In the batter’s box, on the pitching mound or standing in the outfield, Ethan Wachsmann just wants to play baseball.
The versatile junior and Wake Forest commitment has pitched well and hit at a high level so far this season, which is part of the reason Grandview is off to an outstanding 11-3 start and sits No. 2 in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Class 5A rankings.
Wachsmann made his biggest impact April 12 on the mound, when he threw a seven-inning no-hitter against fierce rival Cherokee Trail in a 2-0 victory.
“I just want to help my team find a way to win, whether that’s hitting or pitching,” said Wachsmann, who leads Grandview’s talented pitching staff with four wins and ranks second among hitters with 13 RBI to go with a solid .306 batting average.
He played a key role in both ways in the memorable victory over Cherokee Trail, in which he shut down the potent Cougars’ lineup (which hadn’t been kept off the scoreboard all season) with nine strikeouts and also singled in one of the two runs for coach Scott Henry’s Wolves.
It was the best performance yet in an already outstanding season for Wachsmann, who has logged 23 innings (14 of which came in complete game wins over Cherokee Trail and Fruita Monument) and owns a sparkling 4-1 record with 1.83 ERA with 36 strikeouts. That is a remarkable step forward for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander, who had a 1-2 record with a 5.60 ERA a year ago in just 20 innings of work, which mostly came in relief.
“Obviously, Ethan is physically gifted and he has improved his velocity and upped his strike percentage,” Henry said. “What has really made the difference is mental maturity and knowing that things aren’t always going to go the way we want them to. When things start to go a little sideways, he’s shown a little bit more control over those situations this season.”
Indeed, that was on display in the no-hitter, as he worked out of two innings in which Cherokee Trail (9-6) had multiple baserunners.
Wachsmann overcame a hit-by-pitch and walk in one inning and consecutive walks in another inning to keep the Cougars at bay.
“Last year in tough situations, I would feel the moment getting big and I would crumble inside,” Wachsmann said. “This year, I’ve tried to work on staying confident in myself and just believing I can get out of those situations. That worked on Saturday.”
What also helped him overcome adversity and frustration that he couldn’t throw his breaking ball for a strike was the connection he had with sophomore catcher and good friend Kayden Bohmeyer — who Wachsmann said he shook off only once the whole game — as well as the reliable defense played behind him.
A no-hitter almost always requires some key defensive plays to keep it going and this one most certainly did.
Junior third baseman AJ Maroni made a diving stop and throw out in the early innings and senior center fielder Kyler Vaughn tracked down a ball in deep left center in the seventh inning that Henry said it “seemed like he was running for days” to reach before he hauled it in. Another key play that didn’t have an impact on the no-hit bid, but was important in the result, was Bohmeyer picking off a baserunner at second base after a missed bunt attempt.
“I have insane confidence in all my guys behind me,” Wachsmann said. “They can track down any ball or make any play.”
Wachsmann tries to be just as reliable when he is in the field on days he doesn’t pitch.
His older brother, Isaac, was a key offensive weapon and outfielder for Regis Jesuit before he graduated in 2022 and now plays Division I baseball at Xavier.
Ethan Wachsmann also plays in the outfield and loves to hit — he drove a pitch opposite field to bring in senior Jax Pfister with the only run he needed against Cherokee Trail — but worked on pitching as well since he started playing in the seventh grade.
That fits right in on this Grandview team, which also features two-way contributors in seniors Pfister and Justin Dean among others.
The Wolves already featured Pfister (3-0, 2.21 ERA after five scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over Cherokee Trail April 15), Dean (2-2, 2.33 ERA) and Nick Martensen (1-0, 1.17 ERA, 1 save) who all picked up postseason victories a year ago on their run to the Class 5A semifinals. The staff is even stronger with the improvement of Wachsmann plus the contributions of senior Josiah Giron, who is 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA.
The infield of Maroni, senior shortstop Chase Chapman (who has team bests in batting average at .500 and RBI with 18) and Pfister at first base provides stability, as does the full time return of Vaughn in center field after he was injured for the majority of last season. Wachsmann and senior Kyle Cacciavillani solidify the outfield as well.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
