The Mountain Vista Golden Eagles will square off against the Arvada West Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Mountain Vista's victory against Chatfield wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Mountain Vista narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Chatfield 7-6. The victory continues a trend for the Golden Eagles in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won seven in a row.
Chase Ruden
| 03/28/25 vs Chatfield | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ Basic | 1 |
| 03/11/25 vs Fairview | 1 |
Chase Ruden tossed a big game, tossing 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. He is becoming a predictor of Mountain Vista's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Alex King, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Anthony Mitchell was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Mountain Vista always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They are 2-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Arvada West had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over the Bison. That 16 run margin sets a new team best for the Wildcats this season.
Cooper Vais made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Tate Deal was incredible, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Levi Lueck, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
The win got Mountain Vista back to even at 3-3. As for Arvada West, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1-1.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mountain Vista has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Arvada West struggles in that department as they've averaged .481. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mountain Vista came up short against Arvada West in their previous matchup back in April of 2022, falling 10-7. Will Mountain Vista have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
