By Jeff Markle

Assistant State Director

Follow: @PBR_CO

The 4A State Baseball Final 8 gets underway on Friday at All-Star Park in Lakewood and Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora.  Teams from all over the state will be meeting up in hopes of advancing to the Final Four the following weekend.  Here is a quick look at the 8 teams battling for the 4A crown.

All-Star Park:

Palmer Ridge 15-6 vs. Evergreen 18-3 

The Palmer Ridge Bears from Monument, Colorado come into Friday on a 5 game winning streak and looking to add two more victories this weekend.  The Bears have had a great year scoring 171 runs to date and scorching the gaps for 34 doubles.  Offensively the Bears are lead by , Junior Cole Hurford .493 avg. and 24 RBI and Senior Carter Thorne .452 avg. and 33 hits.  The Bears will look to continue to pressure teams with their speed bringing 46 stolen bases into the weekend.  Defensively the Bears sport a 3.55 team ERA and are lead by Senior Jake Weems, 3.16 ERA and Junior Jake Grubesic 1.96 ERA and 11 wins between them.

Opposing Palmer Ridge will be the Cougars from Evergreen High School in Evergreen, CO.  The Cougars who have amassed 164 runs this year and as a team hit 38 doubles and 18 homeruns.  Just like the Bears, the Cougars have swiped 46 bases this season.  Offensively, look for the Cougars to lean on, Daniel Gibbins .470 avg. 31 hits and Josh Bellatti .464 avg. and 22 RBI.  On the mound the Cougars will more than likely march out Brock Burke (Oregon) 1.05 ERA and 79 K’s, followed by Jake Englehart 2.08 ERA and 4 wins on the year. 

Niwot vs. Green Mountain: 12:30

The second game of the day at All-Star Park will feature the 18-3 Niwot Cougars and the 15-6 Green Mountain Rams.  The Cougars will enter Friday having spent much of the season in the PRBCO top 5.  As a team they have collected 204, scored 138 runs and hit 38 doubles this year. The Cougars will turn to Seniors, Alex Kinnison .455 avg. and 30 hits and Tanner Kirkpatrick .484 avg. and 23 RBI  to be the driving force for their offense on Friday.  Look for Senior Bryan Meek to shoulder the load on the mound with his 2.84 ERA and 6 wins.

Hoping to stop the Cougars on Friday will be the Green Mountain Rams.  The Rams who come out of a tough Jeffco 4A league are battle tested and ready to go.  Coach Madden has been spinning them around the bases all year, 229 runs, 52 doubles and 21 homeruns make them an offensive force in this tournament.  Sophomore Wyatt Featherston .444 avg. 28 hits and 6 homeruns, along with, Junior Cole Shetterly .456 avg. and 31 RBI will be two of the Rams Niwot will need to control.  On the mound look for Josh Ramirez to be given the ball and the task of stopping the Cougars, Ramirez sports a 2.64 ERA and 52 K’s on the year.

Cherokee Trail:

Valor vs Wheat Ridge: 10:00 AM 

The 10:00 a.m. game at Cherokee Trail High School will feature the Valor Eagles 16-5 and the Wheat Ridge Farmers 18-3.  Valor comes in on a 9 game winning streak and a team that has amassed, 191 runs, 59 doubles and 20 homeruns.  The Eagles will look to continue those offensive ways on Friday and look to Seniors, Brandon Spencer .415 avg. 18 RBI and 3 Homeruns and A.J. Cecil .453 avg. 24 hits and 20 runs scored.  The job of shutting down the farmers will be given to, Junior Keith Heimbrock 3.09 ERA with 34 innings pitched and Sophomore Luke McNary 4 wins and 29 K’s.

The Wheat Ridge Farmers, who are having another excellent year under the guidance of Head Coach Adam Miller, are another team who had to fight all year in the Jeffco 4A league.  Just like the Rams, the Farmers have put up some pretty lofty numbers including, 209 runs, 50 doubles and 12 homeruns.  Offensively the Farmers are lead by, Junior Dante DeCarlo .439 avg. and 29 hits and Sophomore Damian Padilla .462 and 10 RBI.  The last piece of the puzzle is added by Senior Nick Ricigliano .456 avg. and 27 RBI.  On the bump Friday and through the weekend we will find, Sophomore Chase Powell 3.47 ERA and 4 wins and Senior Lane Wagoner 1.40 ERA and 28 K’s.

Durango vs Longmont: 12:30 

The second game will feature the Durango Demons 13-8 who get the travel award coming from the southwest corner of the state to take on the Longmont Trojans 14-7 on the year.  The Demons who play in the split 4A/5A southwestern league, have put together some solid numbers for the year.  The Demons have put up 178 runs and laced 40 doubles around the park.  Individually look for Seniors, Blake Dunlap .426 avg. and Isiah Mayberry .438 avg to be the catalyst for the Demons.  Junior Casey Dunlap .443 avg. and 20 RBI will also play a key role this weekend.  A pair of Seniors, will take the ball for the Demons, Ben Wiley (Florida Gulf Coast) 31 innings pitched and Blake Dunlap 4.63 ERA and 33 K’s.

The Longmont Trojans are the last team in our preview, but definitely not least, having racked up numbers making them worthy to hang with the other 7.  The Trojans come in on Friday having scored 143 runs on 188 hits and swiping 54 bases.  All numbers that have earned them a spot in the final 8.  Two Seniors, Cameron Yee .443 avg. and Andrew Bladt (Marshall).412 avg. will look to get Longmont going offensively against the Demons.  Look for Longmont to give the ball to Brett Sterkel 52 innings pitched, 5 wins and 41 K’s on the year.