The Arvada West Wildcats will take on the Columbine Rebels at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Arvada West has seven straight victories, Columbine has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Arvada West is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 19-1 margin over Northfield on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won eight matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Cooper Vais
| 04/23/25 vs Northfield | 4 |
| 04/22/25 vs Lakewood | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Bear Creek | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Chatfield | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Chatfield | 2 |
Cooper Vais made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Keegan Millikan was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI and two runs. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Beau Friesen, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Arvada West kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
Ralston Valley hit Columbine with a eight-run seventh inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Rebels lost 15-3 to the Mustangs. That's two games in a row now that the Rebels have lost by exactly 12 runs.
Matthew Kossik made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Jack Bontrager was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Arvada West pushed their record up to 14-2-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Columbine, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Arvada West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Columbine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Arvada West took their win against Columbine in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-4 score. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Rebels have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
