Double-elimination baseball is here … and, not surprisingly, so is wet weather.

The two seem to go hand-in-hand at this time of year, which always makes for an interesting finish.

Eight teams in each of the top three classifications will begin Championship Series play on Friday, the first of two weekends of actions.

The trick this first weekend is to win twice on Friday, then take the afternoon game on Saturday to enter the ensuing weekend as the only one of four teams alive in each class without a loss.

Below is some of what you’ll need to know at first pitch:

CLASS 5A

Friday at All-City Field

Arapahoe (14-7) vs. Mountain Vista (21-0), 9 a.m.

The sticks: Arapahoe – 2018 Brandon Dryer , .470, 31 hits, 23 RBIs; 2018 Preston Scheidt, .368, 19 hits; Garrett DeClue (Wetern Nebraska CC), Sr., .350, 13 RBIs; Zach Goodman (Webster University), Sr., .315, 6 doubles, 13 RBIs; Mountain Vista –2019 Drew Stahl (Washington State),.500, 36 runs, 8 doubles; 2019 Sam Ireland (Minnestota), .443, 11 HR, 42 RBIs; 2019 Grant Magill (Illinois State), .439, 26 hits; 2019 Jon Zakhem,.426, 29 RBIs.

The arms: Arapahoe – DeClue, 7-1, 2.14 ERA; 2018 Tyler Banks, 3-2, 3.81 ERA; Mountain Vista – Ireland, 10-0, 2.80 ERA; 2018 Jack Liffrig (Utah), 9-0, .182 ERA.

Cherokee Trail (15-6) vs. Rocky Mountain (13-8), noon

The sticks: Cherokee Trail – 2018 Colten Chase (Regis University), 554, 35 hits, 13 for extra bases; 2018 Jake Barber (Garden City), .433, 25 runs; 2018 Blake Mackintosh,(Regis University) .428; Gavin Bell, .422, 24 RBIs; Rocky Mountain – 2019 Cade Nelson, .492, 24 RBIs; 2018 Hayden Heinze (University of Northern Colorado), .358, 24 hits; 2018 Tyler Mata-Lloyd (Eastern Arizona JC), .298.

The arms: Cherokee Trail -- 2019 Kellen Cox, 4-0, 2.23 ERA; 2019 Isaac Hayen (Colorado Mesa), 3-3, 3.18 ERA; Rocky Mountain – 2019 Jake Campbell, 11 app., 4.60 ERA; Sam Sanchez, 3.60 ERA.

Winners: 3 p.m.

Friday at Metro State

Mountain Range (17-4) vs. Heritage I16-5), 10 a.m.

The sticks: Mountain Range – 2018 Mike Polson, .365, 27 hits; 2019 Angelo Domenico, .324, 22 runs; 2018 Justin Hoffman .316, 13 RBIs; Heritage – Arian Jimenez-Quezada (Lamar CC .468, 29 hits;  2019 Mason Mitchell, .418, 28 hits; 2019 Eric McKnight, .403, 3 HR.

The arms: Mountain Range  2018 Brayden Brooks (Regis University), 9 app., 0.59 ERA; 2019 Matt Brocklander, 10 app., 2.41 ERA; Heritage – Riley Egloff (Yavapai),  6-0, 2.20 ERA; McKnight, 4-3, 2.39 ERA,

Rock Canyon (11-10) vs. Pine Creek (19-2), 12:30 p.m.

The sticks: Rock Canyon -- 2018 Wyatt Wendell, .367, 9 doubles; Nick Merone (Portland), .383, 9 extra-base hits; Pine Creek – 2018 Justin Olson (Kentucky), 14 HR, 34 RBIs; 2019 Parker Gregory (Wichita State),  .533, 25 RBIs;  Riley Cornelio (Texas Christian), .472, 15 extra-base hits.

The arms: Rock Canyon – 2020 Carson Brown, 2-2, 1.59 ERA; Wendell, 3-2, 2.12 ERA; Pine Creek – Cornelio, 8-0, 0.88 ERA; 2018 Jay Onken (Utah) 7-0, 0.86 ERA.

Winners: 3 p.m.

In play: Admit it, there are some surprises here, such as Cherokee Trail, Mountain Range and Rock Canyon, and should anyone be shocked that defending-champion and ever-present Rocky Mountain is here again with virtually a new cast? The answer is no, but the names of the 5A game continue to be Mountain Vista and Pine Creek.

 

CLASS 4A

Friday at All-Star Park

Roosevelt (17-4) vs. Windsor (20-1), 10 a.m.

The sticks: Roosevelt – 2018 Brandon O’Brecht, 444, 24 hits; 2019 Sammy Grim, .438, 8 doubles; Windsor –2018 Keegan Vialpando, .439, 10 doubles; Braden Peninger, .434, 7 doubles, 4 triples.

The arms: Roosevelt – Connery O’Donnell, Sr., 7-1, 2.64 ERA; O’Brecht, 6-2, 2.75 ERA; Windsor – Logan Thorton, Jr., 7-0, 1.09 ERA; 2018 Ryan Jares, 6-1, 1.49 ERA.

Evergreen (15-6) vs. Cheyenne Mountain (15-6), 12:30 p.m.

The sticks: Evergreen – 2018 Ben Muscatello (William Jewell), .438, 25 hits; 2018 Jack Patterson, .387, 4 HR; Cheyenne Mountain – 2019 Aaron Berkhoff, .433, 3 HR; 2018 Jack Denker, 19 RBIs; 2018 Kurt Dunaway, .387.

The arms: Evergreen – Ben Muscatello , 6-1, 2.44 ERA; Paul Schreffler, Jr., 5-0, 2.74 ERA; Cheyenne Mountain – 2020 Mitchell Ellis, 6-0, 2.15 ERA; 2021 Brad Helton, 2-0, 4.00 ERA.

Winners: 3 p.m.

Friday at Bishop Machebeuf

Holy Family (16-4) vs. Valor Christian (18-2), 10 a.m.

The sticks: Holy Family -- 2019 Collin Kringlen, .435, 27 hits; 2018 Jordan Closen, .423, 22 hits; 2019 Zach Becker, .403, 8 doubles; Valor Christian – 2018 Ryan Barber, .473, 4 HR; 2018 Luke Ziegler (Pepperdine), .367, 12 extra-base hits.

The arms: Holy Family – 2019 Weston Siefken, 6-3, 3.16 ERA; 2019 Jordan McFarland, 4-1, 1.71 ERA; Valor Christian – 2018 Josh Danyliw (Colorado Mesa), 8-1, 1.98 ERA; Zechariah Reid, 1.70 ERA.

Pueblo West (16-4) vs. Longmont (19-2), 12:30 p.m.

The arms: Pueblo West – 2019 Tyler Declusin, .547, 31 RBIs, 10 doubles; 2019 Jayden Cordova, .508, 12 extra-base hits; 2019 Kyle Jameson, .441, 31 runs; Longmont – 2018 Avery Peterson, .379, 25 hits; 2018 Austin Hassler, .370, 20 RBIs; 2018 Noah Befus, .361, 11 doubles.

The arms: Pueblo West – 2018 Ty Garcia, 7-1, 2.12 ERA; 2020 Kaleb Woltz, 4-0, 2.83 ERA; Longmont– 2021 Devon Nowells, 6-0, 2.85 ERA; Befus, 6-2, 3.83 ERA..

Winners: 3 p.m.

In play: On paper or your computer screen, it’s the deepest, most-balanced group. All eight teams are capable of winning and no one can argue. It goes up and down Interstate-25, has a heavy northern flavor and includes the Denver area. The game within the game involves knocking off defending state champion Valor Christian.

 

CLASS 3A

Friday at Butch Butler Field

Lutheran (12-8-1) vs. Lamar (20-1), 10 a.m.

The sticks: Lutheran – 2018 Jacob Chwialkowski, .491, 27 hits; 2018 Noa Vogel, .486 32 RBIs; Lamar – 2018 Max Carera, .487, 37 hits; 2018 Davin Jacobs, .451, 6 HR.

The arms: Lutheran – 2018 Tyler Eldred, 1.19 ERA; Lamar – 2018 Dalton Chandler (Cal State Northridge), 5-0, 0.38 ERA; 95 K’s in 40.2 innings.

Faith Christian (18-3) vs. Kent Denver (11-9), 12:30 p.m.

The sticks: Faith Christian – 2018 Tyler Mattingly, .553, 22 RBIs; 2019 Macklin Brockmeyer, .493, 34 hits; Kent Denver – 2020 Jack Roode, .427, 32 hits; 2018 Noah VanSickle (Union College), .427, 14 extra-base hits.

The arms: Faith Christian – 2019 Michael Thorne, Jr., 6-0, 1.43 ERA; Kent Denver -- VanSickle, 4-2, 2.22 ERA..

Winners: 3 p.m.

Friday at Niwot

Delta (15-6) vs. University, 10 a.m.

The sticks: Delta – 2018 Jaspar Carmichael, .535, 13 extra-base hits; 2021 Nolan Bynum, .515, 34 hits; University – 2018 Lee Strang, .545, 30 hits; 2018 Grayson Swanson, .500, 10 doubles, 40 RBIs.

The arms: Delta – Carmichael, 4-2, 2.33 ERA; University – 2019 Kalob Padilla, 5-1, 2.12 ERA.

Peak to Peak (14-6) vs. Eaton (17-3), 12:30 p.m.

The sticks: Peak to Peak – 2018 Matt Bagnato, .493, 15 extra-base hits, including 8 triples; 2019 Max Higdon, .463, 5 triples; Eaton – 2018 Zeke Hass, .448, 14 extra-base hits; 2019 Jared Ure, .429, 5 HR.

The arms: Peak to Peak – Garrett Shriver, 3-0, 3.49 ERA; Eaton – 2018 Travis Cunningham, 5-0, 1.44 ERA.

Winners: 3 p.m.

In play: Defending champion Valley didn’t make it, so there will be a new mid-range winner. Look at the field – a lot of recognizable names comprise the Series. But the one they all will be chasing is Lamar.