes their lives. It’s horrible to have to deal with cancer,” Walker said. “This gives them some control in a situation where they often feel like they don’t have any.”

Wyatt has also viewed Gabby as someone who put others before herself. Not long ago, he listened to a classmate recall his experience with cancer. It brought everything full circle.

“He got a Bag of Fun. And just to hear his story was amazing. He had a really tough time and that really helped him through his process,” Wyatt said. “It was a reminder of just how meaningful the work and the (foundation) are.”

Joy comes in many forms.

Holding a trophy, surrounded by friends you have played with for years, creates goosebumps. These teammates will walk together forever.

But there was something deeper than sports at work on this sun-bleached afternoon. When the cheering stopped, and the long walk began to the parking lot, there was humility learned from small victories that are a lot bigger than a baseball game.

“My sister has taken the memory of Gabby and created a legacy. I can’t tell you how proud I am of her, of what she’s done,” Nick said. “She has inspired our family, Wyatt, Walker, Annabelle and Hudson. She has inspired the Cherry Creek baseball community to help, to never take anything for granted. Today is a day when Gabby’s memory lives on.”

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It took a second game to end Cheyenne Mountain’s magical run, but the Golden Demons (26-4) claimed their first Class 4A state baseball championship in 22 years on Saturday with a 5-1 victory at the Air Force Academy’s Erdle Field.

“Ever since that loss (two years ago), it’s just ate at me,” Casali said. “This has just been a huge goal for all of us that were on that team. This was such a fun year and a great team to do it with.

“This feels amazing.”

Casali, a senior first baseman, had two hits and a walk while scoring three times in the decisive game. He was part of the Golden team that lost the 2023 4A championship game, 1-0, to Severance. The final out was made at home plate.

His senior class has made the state tournament all four years. The Demons came back last year and won a program record 26 games, but finished fourth.

They needed 26 wins again this season, and had more adversity Saturday than expected.

“A phenomenal season,” Golden coach Jackie McBroom said. “We lost a game way back (on April 1, to Denver East). We had a little heart-to-heart with the team. Then the guys got busy and went to work.

“We ran off 20 wins in a row and here we are today.”

Casali scored his team’s first three runs, and then a two-run triple from sophomore Liam Leffert finally gave the Demons some breathing room in the fifth inning. Senior starting pitcher Tayden Svendsen allowed just one run on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Golden won its first three games of the state tournament to earn some rest before Saturday, and had reeled off 20 straight victories entering the day. The Demons had to work overtime to finally put away the upstart Red-Tail Hawks.

Cheyenne Mountain (21-9-1) won three times this weekend at Erdle Field to reach a decisive second game Saturday. The Hawks ended Golden’s winning streak with a 5-2 victory in eight innings in the first game.

They beat Golden ace Sawyer Brinkman, who took his first loss in two seasons after pitching into the eighth. Running short on pitchers, Cheyenne Mountain turned to catcher Nate Glad, who had thrown two innings this season, according to MaxPreps.

Glad got the final eight outs and stranded eight baserunners to keep the Hawks alive. Even in the second game with the club running on fumes, the Hawks had two runners on in the top of the sixth but couldn’t conjure one more big hit in a weekend full of them.

“We obviously wanted to come in here and win game one and we had a lot of opportunities,” McBroom said. “They wouldn’t go away. It was kind of like, ‘When are you guys going to stop?’ They just kept coming. We really had to go out there and earn it.”

Golden showed plenty of championship moxie of its own. The Demons had 40 minutes to rebound from a potentially crushing loss.

McBroom said his team needed five. Casali called it a complete reset.

His double and a run-scoring single from senior shortstop Jaydon Stroup in the bottom of the first inning helped reclaim some mojo. And Svendsen worked his way out of trouble the rest of the way.

A few of the players from the 2023 team who have graduated were on the field to celebrate, all wearing shirts that said state runner-up on the back. It was a full-circle moment for a program that has been building toward its second state title. The first, in 2003, featured future MLB All-Star Mark Melancon.

The building blocks for a third were on display as well. Lefferts and fellow sophomore Anthony Boucher delivered the biggest hits of the day, while freshman Austin Bittner relieved Svendsen to get the final two outs and kick off the celebration.

“It’s just the best possible way to end it,” Casali said. “As a senior, I’m just so proud of these guys. We were grinding all year. We definitely had to earn it the hard way here today.”

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The Bruins dominated Regis Jesuit on Saturday at All-Star Park with an 8-1 victory in the Class 5A title game. Senior right-hander Wyatt Rudden was masterful, while the Raiders’ pitching staff — which had ace Hudson Alpert injured and used its two other top arms on Friday to advance — couldn’t hold down the Bruins’ potent lineup.

With the win, Cherry Creek became the first 5A program to repeat since Rocky Mountain won four in a row from 2007-10. It’s the second time the Bruins have won consecutive titles, as Cherry Creek claimed five straight from 1995-99.

Colorado’s all-time winningest coach Marc Johnson retired at the end of last season, but the Bruins didn’t miss a beat behind longtime assistant-turned-boss Joe Smith.

“When I accepted the job, coming in after Marc Johnson, some people said, ‘Why would you take that job?'” Smith said. “I was following the greatest high school coach possibly in the nation, but definitely in the state of Colorado. But without pressure, what opportunities are there in life?

“With the leaders we have on this team, I just guided them and they took the reins. We started 1-4-1, and our players never batted an eyelash. They came ready to play, ready to work. There was adversity and mistakes we made in a lot of those games that allowed us to grow and get better.”

With 12 college commits on the roster and seven Division I pledges, Smith steered the talent-rich Bruins to their 10th title. That tally trails only two small-school programs — Revere (11) and Eaton (15) — for the most in state history. The Centennial League champions finished 23-5-1, with their lone loss in-state a 3-2 setback to Grandview on May 9.

Johnson, who attended most of the Bruins’ games this season and was there Saturday to see them win the program’s first ring without him, said his successor “did a good job of keeping the team balanced.”

“Joe didn’t let them run away (with their egos) thinking we’re all this, we’re all that, even though on paper they were the best team in the state,” Johnson said.

Regis Jesuit, coming from the consolation side of the bracket, needed to beat Cherry Creek twice on Saturday to win the title, as the Bruins did to the Raiders last year. But Rudden was too dominant for Regis to sniff a second game.

The Raiders might’ve had a reasonable chance had Alpert, the Vanderbilt commit who suffered an elbow injury in last weekend’s outing against Arvada West, been available.

“We didn’t really have enough (medical) information on his diagnosis, and weren’t confident enough to roll him out there,” Regis Jesuit head coach Matt Darr said. “It’s not worth the kid’s future at this point. He didn’t feel right (against Arvada West), didn’t do much this week. It’s not worth it. It feels like it is, but it’s not.”

Cherry Creek loaded the bases with a single and two walks in the second, then used a double-play grounder and a wild pitch to push two runs across against sophomore right-hander Ryan Neumann.

The Raiders got a run back in the third to cut the score to 2-1. Senior center fielder Christian Lopez led off with a single, and a sacrifice bunt by junior second baseman Chase Massey moved Lopez to third. Lopez then scored on a wild pitch.

But that was all Regis Jesuit would get against Rudden, the Michigan commit who allowed three hits over five innings and 102 pitches, with eight strikeouts. Rudden kept Regis Jesuit guessing with a low-90s fastball, a low-80s slider and a mid-70s curveball.

“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I competed and I gave it all I had,” Rudden said. “I had some rough tracks, but I knew if I just put the ball in the zone, I was going to have a chance. As the game went on, I knew I needed to use those secondary pitches a little more and get some punch-outs with the slider.”

Cherry Creek tacked on three more runs in the third off junior left-hander Alexander Denny. Senior third baseman Mason Scott’s RBI single, senior DH Lucas Schultz’s RBI ground-rule double and junior right fielder Tyce Smith’s sacrifice fly added up to a 5-1 lead.

“The offense gave me room to be flexible with my pitches, because after we started scoring, the pressure came off,” Rudden said.

The Bruins continued to tack on in the latter innings. Smith added a two-run single off sophomore right-hander Cade Filleman in the fifth, extending the lead to 7-1, and Cherry Creek scored one more off a wild pitch in the sixth. Junior outfielder Ari Rothman, senior shortstop Sean Goldy and senior first baseman Connor Larkin each had a multi-hit performance.

“We knew if we manufactured some runs today, we could get to their pitching, and that’s what we did,” said Tyse Smith, who played his freshman season at Regis Jesuit before transferring to Cherry Creek. “(Another title) was the expectation, and today we met the expectation in all aspects.”

The Bruins’ bullpen slammed the door with a scoreless sixth by junior left-hander Max Goldberg and another zero by senior right-hander Anthony Graziano in the seventh.

Graziano got senior right fielder Gavin Cronin to pop up to end the game, prompting the Bruins bench to clear and dogpile in celebration.

As Cherry Creek passed around the trophy, Darr and Johnson shared a moment. The latter reminded the Regis Jesuit coach that although Johnson won nine titles, he was also runner-up six times. Darr, in his 11th season with the Raiders, won the 2019 title by beating Cherry Creek and Saturday marked his third runner-up finish.

Darr believes the Raiders, who return five of their top six arms and five starters in the field, are capable of another championship push in ’26.

“It was an emotional season in a lot of ways and a hard season with a lot of adversity, but to make it to the championship game on the final day, I’m really proud of this group,” Darr said. “We’ve had more talented teams, but this group is maybe as competitive as I’ve had.”

On the other side of the diamond, Cherry Creek graduates a pivotal group of seniors, but the cupboard always seems to restock in Greenwood Village.

“The past two years, we’ve instilled a culture that is going to continue to live on,” Rudden said. “There’s a good chance there’s going to be a lot of similar success like this in the very near future.”

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Well, there’s only one Charlie Scofield, but he is the biggest reason the Red-Tailed Hawks will play Saturday for a Class 4A state championship. Scofield, a senior who is committed to play at Wheaton College next season, was the winning pitcher in both games Friday at Erdle Field as the Hawks came back to defeat Palisade, 5-3, and then hung on for dear life to knock out Windsor, 5-2.

Oh, and Scofield knocked in four of the club’s 10 runs at the plate as well.

“I, for sure, did not wake up thinking that I would do that today,” Scofield said. “But I mean, to have done it now … it feels amazing. Just to help the team anyway I can, it’s exhilarating.”

Scofield’s biggest contribution came on the mound. He took over for starter Colton Johnson against Palisade in the sixth with the game knotted at 3-3 and tossed two shutout innings. Johnson was the hero at the plate, driving in the winning runs in the top of the seventh with a bases loaded-single.

The crafty lefty was just getting started. Windsor had scored 42 runs in its five-game state playoff run, including a 12-11 loss to Golden last weekend. Scofield shut the high-powered Wizards down, scattering three hits across six shutout innings.

He faced one jam, but induced an inning-ending groundout with two runners on in the fourth. Scofield’s full line for the day: Eight innings, zero runs, six strikeouts … and two wins.

“That’s the best I’ve seen him pitch — ever,” said senior catcher Nate Glad, who had four hits between the two games and kept two aggressive baserunning teams at bay from behind the plate. “It was awesome. I think we got some momentum and just kept our energy up the whole day.”

Cheyenne Mountain built a 5-0 lead through the first six innings. Then Scofield ran out of pitches and it went a little sideways.

“It was terrifying,” Scofield said. “I was thinking about (the pitch count) a lot. Every inning I’d come in and ask one of the coaches how many I had left.”

Swope turned to shortstop Andrew Campbell, who allowed four straight singles without getting an out. When Charlie Doyle relieved Campbell, the Wizards had the tying run at the plate with nobody out and the heart of the order coming up.

Doyle gave up two hard-hit balls, but both were right at left fielder Chase Hoendervoogt. In between, he hit a batter, so Windsor had the bases loaded and the winning run at the plate with one and two outs.

Naturally, the final out was in Scofield’s hands. Doyle induced a ground ball to first base, which Scofield scooped up and calmly took himself to the bag before setting off a combination of exhales and celebratory roars.

“Throughout the game, it was pretty stress-free,” Swope said. “Then all of a sudden, they didn’t miss a pitch. Every ball they hit was on the screws. Doyle did such a great job coming in, putting the fire out. That’s not easy, especially when one team has momentum like that and you’re coming in with all that traffic.”

The Hawks will be back at Erdle Field on Saturday morning. They need two wins against Golden, which is 25-3 this season and undefeated in the state tournament.

Scofield and Johnson can’t take the mound because of pitch-count limits. The Demons, many of whom were in attendance Friday afternoon, will be rested. They beat Cheyenne Mountain, 7-4, earlier in the tournament.

“We definitely could have beaten them last time,” Glad said. “The errors (they committed four) and the hitting just wasn’t there. I think we have a really good shot against them.”

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Fast forward to Friday, and the sophomore right-hander put an exclamation point on a breakout campaign, throwing a complete game to propel Regis Jesuit back into the Class 5A baseball championship.

Kroll outdueled Grandview ace Ethan Wachsmann as the Raiders beat the Wolves, 2-1, at All-Star Park. Kroll allowed one run on three hits, while Wachsmann also allowed one run through five innings before being pulled after hitting his pitch limit.

“The testament to (Kroll) is that he didn’t even pitch very well today, and he gave up one run in a semifinal game,” Regis Jesuit head coach Matt Darr said. “He was battling his command a little bit, but he showed why he’s one of our special arms. He’s grown in front of us this year.”

The Raiders loaded the bases against Wachsmann in the first inning, but the Wake Forest commit used his high-90s fastball to get consecutive strikeouts to end the threat. Wachsmann ended up with 11 Ks, a dominant effort that came to an end after he surpassed the 110-pitch count mark by hitting the leadoff batter of the sixth inning.

Grandview was up 1-0 at that point — after senior outfielder Kyler Vaughn singled, advanced to second, stole third and scored on Kroll’s wild pitch in the third inning.

But after Wachsmann exited, Regis Jesuit saw its opening. Senior right-hander Josiah Giron walked the first batter he faced, then hit the second to load the bases with no outs. After a flyout, senior right-fielder Gavin Cronin perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt to tie the game. Then, a two-out, full-count walk by sophomore Diesel Bernosky made it 2-1.

“We realized (Wachsmann) wasn’t pinpointing fastballs every pitch, so we were taking first pitch most of the game after the opening inning,” said Cronin, an Air Force Academy commit. “Every inning, we were determined to keep taking good at-bats. Even in some of the strikeouts we had, we ran the pitch count up, which ended up being really important at the end.

“When I saw the bunt call, I knew it was my time, and I delivered. We’ve practiced that a ton, but I haven’t had a pressurized one like that.”

The one-run lead was all Kroll needed, as the sophomore used his combination of a mid-80s fastball and mid-70s slider to keep the Wolves off balance. Kroll retired Grandview in order in the sixth and seventh innings to cement the win.

“I’ve been thinking about this game all week, especially after the injury issues I had last season,” Kroll said. “After that inning (where Grandview scored), a switch flipped. I was trying to do too much before that, and I just settled in and trusted my stuff.”

In the morning game, Regis Jesuit beat Broomfield 6-4 to advance to the semifinal. Eagles senior left-hander Maverick Scarpella gave up five runs over three innings, then senior right-hander Clayton Green allowed one run over the final four. The Raiders faced a 2-0 deficit after two innings, but then uncorked a five-run third.

Senior right-hander and North Greenville commit Luke Reasbeck threw a complete game for the Raiders with two earned runs. At the plate, junior Jacob Olson had two hits and two RBIs, junior Deion Cesario-Scott blasted a solo homer and Cronin also had an RBI.

“We needed that big third inning, because that first inning or two, it looked like we weren’t ready to play,” Darr said. “That inning gave us a lot of momentum the rest of that game, and coming into this one (against Grandview).”

Regis Jesuit, which lost twice on the final day last season to Cherry Creek as the Bruins captured their ninth state title, now finds the shoe on the other foot. This year, Cherry Creek is in the driver’s seat and will need to be beaten twice. Saturday’s first game is at 10 a.m., with the second game at 12:30 p.m. if necessary.

The Bruins will have all of their pitchers available, including star senior right-handers Wyatt Rudden (Michigan commit) and Ryan Falke (Washington State). Fellow senior right-hander Cael Knobbe, a CSU-Pueblo pledge who turned in a dominating relief performance against Grandview in last weekend’s winners-bracket semifinals, is also fresh.

The Raiders still have a handful of arms left, including junior right-hander and Vanderbilt commit Hudson Alpert. Sophomore right-handers Ryan Neumann and Cade Filleman and junior left-hander Alexander Denny are also available as Regis Jesuit looks to pull off the upset for its fourth title.

Cherry Creek’s beaten Regis Jesuit in close games twice this year. The first was a 2-1 triumph on March 27 in Greenwood Village, and the second came last week in the second round of the state tournament when the Bruins rallied with two runs in the seventh to walk-off the Raiders, 4-3. But Darr is confident his team can get payback on Saturday at All-Star Park.

“Our competitiveness was on display against Mountain Vista in the district championship, and it’s been on display this whole tournament,” Darr said. “In the past, I’ve had very talented teams that weren’t very competitive, but this one might be more competitive than talent. On a championship day like tomorrow, that may matter more.

“Weird things have happened in sports. Last year, we weren’t meant to win. Maybe it’s flipped this year.”

Whoever wins, the diamond will be stacked with recruits on two of the most talented Colorado high school teams in recent memory. There are 21 college commits between both rosters, including a dozen Division I players. Cherry Creek has 12 commits, seven Division I, and Regis Jesuit has nine commits, five Division I.

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Unfortunately for the Wolves, Cherry Creek’s been even better.

In yet another high-stakes showdown between the Centennial League and Cherry Creek School District rivals on Saturday at All-Star Park, the Bruins thumped the Wolves 7-1 in the Class 5A state tournament semifinal. It advanced defending champion Cherry Creek to next weekend’s title game, and relegated Grandview to the consolation side of the bracket in the Final Four.

With the victory, Cherry Creek improved to 5-1 against Grandview in 2024 and ’25. That includes a 3-0 record in the state tournament, where Cherry Creek dealt Grandview both of its losses last season, as well as a victory in the Centennial League title game earlier this month.

“We know they’re a good team, but we come into each game knowing we can beat them,” said Cherry Creek senior shortstop Sean Goldy, a West Virginia commit. “We believe we have better guys all around the field. (Today’s win was) us meeting expectations that have been with us since the start of the season.”

Cherry Creek had three multi-run innings on Saturday while consistently applying pressure to Grandview’s defense. Meanwhile, the Wolves were held to just two hits, both of which came from sophomore Matthew Schimberg. Senior right-hander Cael Knobbe was brilliant for the Bruins, blanking the Wolves over 5 2/3 innings.

Knobbe, a CSU Pueblo commit, used a mix of a mid-80s fastball, low-80s sinker and mid-70s slider to keep the Wolves off-balance. He spelled Cherry Creek starter Connor Larkin with one out in the second inning, after the southpaw ran into a jam with the bases loaded.

Grandview, trailing 3-1 at that point, wasn’t able to capitalize as Knobbe induced a flyout and a groundout to end the threat. Upon catching the third out of the inning as he hustled to cover first on a grounder, Knobbe let out a roar.

The Wolves never truly threatened again.

First-year Cherry Creek head coach Joe Smith called Knobbe “the best player on the field today.”

“Our nickname for (Knobbe) is the ‘Silent Assassin,'” Smith said. “The kid has ice water in his veins; his heartbeat never rises. That moment wasn’t too big for him. Bases loaded, they had momentum coming and he came in and shut the door.”

Tyce Smith, Owen Elser, Mason Scott and Cooper Campbell all had RBIs for the Bruins, who came through with two outs for several of those knocks and also benefited from a couple of throwing errors on errant pickoffs by the Wolves.

The closest Grandview came to scoring again after the second was when they stranded a runner on third base in the fourth. The inning before, Scott’s RBI ground-rule double made it 4-1 to give the Bruins breathing room and chase Grandview starter Nick Martensen from the game. An error led to another run, and Cherry Creek proceeded to tack on two more in the fifth.

“We’ve got to play as good as we can play to hang with them,” Grandview head coach Scott Henry said. “They came up with three two-out RBI hits today, and we didn’t, and that was kind of the difference. And we had that opportunity in the second and didn’t take advantage of it.

“In order to beat them, we’ve got to keep them under three, four runs. And we’ve got to have better two-out hitting.”

Even with the defeat, Grandview advances to its fifth Final Four and third under Henry, who is in his 10th year at the helm. The Wolves (who have never won a title) await the winner of Regis Jesuit and Broomfield next Friday. The winner of that Grandview game will have to beat Cherry Creek twice next Saturday to dethrone the Bruins.

That will be a tall task for whoever comes out of that consolation bracket, considering Cherry Creek has a dozen college commits (including seven Division I pledges) and will have its entire arsenal of pitchers available for Saturday.

But Cherry Creek, which beat Regis Jesuit twice on the final day last season to send retiring coach Marc Johnson out in storybook style, isn’t getting complacent in search of its 10th state title.

“We’re treating that first game on Saturday like it’s single-elimination for us, so we’ve got to be ready to go for that first game and go get the title,” Goldy said. “If we play hard and focused for seven innings, we don’t think anyone can beat us.”

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