Rocky Mountain, Niwot and Holy Family in Colorado baseball driver's seat

While Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) can make an argument for the state's most-feared, most-respected baseball program, the Lobos are doing something of a balancing act in the state tournament.

That's balancing their past with their present, appreciating their prior accomplishments while understanding they have no bearing on the present.

Rocky Mountain, naturally, is most notable for its four-year stranglehold on the Class 5A crown, in which left-hander Marco Gonzales pitched all four clinchers. Gonzales is long gone – first to Gonzaga, now in the St. Louis Cardinals organization – but the Lobos are in a familiar spot.

They are in the driver's seat in 5A after going 3-0 in the opening weekend of the double-elimination tournament. This is where the Lobos want to distinctly remember the past but understand past achievements don't win ballgames now.

"I do think this group is hungry, but I don't think they feel like they have to live up to any past teams," Rocky Mountain coach Scott Bullock said. "This group of seniors has worked so hard to give themselves a chance this year. We're trying to just be the 2014 Lobos and see what happens."

The 2014 version is led by player-of-the-year candidate Carl Stajduhar, whose numbers make it look like he's intuitively reading the catcher's signs when he's hitting. He's clubbed 12 home runs and driven in 48, while also contributing a 5-1 record and 2.26 ERA on the mound.

The Lobos open the final rounds Friday at All City Field against Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village). Win or lose, Rocky is in the championship game Saturday. That being said, Game 4 is far from a throwaway.

"Being 3-0 gives us a chance to set up pitching that we believe will give us the best chance to win a championship," Bullock said. "I do believe Game 4 is still crucial because you got here by playing good baseball, winning baseball. You want to keep that rolling."

If Rocky Mountain (19-5) defeats Cherry Creek, the Lobos will play the winner of the Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch)-Regis Jesuit (Aurora) game on Saturday (with that team having to beat Rocky twice). If Cherry Creek wins, the Bruins will face the Mountain Vista-Regis Jesuit winner Saturday morning for the right to play Rocky in a straight-up title game in the afternoon.

Both Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit rebounded from an opening loss to finish the weekend 2-1. Oregon-bound Regis pitcher David Peterson, recovering from a broken leg suffered shortly before the season started, struck out 12 in a win against Fairview (Boulder). Teammate Max George, a shortstop headed to Oregon State, hit a grand slam in that game, while Justin Thaxton hit three homers in a win against Chatfield (Littleton), vaulting his season total to nine.

Cherry Creek stayed alive with a 7-6 win against ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch). The Bruins rode a five-run sixth and a strong performance from center fielder Grant Farrell to the victory.

Mountain Vista began 2-0 but lost to Rocky Mountain in the final game of the opening weekend. The Golden Eagles likely will open with ace Nick Leonard, a Washington State signee who makes a case for the state's best pitcher.

MaxPreps Colorado state baseball brackets

Class 4A

Niwot was the lone team to escape the weekend unscathed. The Cougars won a dramatic 1-0 game against Durango, in which sophomore left-hander Ford Ladd threw a shutout and pinch hitter Cameron Kopplinger delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off win.

"We've won games in all different kinds of scenarios this year," Niwot coach Craig McBride said. "Tight ones, blowout games and games where they got back in it a couple times. It's good to win a game like that right before we go into next weekend."

The Cougars now can set do whatever they like with their pitching staff, which includes ace Air Force-bound Bryan Meek. Ladd and Meek each have gone 7-0 this season.

The Cougars will oppose Northern League rival Longmont on Friday at All-Star Park, a series Niwot swept 2-0 in the regular season. Longmont stayed alive after an opening loss to Durango by outlasting Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) and Palmer Ridge (Monument) in slugfests. Kyler Leroux drove in six for Longmont in the 17-15 win against Palmer Ridge.

Durango will oppose Green Mountain (Lakewood) in an elimination game Friday. The winner will either have to beat Niwot twice on Saturday in the title matchup, or, if Longmont wins Friday, first play the Trojans for a chance to play Niwot in a straight-up championship.

Durango allowed only three runs (one in each game) in the opening weekend. The Demons will face a Green Mountain squad that produced 24 runs in its three games.

Class 3A

Holy Family (Broomfield) is aiming for its second straight title and third in five seasons. After winning it all last season, the Tigers essentially returned their whole team. Not a bad concept for first-year coach Eric Nakayama, who had been a 10-year assistant.

"Having 11 seniors has kind of made things easy on me," Nakayama said.

The Tigers (22-1), led by Creighton-bound shortstop Devlin Granberg and standout pitcher/infielder Zach Trombley, take a 3-0 record into Friday and first play Lamar at Butch Butler Field in Greeley.

A win in that one means the Tigers would play the winner of Friday's other game, Faith Christian (Arvada) against Eaton, on Saturday and would have to be beaten twice. Faith Christian, led by ace Tristan Ortega, is the only team to beat Holy Family this season (the Eagles are 1-2 against the Tigers).

Eaton, naturally, is 3A's most storied program over the past two decades. The Reds (22-1) were unbeaten until losing to Holy Family in the opening weekend's final game.

What will make Holy Family so difficult to defeat is its bevy of quality hitters.

"In a professional lineup, your 3-4-5 holes are your best hitters," Nakayama said. "I'd say that's pretty much been what it is for Holy Family, but you look 1-through-9, they've all been pretty tough hitters for us this year."

Class 2A

This postseason features a straight-up bracket (no double-elimination), with a pair of epic semifinals Friday and the title game Saturday at Runyon Sports Complex in Pueblo.

Pitching-rich Resurrection Christian (Loveland) takes on Denver Christian in one semifinal and Sedgwick County (Julesburg) and Rye meet in the other.

Top-seeded Resurrection Christian (20-3) will lean on the talents of senior pitchers Jake Lohr and Cory Wiggins, while Denver Christian counters with Chandler Van Dyke.

Sedgwick County pitcher Chase Dunker (8-0) has been unbelievable this season. He has allowed only five runs in 49 2/3 innings – none of them earned. But most compelling about his season are his 129 strikeouts, including 21 in the semifinals against Lutheran (Parker) (he also whiffed 20 during the regular season against Akron).

Rye's Trenton Hughes won't be intimidated. He's gone 9-0 with an 0.30 ERA and 95 strikeouts. He's also clubbed seven homers and driven in 35 runs while batting .532.