Windsor wreaking havoc in Colorado Class 4A baseball

When the 2013 season culminated, the Windsor baseball team already peered toward this spring with good vibes. The Wizards had many contributors coming back and figured they'd be solid.

They've been a bit more than that.

The Wizards have nearly matched last season's win total – in 10 fewer games – and are cruising along in the Class 4A Tri-Valley League. Windsor entered Thursday with a 12-1 overall mark, including a perfect 8-0 in league.

"We're playing together as a team more," right fielder and leadoff hitter Brandon Deering said. "Our pitching has been on fire, the defense has been great and I think that's the big difference from last year."



The Wizards have unveiled a triad of aces on the mound with junior Cole Brandon (5-0, 0.87 ERA) and seniors Greg Medina (3-0, 2.52) and Garrett Hammond (3-0, 1.42). They have climbed to the No. 1 spot in the AP Media Poll this week.

A ninth-place hitter last season who fought his way to middle of the lineup by the end of the season, Deering has flourished in his new role. He has been the catalyst from atop the order with a .406 average and a team-best 17 runs.

Senior first baseman David Watson and hard-hitting sophomore Tyler Shubert have been among the most productive players in the order with a combined 27 RBI. But while the lineup has been sturdy, it hasn't been the chief difference-maker in Windsor's ascension.

"I would say it's our pitching," Wizards coach Brad Deal said. "We have three quality high school kids and a couple young ones, too, so we have five kids. Our pitching has really been a big part of our season."

Brandon has three complete-game wins, including an eight-inning 2-1 victory against Centaurus (Lafayette) in which he didn't permit an earned run. Medina has gone the distance twice, including a picturesque 4-1 decision over Roosevelt (Johnstown). And Hammond has a shutout against 5A Ponderosa (Parker) to his credit, one in which he permitted the Mustangs (7-6) a mere four hits.

"It's hard to say who are ace is," Deal said. "Greg Medina, Garrett Hammond and Cole Brandon are just hardworking kids that try to get better every day. The last three years they've worked very hard, and they're starting to get better each time they go out."



Said Deering: "Cole is the most consistent so I'd call him our ace. But I think Greg and Garrett Hammond are close behind him."

Windsor qualified for the state tournament last season and finished 13-10 after opening-round losses to Mountain View (Loveland) and Montrose. Senior Lance Cox, Duncan Goodrich and Mitchell Winner, who all had batting averages in the .350 range, were on the way out.

The Wizards had their pitching staff intact and capable hitters ready to step in. But they'd be lying if they said they expected such a glitzy start.

"I didn't, honestly," Deering said. "We had a lot of big spots to fill after we lost some of the guys last year. I couldn't have imagined it like this."

The Wizards will continue to plug along in a Tri-Valley League that has adopted a new format this season. Teams face one another in back-to-back, home-and-home series throughout the season rather than a scattered league schedule. That means teams never will see the same starting pitcher with games against the same opponent never more than two or three days apart.

Deal isn't an immense fan of the arrangement, but knows it allows him to roll out a different top-notch starter against each adversary. And as far as the hot start, the less it is mentioned, the better.



"I'll be honest with you, I know we've won some games, but we don't talk about that," Deal said. "The kids want a challenge and they want to get better every day. That's been the fun part."