Coal Ridge outlasts University in 3A baseball finals to secure first boys state title in school history ...Saudi Arabia

Coal Ridge’s and University’s pitchers, hitters and defenses perhaps couldn’t have been any better tested than they were Saturday at Butch Butler Field in Greeley.

What was likely put to the biggest test, though, was the Titans’ and Bulldogs’ wills.

Ultimately, it was Coal Ridge’s will to do something it had never done before that got the narrow edge over University’s will to avoid doing something it has done far too many times in recent years.

Capping a day in which the two teams played 21 innings against each other, over the span of nearly seven hours, the second-seeded Titans secured a 3-2 nail-biter against the top-seeded Bulldogs in the second of two finals games in the Class 3A baseball championships.

It was the fourth consecutive year in which University (26-5) finished as the state runner-up.

It was also the first boys state title, in any sport, for Coal Ridge.

“It says a lot about their heart, their determination and their love for each other,” Titans head coach Dan Larsen said after his team’s marathon of a day. “It’s all just one big family, that little town out there in New Castle. And we got it done. We’re more than proud. It’s going to be a beautiful drive home.”

It certainly wasn’t easy. In fact, there probably couldn’t have been any challenge more daunting than the one the gritty Bulldogs provided.

University has had to settle for being the proverbial bridesmaid four times now since winning back-to-back state titles in 2018 and ’19.

The Bulldogs had been the runner-up to Eaton the previous three years.

Even after dropping a crucial 3-0 loss to Coal Ridge a week earlier, University was in prime position to win its seventh state title in program history after showing plenty of hardiness in a 3-2 win in a 14-inning game that spanned nearly four hours earlier in the day Saturday.

Because the Titans came into the day without a loss in the double-elimination tournament, the Bulldogs would have needed to beat them twice Saturday to wrestle away the title.

University junior Joel Ramirez sliced a walk-off RBI single to score senior Medardo Abrego and give his team the hard-fought win in the initial game Saturday.

The Titans didn’t dwell on that bitter loss, stepping back into the batter’s box just 40 minutes later.

After a scoreless first inning, junior Wyatt Murray got Coal Ridge on the board with one RBI single to score fellow junior George Roberts in the top of the second.

The Titans tacked on a pair of insurance runs, going up 3-0, on back-to-back RBI by standout senior Ben Simons and junior John Luke Houston in the top of the second.

University trimmed the gap to 3-1 on a Gage Viken bloop RBI single in the fourth. The Bulldogs then pulled within a run, 3-2, when Viken again drove home a run in the bottom of the sixth.

But with a chance to deny Coal Ridge school history, and shake that silver-trophy-hoisting monkey off its back, University was retired in three at-bats in the bottom of the seventh.

“We put ourselves in a tough situation last weekend, and we knew this weekend was going to be tough,” Bulldogs nine-year coach Casey Miller said. “I’m very proud of our boys for getting this far, winning that first one and actually making it to the championship game. I thought we would ride that wave a little more. And, looking back, there were a couple things we could have done differently all over the place, as coaches and players.”

Within striking distance all game long, University was plagued by pop-up after pop-up during critical moments Saturday afternoon.

Larsen credited Houston and his slightly unconventional approach on the mound for keeping the Bulldogs’ often dangerous lineup off balance.

“I’m very confident in John Luke, because he doesn’t throw very hard, but with his fastball, the catcher really doesn’t know if it’s going to cut or sink,” Larsen said. “He never throws a straight one. He doesn’t have a four-seam fastball.”

Though quality pitching is often a bit scarce at this point in the state tournament — which spans four days across two weekends — Coal Ridge had an edge in that department over University.

While the Bulldogs had to play three games this weekend to position themselves for a state championship Saturday afternoon, the Titans got to skip Friday’s action and play in just two games — a reward, of sorts, for being the only team to go unbeaten during the opening weekend of the tournament.

Of course, one of those games — the 14-inning affair early Saturday — was the equivalent of two regular-length games.

So, with both teams having to dig deep in their bullpens, Houston was eager to have the ball during the winner-take-all afternoon affair.

“I figured I was going to get the ball in the second game,” said Houston, who scattered six hits, while striking out two and walking one. “We should have got (the title) in the first game. But I was happy to get the ball in the second game. I knew we were going to go get it.

“… This is absolutely huge for our community. Small town — not many people have heard of us. But they have now.”

A worthy name change

The 3A state tournament was renamed this year in honor of John W. Haefeli, a former University baseball coach and revered community leader.

Haefeli — who had battled pancreatic cancer for months — threw out the first pitch of the Bulldogs’ initial game against Coal Ridge on Saturday morning.

Shortly after throwing out the pitch, Haefeli died in his home at 67 years of age.

For 50-plus years, Haefeli was an avid supporter and contributor to the area’s youth academics and athletics scene.

He also was a longtime organizer and director of the 3A state baseball tournament at Butch Butler, in addition to helping run other state competitions.

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