Ravens ready for another league title run

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A year ago, the Riverdale Ridge baseball team won the Longs Peak crown, won 17 of 25 games and advanced to the second round of the state 4A baseball tournament.

Coach Ray Garza doesn’t think there’s anything in the way of a potential repeat e ort in 2023. One reason is senior pitcher Ty ompson, who signed a college letter of intent to play at the University of Northern Colorado in NCAA Division I baseball next year. ompson allowed 22 earned runs in 50 innings last year.

“Appearing in most of our games last season, he showed ashes of being a dominating pitcher throughout the year,” Garza said. “His success has carried over to the entire pitching sta , which includes returning athletes Daniel Hoodak (27.2 innings pitched in 2022 and an earned-run average of 4) and Jaiden Villareal.”

Garza called his starting rotation “solid.”

“ ey have helped us in the past, and while they are taking on di erent roles this season, they have been preparing over the last year to take on the new challenges that lie ahead,” Garza said.

“ ey will help ease the transition of the younger players on o ense by eating up innings and keeping us in ballgames until we get settled.”

Out eld

Elijah Lofton, who batted .424 a season ago, is the most experienced out elder on the squad.

He’ll stay in center eld.

“Having Lofton back and his experience is a plus and should help (newcomers) Dakota Albers and Hunter Hendrixson get ready to compete,” Garza said. “I like the talent we have available to us, and we’re going to nd the right mix of players to play out there.”

In eld

Two of last year’s in eld starters – Cayden Trujillo (.312 batting average and 21 RBIs last season) and Landon Brophy (.366 batting average with 26 hits in 2022) .. return. But Garza needs to nd someone to ll slots and rst and third base. He has a number of candidates .. sophomore Tyler Swan, senior Austin Williams, junior Landon Mckenzie, senior Josh weber and sophomore Colton Lancaster – and Hoodak.

“We also need to nd an everyday, go-to catcher,” Garza said. “ e opening of spring practice son will provide an opportunity for candidates to grab the starting spots. I’m eager to see who steps up to claim the starting spots. ey have attributes that are very positive and can help us win. But there will need to be someone that steps forward to take the job.

“Finding a solid catcher to take over the duties to catch our experienced pitching sta will be the biggest spot to ll. And if so, they will play a big part in helping start the defense as well as the o ense.”

Another eighth-place nish went to BHS’ Rowan Duagherty in the 200- freestyle. His time was 2;14.73. He also placed fth in the 500- freestyle, where his time was 6:19.75. Isaac Nap was seventh in the 200- individual medley in a time of 2;31.63, and Diego Baeza was sixth in the 500- freestyle with his time of 6;44.22. e 200- freestyle relay team (Goforth, Reid Sungy, Calvin Bgo and Xavier Shaver) was third in a time of 1:41.24. e 200- medley relaty team (Wilson, Logan Hays, Reid Sungy and Shaver) was fourth in its time of 1:50.69. e 400- freestyle relay team of Wilson, Ethan Kiefer, Rowan Daugherty and Ngo nished fourth in a time of 3;45.03.

Riverdale Ridge High School

Boys volleyball

Niwot downed Riverdale Ridge 25-9, 25-17, 23-25, 25-11 in ornton March 7.

Elijah Song led the Ravens with six kills. Jaiden Hughes also had six kills., Cooper Schank added four. No stats were available for Niwot. Track and eld

BERTHOUD -- Here are Riverdale Ridge’s results from the Max Marr Invitational March 10 at Berthoud High School.

Girls

100-meter dash: 2. Alora Tortorelli Cruz, 13.24 seconds. 6. 1600-meter run: 6. Payton Meineke, 5:36.72. Pole vault: 1. Emmy Kiefer, 10-6.

Boys

100-meter dash: 8. Noah Lara, 11.8 seconds. Discus: 4. Darick Ovilus, 121-6. 5. Logan Nuce, 121-5. Shot put: 1. Issac Bonner, 45-7 1/2.

Prairie View High School Baseball

Prairie View won its rst two games of the season, including a 9-5 triumph at Grand Junction March 9.

Trevor Devincenzi had two hits, as did Giovanni Rarin. Javi Gaeta had a base hit and two RBIs. Jerry Stone and Wyatt Waterhouse also had two RBIs. Waterhouse added a base hit as well.

Jase Satter eld had two hits and four RBIs for the Tigers.

Thu 3/16

2023 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament AllSession @ 11:59pm Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

John Brewster Music: Front Range Brewing (Solo) @ 6pm Front Range Brewing Company, 400 W South Boulder Rd #1650, Lafayette

Birthday Celebration (Mar) @ 7pm Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Fri 3/17

Breakfast Burrito Bingo 3/17 @ 3pm Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Denver Of�cial St Patrick's Day Bar Crawl @ 5pm / $9.99

Pour House on Market + Various Venues, 1410 Market Street, Denver. info@pub crawls.com

Teens: iFLY Denver @ 5:30pm

Fort Lupton Community / Recreation Cen‐ter, 203 S. Harrison Avenue, Fort Lupton. 303-857-4200

SCFD Free Event: Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra @ 7:30pm / Free-Free Center for Musical Arts, 200 East Baseline Road, Lafayette

Littleton Museum (3/21) @ 4pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Gerald Clayton @ 8pm

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Denver

Caracara @ 8pm

Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Wed 3/22

Anavrin's Day: St Patrick's Day @ Hoffbrau! @ 9pm Hoffbrau, 9110 Wadsworth Pkwy, Westminster

Junior Jam @ 12am Mar 18th - Mar 17th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

The Family Jones: Gin & Syrups Brunch @ 11am 9490 Co Rd 25, Fort Lupton, CO 80621, USA, Brighton

Adventure Explorers: Fly High Series @ 2pm

Mar 22nd - Mar 23rd

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Lifeguard Class (Spring Break) @ 4pm

Mar 19th - Mar 24th

Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks De‐partment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-857-4200

Mon 3/20

Standley Lake Bird Walk @ 8am

Standley Lake Regional Park, 8600 Simms Street, Westminster. prl@ cityofwestminster.us, 303-6582794

Divine Torture: The Super Spectacular Superhero Birfday Super Showdown @ 7pm Trailside Saloon, 10360 Colorado Blvd, Thornton

Tiny Mule Music performs @ 9:30am

Anythink Brighton, 327 East Bridge Street, Brighton. rbowman @anythinklibraries.org, 303-4053230

Oh Snap! Photography @ 3pm

Mar 20th - Mar 22nd

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Tue 3/21

Colorado Rapids vs. Minnesota United FC @ 7:30pm / $20-$999

DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City

Sat 3/18 Sun 3/19

Teen Try 'N Escape - Galactic Getaway @ 12:30am

Mar 19th - Mar 18th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Bubble week at Anythink Wright Farms @ 9am

Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 East 120th Avenue, Thornton. mhibben @anythinklibraries.org, 303-4053200

Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ 6pm / $89-$999

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Nature Exploration @ 10:30pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Thu 3/23

National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility @ 2:45pm

Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks De‐partment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-857-4200

Failure is an option: Embroi‐dered Temari egg workshop @ 5pm

Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 East 120th Avenue, Thornton. mhibben @anythinklibraries.org, 303-4053200

National Tamale Day @ 5pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760