MEEKER | The Meeker High School baseball team stayed busy over the past week, playing five games across Western Colorado as it closed the regular season and remained in position for a potential postseason berth.
The stretch began on the road, where Meeker served as the home team against Grand Valley due to field scheduling conflicts in Meeker. In a rematch of an earlier eight-inning loss, the Cowboys responded with a dominant 17-5 win on April 29.
Meeker scored 17 runs on 10 hits while capitalizing on eight walks and five Grand Valley errors. Senior Augie Halstead went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while junior Cade Mills added a home run, a double and two RBIs. Sophomore Hoyt Garcia finished with two hits and three RBIs, and junior Heriberto Lopez drove in three runs. Sophomore Logan Selby scored three runs and stole two bases.
On the mound, Mills threw three innings with four strikeouts, and Selby added two scoreless innings in relief.
Head coach James Romansky said the rematch showed how much the team had improved since the earlier meeting.
“We’ve been fighting all year and that means a lot for this group of athletes,” Romansky said. “Playing good baseball, what needed attention were moments to clinch a game when we had the lead. In the second half of the season we found the confidence to do that.”
Romansky said the Cowboys were sharper defensively and more composed late in games compared to the first matchup with Grand Valley.
“The first Grand Valley game was ours to lose, and we ended up giving that game away,” Romansky said. “We gained a lot on defense since that game and our pitching settled in. Instead of letting the final moments of the game get on top of us, the pitching staff was able to hold out in the second game.”
Three days later, Meeker hosted Olathe and earned a 3-2 victory on May 8, avenging a one-run loss earlier in the season.
Despite recording just two hits, the Cowboys manufactured runs through aggressive baserunning and timely execution. Sophomore Gavin Allen drove in a run, while Garcia scored and added a stolen base.
Mills opened the game with two scoreless innings, and Selby followed with five strong relief innings, allowing one earned run and striking out four.
Romansky credited the Cowboys’ aggressiveness on the bases and defensive pressure for helping secure the win.
“We’re a strong team on the basepaths, and we capitalized when we had runners on,” Romansky said. “Heads-up and aggressive defense and baserunning is what won that game for us.”
Meeker closed the road portion of the week with a 7-1 loss to North Fork on May 9. North Fork pitcher Konnor Crawford threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts, limiting the Cowboys to a lone run despite Meeker drawing three walks and taking advantage of an error.
Junior Said Rodriguez started on the mound and allowed three runs, one earned, over 1 2/3 innings. Sophomore Jaxen Mills and junior Heriberto Lopez combined for 4 1/3 innings of relief. Meeker also turned two double plays defensively.
Despite the loss, Romansky said the Cowboys competed well for much of the game.
“The majority of the North Fork game was a one-run ballgame,” Romansky said. “We were able to keep a good offense down by rotating our pitching staff so the offense didn’t have the opportunity to really time up our pitchers until the end of the game. It’s good to know that the pitching staff can compete as starters and relievers.”
Earlier this week, the Cowboys returned home to host Moffat County for a doubleheader and senior night on May 11 to close the regular season.
Meeker opened the day with a 5-2 win behind balanced hitting and strong pitching. Lopez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Garcia added two hits and an RBI. Cade Mills doubled and drove in a run, and Jaxen Mills contributed a hit and an RBI. Rodriguez scored twice and stole two bases as Meeker finished with eight stolen bases.
Selby struck out four over three innings, and Lopez added three innings of relief with four strikeouts as the Cowboys combined for eight strikeouts.
Romansky said the Moffat County games carried extra importance as the Cowboys attempted to regain momentum entering the postseason push.
“The Moffat games are very important,” Romansky said. “Though non-league, they are crucial to standings at the end of the season. We want to go into postseason with momentum, and Moffat certainly was not an easy win, but we regained the momentum we had lost from the North Fork game.”
In the nightcap, Meeker completed the sweep with a 15-4 win, collecting 13 hits and stealing 16 bases.
Halstead led the way, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double. Cade Mills added a double, triple and an RBI, while Selby contributed two hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Garcia and Lopez each finished with two hits, Jaxen Mills drove in two runs, and freshman Bryant Turner scored twice and stole four bases.
The Cowboys remained aggressive on the basepaths throughout the game as Jaxen Mills also stole four bases, while Lopez and Selby each added two steals.
On the mound, Cade Mills pitched five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, while striking out six. Selby and Jaxen Mills finished the game in relief.
Romansky said the offense became more disciplined as the doubleheader progressed.
“We made good contact in both games, and Moffat’s staff in game two was very competitive,” Romansky said. “We just saw pitches better than we did in game one and were a lot more selective on what we decided to swing at, resulting in more base hits and fewer chased balls out of the zone.”
He also credited the growth of the younger players and the balance throughout the lineup.
Romansky added that each player has embraced a role that contributes to the team’s success.
“Each player brings their own strengths,” Romansky said. “We have players in this lineup who are huge threats on the bases, while others threaten predominantly at the plate or shine on the field. Stack them in the right order and get them on base and success follows.”
Romansky also praised Halstead’s leadership during his senior season.
“Halstead is the senior every coach wants,” Romansky said. “He is fully invested as the leader of this team, he takes nothing for granted, he’s a high-quality catcher, and I could not be more thankful to have him lead this program forward.”
Meeker finished the regular season 9-12-1 overall and 4-6 in league play, placing fourth in the standings.
As of Tuesday, the Cowboys sat No. 30 in the CHSAA Class 2A Seeding Index, with the top 32 teams qualifying for the regional tournament. Final postseason pairings and official seedings are expected to be released Wednesday, May 13.
Looking ahead to the postseason, Romansky said the team will continue emphasizing defense and situational baseball.
“Heading into playoffs we’re going to be working heavily on defense, small ball and offensive plays,” Romansky said. “We’re going to be playing great teams, and they will hit the ball. Defense needs to be there to make sure the game remains close so our offense can do what it has been doing — scoring runs.”
Senior Augie Halstead stands in the batter’s box, getting ready for his at-bat against Moffat County during Meeker’s recent doubleheader. Halstead helped lead the Cowboys’ offense in the late-season matchup as they closed out the regular season. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO