COLORADO 1A STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

The last time the Peetz Bulldogs baseball team played the Community Christian Crusaders, it led or was tied for more than half the game before succumbing 7-3 at Northglenn, Colo. in early April.

For the Crusaders, the win over Peetz was just one of the 18 they chalked up this season. They lost just two games. The Bulldogs completed their regular season with a 5-7 mark.

After having earned their way into the 2015 CHSSA State Baseball Championships - Class 1A Regionals, the Bulldogs will get one more shot at the Crusaders. The two will square off at All-Star Park in Lakewood, Colo. on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The winner moves on to round two in the eight-team tournament at 3 p.m. Should Peetz win, it would play the victor of the Holly (10-4) vs. Dove Creek (9-12) contest which will precede the Bulldogs game.

In the other half of the bracket, Fleming (8-4) will meet Granada (5-6) at 10 a.m. at All-City Stadium in Denver. Nucla (7-7) and Stratton/Liberty (4-8) will follow. The championship game is slated for Thursday, May 14, in All-Star Park at 11 a.m.

"They're a good team, and they've been near the top of the rankings all season," said Bulldogs head coach Darrin Fehringer. "We played them pretty well and led much of the game, and then we made three errors that really cost us. They were silly errors really and not the way we usually play."

The Bulldogs will show up early in Lakewood on Saturday to scout the Holly vs. Dove Creek game.

The Crusaders have a strong hitting lineup led by senior Jacob Hodge. He has played in all 20 games and compiled a remarkable .737 batting average with 42 hits in 57 at bats. Twenty of his hits have gone for extra bases, including 15 doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs. For good measure, Hodge leads the team in stolen bases with 19.

The Crusaders lineup also included five additional .300 hitters that have played in every contest. The others are Paul Kidder (.350), Micah Brosegheni (.319), David Campbell (.369), Justin Werzinski (.317) and Josiah Vandenbos (.333). As a team, Community Christian is hitting at a .343 clip.

On the other side of the ball, the Crusaders rely most heavily on Kidder and Hodge to pitch the bulk of their innings. Hodge has hurled 48 innings and carries a microscopic 0.73 ERA. Kidder, meanwhile, has logged 57 innings and boasts a 1.72 ERA. Additionally, they both throw strikes. Hodge has walked just 14 while striking out 94. Kidder has fanned 105 and walked 19.

When Peetz played Community Christian on April 1, the 'Dogs hit Hodge better than most. They reached him for three earned runs in the first inning. The team ERA is 1.52.

The Bulldogs are led on the hill and in the batters box by Bradey Holtz. Holtz boasts a .433 batting average with six doubles, a triple and two home runs. The other Bulldogs hitters with a better than a .300 average include Logan Sircy (.405), Cody Wilson (.341), Brian Roelle (.382) and Garrett Roelle (.308). Holtz (17), Sircy (15) and Wilson (14) top the list of Peetz base stealers. Brian Roelle tops the squad with 14 RBIs.

The Bulldogs pitchers that get the most work are Holtz, with 25.1 innings pitched, and Wilson, who has logged 19.1. Garrett Roelle has thrown 14 innings. The team ERA is 5.95.

"I don't know who I'm going to start yet. We'll just have to see how their arms feel," said Fehringer.

Leftfielder Jordan Nelson, who missed the district championship games, is expected to return for regionals. Nelson, however, hurt his ankle recently but is expected to be ready to go by Saturday. Tre Fehringer, who has spent most of the season in a cast while his broken elbow heals, was also hoping to return.

"He went to the doctor on Tuesday and we were told it hasn't healed completely," said Coach Fehringer, who is Tre's father. "He was pretty disappointed when he learned he would be in the cast another three weeks."

COLO. 1A STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Saturday, May 9

At All-City Stadium, Denver

Fleming (8-4) vs. Granada (5-6), 10 a.m.

Nucla (7-7) vs. Stratton/Liberty (4-8), 12:30 p.m.

Winners meet in semifinal at 3 p.m.

Saturday, May 9

At All-Star Park, Lakewood, Colo.

Holly (10-4) vs. Dove Creek (9-12), 10 a.m.

Community Christian (18-2) vs. Peetz (5-7), 12:30 p.m.

Winners meet in semifinal at 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 14

Championship

At All-Star Park, Lakewood, Colo.

Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.