Grandview’s reward for surviving the Class 5A district tournament?
Surviving the district tournament —the only one of Aurora’s six teams to do so — netted the Wolves another date with Cherry Creek in the opening game of the 5A baseball championship series.
Because of a new seeding system based solely on power points, the Wolves and Bruins — the top two teams from the powerhouse Centennial League — are seeded No. 4 and 5, respectively in the postseason. They meet at 12:30 p.m. May 17 at All-City Field in Denver.
It’s a headscratcher for sure, but coach Dean Adams is taking another game with Grandview’s league rival in stride.
“I really have never understood how they come up with the brackets and rightfully Cherry Creek deserves higher than a No. 5 seed, but it is what it is,” Adams said.
“The nice thing we have going for us is we’re not intimidated by it. I have the utmost respect for (coach) Marc Johnson and Cherry Creek, but they don’t scare us. And I’m sure we don’t scare them, either.”
Two of the 18-3 Wolves’ three losses came to the Bruins (19-2) in Centennial League play as Cherry Creek won 7-6 on March 28 and 5-2 on May 4.
When the teams met in last’s championship series, Grandview led 5-0 after four innings, but watched the Bruins score six runs in their last three at-bats, including four in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win.
“We’ve gone back and forth with those guys over the years, so we know them well,” Adams said. “I’m sure Marc hopes it will be a whale of a ballgame. So do I.”
The Wolves advanced with a 2-1 walk-off win over Smoky Hill in an all-Aurora District 3 championship game on May 11.
Senior first baseman Rory Stewart played hero again for Grandview, dropping a long single down the right field line to drive home Erin Mingus for a 2-1 victory.
Chris Browne singled in the other run for the Wolves, who trailed the Buffaloes — who beat Monarch 8-0 in their opener behind Hank Hyde’s complete game effort — 1-0 through five innings.
Tanner Thomas earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief of starter Spencer Johnson.
The winner of the Grandview-Cherry Creek contest moves on to play again at 3 p.m. May 17 at All-City Field against the winner between No. 1 Rocky Mountain (18-2) and No. 8 Chatfield (13-8).
The loser is off until a contest at 11 a.m. May 18 at Bishop Machebeuf, which will be an elimination game against the Rocky Mountain-Chatfield loser. The four teams with one or fewer losses through the first weekend advance to the May 24-25 finale.
Chatfield kept another Aurora team out of the championship series, as the Chargers upset Regis Jesuit in the District 2 championship game on May 11.
The Raiders beat Lakewood 7-3 behind junior lefty David Peterson, but scored just one run on six hits in a 5-1 loss to Chatfield.
Aurora’s other three district qualifiers lost in their first game: Gateway 11-1 in 5 innings at Rocky Mountain, Rangeview fell 5-0 to Grandview and Cherokee Trail 8-4 to Mountain Vista at Dakota Ridge.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 CLASS 5A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
AURORA | The pairings for the double-elimination Class 5A baseball championship series scheduled to begin on May 17. Games will be played at All-City Field in Denver and Bishop Machebeuf H.S. Aurora teams in bold and uppercased:
- Site 1: All-City Field; Site 2: Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
FRIDAY, MAY 17
Game 1: No. 8 Chatfield (13-8) vs. No. 1 Rocky Mountain (18-2), 10 a.m., All-City Field
Game 2: No. 5 Cherry Creek (19-2) vs. No. 4 GRANDVIEW (17-3), 12:30 p.m., All-City Field
Game 3: No. 6 ThunderRidge (16-5) vs. No. 3 Legend (14-7), 10 a.m., Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
Game 4: No. 7 Mountain Vista (13-7) vs. No. 2 Chaparral (17-4), 12:30 p.m., Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3 p.m., All-City Field
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 3 p.m., Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
SATURDAY, MAY 18
Game 7: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m., Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 a.m., All-City Field
Game 9: Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7, 2 p.m., Bishop Machebeuf H.S.
Game 10: Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 8, 12:30 p.m., All-City Field
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m., All-City Field
FRIDAY, MAY 24
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11*, 2:30 p.m., All-City Field
Game 13: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11*, noon, All-City Field
* — Loser of Game 11, Winner of Game 11 may change places so previous opponents are not match; CHSAA determines
SATURDAY, MAY 25
Game 14: Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13, 10 a.m., All-City Field
Game 15 (if necessary): Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14 (if only one loss), 12:30 p.m., All-City Field
