On Thursday, March 7th the Colorado spring season began play for all 5A-1A baseball programs. We continue our CHSAA Power 25 rankings with a look at how the teams have produced through the first three weeks. The Prep Baseball Colorado staff has diligently scouted players and teams throughout this spring, and will continue to work hard to bring the state top notch coverage on the baseball diamond. Colorado is flourishing with high-end baseball talent at the moment and is starting to gather more and more national recognition as well. We hope to continue all momenutum in the state while making an impact on the players and teams within. 

#1 LEGEND vs #2 VALOR CHRISTIAN

Athan Kroll (Valor) and Tony Slizowski (Legend) were the respective starters in last week's premier matchup of top Colorado teams. With the #2 ranked player in the state's 2024 class on the mound, Valor got off to a 4-0 lead into the 5th before some back and forth action took place. Kroll ended up with 4 innings pitched, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, no earned runs, and just two hits allowed while Slizowski chucked 4 inings himself with 3 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 3 hits allowed. After the starters were pulled, there were 14 runs scored by these teams including 7 runs by the Titans in the 5th, and 5 runs for the Eagles in the 6th. The relentless offense from the Eagles landed them with a 9-8 victory in this close game. Both of these teams have impact pitching along with competitive offenses that should give most of Colorado fits all season long. Legend could matchup better with Valor in the posteason with Jack Perotti on the mound who already has 10 innings with only one earned run, 4 hits allowed, and 17 strikeouts as the Nevada commit looks to be the ace of the staff. 

#3 ROCK CANYON

The Jaguars are still undefeated in 2024 and have wins against Dakota Ridge, Legacy, Arapahoe, Cherokee Trail, and Brighton. Hunter Allen and Austin Bowker are leading the way on the mound for this team while they have a well rounded offense with everyday players like Sloan, Brabb, Perry, and Shipley all hitting around .400 or more. Last week, the Jaguars fought back from behind against a tough Cherokee Trail team, ending up with an 8-6 win on the road. Rock Canyon is a confident and surging program right now that looks to have all of the right pieces for success at the moment. 

#7 CASTLE VIEW

Another undefeated team right now is the Castle View Sabercats. This squad is now 7-0 and just knocked off Grandview 6-3 on Saturday. The offense for the Sabercats is extremely tough to navigate right now with top uncommitted prospects Sam Harry and Tommy Feldhake along with Knox, Ronning, and Gordon who are each hitting over .415 in everyday roles. The pitching has also been holding their own for Castle View with a number of contributors. This team has the pieces to continue their momentum and make plenty of noise in 2024. 

#13 FORT COLLINS

Fort Collins comes roaring into the #13 spot of our rankings after a 5-0 start which includes wins over Arvada West, Dakota Ridge, and Grandview. The Lambkins have one of the state's top players in Sean Togher who can always take things over both offensively, and on the mound. This group does have to navigate the Front Range schedule in the coming weeks, so we should know just how deep this team is very soon. 

TEAMS RECEIVING VOTES: Fruita Monument (6-4), Columbine (4-2-1), Cheyenne Mountain (4-1), Pueblo East (7-2).

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Regis HS Scout Day	CO	06/20	Regis High School
Denver Rising Stars ID	CO	04/22	Marucci Clubhouse - Castle Rock, CO
Denver Summer ID	CO	06/04	Metro State University - Denver, CO
Pueblo Summer ID	CO	06/11	Colorado State University Pueblo - Pueblo, CO
Colorado Springs Summer ID	CO	06/18	Univ. of Colorado Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, CO
Northern Colorado Summer ID	CO	07/09	Univ. of Northern Colorado - Greeley, CO
Western Slope Summer ID	CO	07/16	Colorado Mesa University - Grand Junction, CO
Colorado State Games (Invite-Only)	CO	08/06	Metro State University - Denver, CO

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