GOLDEN — Like a great book that is always worth a second read, the story of Golden baseball’s journey to the Class 4A state championship in 2025 will always be a memorable moment to look back on.

However, the Demons have already begun writing a new tale with the Spring 2026 baseball season underway.

“People may think we have a lot of pressure to go back-to-back, but that really isn’t what we are focused on,” Golden junior Dylan Paulson said. “We are really focused on game-to-game and how we can get better to be playing our best baseball at the end of the season.”

The question of repeating is something Golden coach Jackie McBroom has fielded a few times since capturing the state title back on May 31, 2025 at Erdle Field at the United State Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

“I’ve got that question a hundred million times. Repeat? Repeat? Repeat? Honestly, we don’t even think about that,” Coach McBroom said of Golden having the chance to win back-to-back state titles. “We are focused on game-to-game. Game-to-game. We lost the other day to Eaton and then we focus on (Summit) today because we knew they have a good pitcher.”

The Demons (3-1 record) were focused Thursday with a 9-1 victory over Summit. Paulson picked up the win on the mound going five shutout innings while striking out 13 batters. The lefty pitcher threw just one inning his sophomore season. 

Thursday was Paulson’s first start on the mound. He did throw two innings in relief in Golden’s season-opening victory against Silver Creek last week.

“It is definitely a change, but I kind of like it,” Paulson said moving in from his normal centerfield position that he has manned for the Demons the past two seasons. “You have more control over the outcome. I kind of like that a little bit more.”

Paulson knew with the majority of the pitching staff from last year graduated, he would get the opportunity to take the hill for Golden. Now striking out a baker’s dozen in his first start was a bit shocking, even for Paulson.

“That was a surprise,” Paulson said of striking out 13 of the 17 batters he faced in five innings of work. “Today I didn’t need my defense as much, but I definitely trust them.”

The graduation of Sawyer Brinkman, Taden Svendsen and Austin Maleki changed the make-up of Golden’s pitching staff this season.

“We lost our one, two and three for the most part on the bump. That is hard,” Coach McBroom said. “We also lost Sawyer Brinkman who over a 2-year period was really, really good. We aren’t going to have a Sawyer Brinkman.”

Brinkman had an 17-2 record with an ERA below 1.50 over his senior and junior seasons. Oddly, his lone loss on the hill last year was during the final day of the state tournament where Cheyenne Mountain defeated Golden 5-2 to force a winner-take-all situation. 

Svendsen — fellow senior and lefty —was able to shutdown Cheyenne Mountain as the Demons won 5-1 to give Golden its first baseball state championship in over two decades. 

The Demons did get a glimpse of what Austin Bittner would bring to the hill during last year’s state championships. As a freshman, the lefty finished the game on the mound for the Demons in the title game and also pitched in three other games during the double-elimination tournament.

The one-two lefty pitching combo of Bittner and Paulson will likely carry a lot of the load on the mound for the Demons.

“We are still going to have guys who can pitch well, but it will be a different style of pitching,” Coach McBroom said. “Even thou he (Paulson) struck out 13 guys, which he is capable of doing, there are going to be more balls in play and we are going to have to play good defense behind him. It’s going to look a little bit different, but I think they’ll be able to get the job done.”

Coach McBroom’s son — senior Brody McBroom — will likely fill the role of the Demons’ closer again. Brody McBroom pitched the seventh inning against Summit after senior Gunnar Hetrick pitched the sixth inning.

“I think we definitely have the tools to go back and win it again,” Brody McBroom said. “We’ve got some new guys who are still learning and getting better. We definitely aren’t at our best yet.”

Brody McBroom led the Demons’ offense going 3-for-4 at the plate against the Tigers (1-3). His double to lead off the third inning nearly left the yard hitting just a few feet below the top of the fence in left field.

Paulson also went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored from his lead-off position. Hetrick has a pair of hits. Junior Liam Leffert has taken over the clean-up spot in the line-up and is batting .667 early with eight hits.

“To be totally honest, I think that hitting is maybe our strength,” Coach McBroom said.

Golden will travel to Alabama during Jeffco’s Spring Break next week. The Demons play three games, including opening up against the Hoover Buccaneers (AL) on March 25. Hoover currently hold a 13-3 record.

“I think we have good chemistry already as a team,” Brody McBroom said. “We are just trying to get better and become a tight-knit group. Everyone wants to play for each other and win together.”