MEEKER | This past week, the Meeker High School baseball team kicked off a busy stretch with a Tuesday, March 31, road trip to face in-county rival Rangely. The last meeting between the Cowboys and Panthers came last season on April 29, 2025, when Meeker won 17-7. This time, the game was much closer, but Meeker still came away with a 10-8 victory on the road, earning its first win of the new season.
The Cowboys finished with 11 hits and a .297 team batting average, their most productive offensive performance of the young season. Meeker also tallied five extra-base hits, including four triples, and posted a .936 team OPS. Sophomore Gavin Allen and junior Cade Mills led the offense with two hits apiece. Allen drove in two runs and added a triple, while Mills scored twice, collected two hits and drove in a run with an extra-base hit.
“My confidence was good at the plate and everything was just flowing,” Allen said. “On the triple, I just had a feeling a fastball was coming, so I got ready early and I barreled it. Offensive moments can change a game, so it is very important. We knew we needed to change as a team, so we started to get aggressive at the plate. Going into the next game, we were rolling at the plate, which was very good for the team, but we could do better both at the plate and defensively.”
Freshman Bryant Turner also had a strong outing, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. “Going up to the plate, I just kept a strong mind and trusted my training, staying calm,” Turner said. “As a freshman, it’s been a huge adjustment going from slower pitching in 14U to high school-level pitchers. Early in the year, I had some trouble staying calm, but as I get more reps, the game slows down and I become a lot more comfortable. Upperclassmen showing support and trusting me has helped my confidence a lot. Getting this win helped us move forward and focus on things we need to improve before our bigger competitions. Mistakes were fixed, and we should do well the rest of the season.”
Senior Augie Halstead contributed two RBIs and provided leadership. “It was really important for us. Getting that first win kind of settles everyone down and shows what we’re capable of when we play our game,” Halstead said. “As a senior, it felt good to see the team come together and finally get rewarded for the work we’ve been putting in. Our approach was a lot more focused. We were more patient at the plate, took better at-bats and just played with more confidence overall. Early on, we were a little rushed, but this game we stayed composed and trusted each other. I try to remind everyone to stay in the moment and not get too ahead of themselves. Keeping energy up in the dugout and staying positive is huge. Communication and chemistry are improving, and everyone is supporting each other more.”
On the mound, Mills earned the win, striking out seven over 4 1/3 innings while allowing three earned runs. Relief pitcher Heriberto Lopez worked 2 2/3 innings with two strikeouts. Mills reflected on his performance: “Whenever I’m on the mound, I always think the guys behind me have my back, and that leads to success. At the plate, focusing on good contact and bat path helped me go 2-for-5. Getting that win was helpful to get us in the right mindset and experience the other side of a win. This is a really young team; we’re finding some soft spots, but we have a lot of potential this year.”
Head Coach James Romansky in his second season with the Cowboys added perspective on the early-season results. “The first win is always a challenge you want to overcome early to get momentum. I’m pleased we got it earlier this season than last. We’ve played great baseball since,” he said. “We’re trying to find a balanced lineup that can threaten regardless of where we start the inning. So far, we’ve been putting up a good amount of runs and producing pressure on the basepaths. If we can find some more timely hits, I’m confident we can get runners into scoring position. Close games seem to be our speed. Against Rangely, we stayed composed to close out the game. Against Cedaredge, we were behind by six but stayed confident at the plate and had some late life. Overall, we played competitive baseball.”
Romansky continued: “I like where we are for the majority of the game. Our relief staff doesn’t need a long transition and challenges hitters right away. The team knows they’re playing most innings well. One or two plays dictate final scores, but they know how playing well feels. Now it’s about making sure we’ve earned enough runs that a single moment doesn’t decide the game. Intensity will be crucial for the remainder of the season. We play each inning with focus, stay intense, and approach the game as zero to zero. We want to play a full seven innings of our best baseball.”
Rangely was limited to five hits but drew 11 walks. Bradley Lambros led with three RBIs, while Hunter Fouch added two hits, including a triple. Defensively, Meeker finished with a .897 fielding percentage, committing three errors, while Rangely had six.
Over the weekend, the Cowboys traveled to Cedaredge to face the Bruins, seeking revenge for a 13-1 home loss last season. The game was closer this time, but Meeker fell 9-8. Meeker recorded nine hits and a .273 team batting average. Logan Selby went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Halstead, Allen, Mills, Jaxen Mills and Turner all contributed offensively.
The Cowboys tallied six stolen bases, led by Said Rodriguez with two. Mills, Jaxen Mills, and Lopez added one each. Mills started on the mound, allowing one earned run over three innings with two strikeouts, followed by Jaxen Mills and Lopez in relief. Cedaredge capitalized late, scoring nine runs on five hits, six walks, and Meeker miscues. Rylan Brooks led Cedaredge with three hits and three RBIs.
Defensively, Meeker posted a .821 fielding percentage with five errors, proving costly in a one-run game. The loss dropped Meeker to 1-4-1 overall and 1-1 in league play.
This week, the Cowboys travel to face the Grand Valley Cardinals on Tuesday, April 7, at 2 p.m., before returning home for their season opener against North Fork on Friday, April 10, at 1 p.m.
Meeker junior Cade Mills (#10) fires a pitch from the mound during the Cowboys’ 10-8 road victory over Rangely. Mills also contributed offensively with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in the win. BOBBY G’S MEMORIES PHOTO