Bayfield baseball out to prove itself after disappointing exit last spring
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the way Bayfield’s baseball team has punished opposing pitchers this season, it’s almost as if the Wolverines are taking out the frustration of last year’s spoiled postseason hopes every time they swing the bat.
Class 3A’s fourth-ranked program has not forgotten the sting of what happened last May on its home field in the opening round of the District 4 tournament. Seeded fifth overall and seemingly well on its way to another trip to the double-elimination state tournament in Greeley, Bayfield was stunned 11-10 by No. 28 La Junta.
There are no second chances in district play – for the Wolverines, it was a one-and-done showing that left the players with an empty feeling.
“All throughout the offseason we talked about the feeling we had after; that was kind of our fire,” Bayfield’s Kelton McCoy said. “We had tough workouts and our coach was always saying, ‘Remember that game, remember that feeling.’
“I think we have something to prove after getting knocked out in the first round last year. I think we are all fired up and ready to take another shot at it.”
The Wolverines (12-2) have won 12 of their past 13 games since dropping the season opener, with the only loss in that stretch coming to 4A Pueblo South. The team is averaging 12 runs a game with a combined batting average of .420, and the squad has unloaded an impressive 20 home runs.
McCoy has led the way, hitting .592 with a team-high eight home runs and 34 RBIs. In fact, 16 of the junior’s 29 hits have gone for extra-bases.
“I hit the weight room really hard, even after my freshman year,” said McCoy, who had nine doubles a year ago but no home runs. “I knew I could hit the ball well, but the fact that I hit the weight room and made my mental game better on which pitches to hit, I think that’s really helped me to improve.”
McCoy is one of five current players who started as sophomores in 2014, along with Zane Phelps, Brody McGhehey, Noah Loutherback and Taed Heydinger.
That quintet has combined with seniors Mathew Knickerbocker, Anthony Chamblee, Colter McMinimen and Dillon Hoselton to make the Wolverines’ offense one of the most potent in the 3A ranks.
“We still had a sophomore (Phelps) hit seven home runs last year, and I think some of those other sophomores were hitting some doubles and stuff,” Bayfield coach Jon Qualls said. “But we had to really square the ball up well to put something in the gap. Now they’re all a little bit stronger and bigger.”
It isn’t all about power for the Wolverines – Chamblee has 17 stolen bases, and the team has drawn 53 walks compared to only 66 strikeouts.
Nor is it all about offense. The defense is solid with a .939 fielding percentage, and on the mound the squad has a cumulative ERA of 2.37. Heydinger is 4-0 with a 0.37 ERA, and Knickerbocker hasn’t allowed an earned run in 16 innings of work.
Five players have pitched at least 10 innings.
“It’s a pretty huge deal to have that many options for pitching. We’ve really got six pitchers and they all throw pretty well. I wouldn’t say for sure we have a 1-2-3-4, they’re all pretty close to the same,” Qualls said. “Mathew has been throwing lights out, and same with Taed.
“We have a pretty good defense this year that’s also helped them out of jams as well.”
Given Bayfield’s proximity to other programs around the state – the town is located just east of Durango in southwestern Colorado – it isn’t always easy to load up the schedule with 3A powers.
The Wolverines added games with the likes of Pueblo South and St. Mary’s this season in order to better prepare for the playoffs. Qualls said in the past he believes there has been a mental block when it comes to facing opponents on the other side of the state, simply because those teams have a bigger variety of opponents from which to draw.
“I think this gives them a little bit of encouragement that they’ve already played those teams and they know they can play with them,” Qualls said of beefing up the schedule. “We all put our cleats on the same way. It’s still baseball, no matter where you come from.”
Should Bayfield return to the state tournament, the team believes it has the tools to be in the mix, including a deeper pitching rotation. There’s also the hunger that has remained with the team since that fateful day last May against La Junta.
“Most of us juniors, we’ve been friends since first grade,” McCoy said. “I think that loss last year really brought all the classes together and made us realize we’re a lot better than what we showed last year.”
