Monarch pitcher Joe Sawicki tossed a complete-game, striking out seven in a 14-1 win over Niwot on Tuesday, June 6.
Colorado Hometown Newspapers/Doug Pike

By Doug Pike
Colorado Hometown Newspapers

When Monarch players arrived at their home ballpark on Tuesday, June 6, they were expecting to host Niwot’s State Farm team — one of their top rivals from a year ago.

When the Cougars’ No. 3 team filed into the opposing dugout instead, the Coyotes took it in stride, and proceeded to pound Niwot en route to a 14-1, 12-1 sweep of the afternoon double-header. But they’re still looking forward to their matchup with the Cougars’ top lineup.

“We’ll play them another day, I guess,” Monarch’s Nate Tallman said. “It’s too bad, we were up for this game.”

Mostly, it was too bad for the Niwot team that did show up.

The Coyotes came out on fire in the first inning.

Leadoff hitter Billy Smart smashed the first pitch offered up by Niwot over the left field fence for a solo homer.

He was followed by Marcus Valenzuela’s double, Mikey Raudenbush’s single, Wade Landowski’s double and Joe Manders’ sacrifice fly that scored Valenzuela for a 2-0 lead.

Things fell apart for Niwot in the second.

Monarch picked up eight runs on one hit, seven walks and three hit batsmen, extending its lead to 10-1.

The Coyotes picked up another run in the third inning and three more in the third on Valenzuela’s three-run homer.

Monarch’s starting pitcher, Joe Sawicki, cruised to a one-two-three inning in the top of the fifth to seal the 14-1 mercy-rule victory.

Sawicki gave up five hits and struck out seven in the win.

In the second game, Tallman picked up where Sawicki left off.

The Coyote right hander, who spent the high school season as the team’s closer, got a rare start and went five strong innings — striking out 10 — before handing the ball off to Andy Harvey in the sixth.

“The most I’ve pitched all spring is two innings in a game,” said Tallman, who struck out the side in the first, third and fourth innings. “It felt great to be back. My arm felt alive.”

Monarch kept its bats alive as well in the nightcap.

The Coyotes led off, 1-0, in the first inning when Mike Goldstein singled in Smart, who started the game with a triple.

Niwot tied it in the second, but Raudenbush’s three-RBI double off the wall in left-center field in the third, followed by Tyler Bartsch’s two-run double, quickly stretched the Coyotes’ lead to 6-1.

Goldstein delivered a two-RBI double in the fourth and Centaurus transplant Ryan Harvey blasted a three-run homer in the sixth to put the game on ice.

Raudenbush, who went 4-for-5 on the afternoon with five RBIs and two runs scored, isn’t sure it mattered which Niwot team showed up Tuesday.

“We’ll play whoever comes to the park, I guess,” Raudenbush said. “Last summer we had a great season, we had a good spring and we’re only getting better. I don’t think it really matters who we play right now. Our bats are really starting to come alive. Teams are going to be hurting if they throw us strikes.”

Tuesday’s pair of mercy-rule wins gives the Coyotes five wins by the 10-run rule in its past six outings this summer.

Ray still waiting on MLB draft

Former Monarch baseball player John Ray — whose younger brother, Joe, is a senior second baseman for the Coyotes — arrived at Monarch’s double header late on Tuesday.

Ray had been in front of a computer, watching Major League Baseball’s amateur draft unfold and waiting to see if his name would pop up on the monitor.

At the conclusion of the 18 rounds completed Tuesday, he was still without a team. But Ray wasn’t worried.

Ray, a current catcher for the University of Northern Colorado and a 41st-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves out of high school, expects to be drafted Wednesday, June 7, most likely by the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Mets.

“The Dodgers told me it would probably be between rounds 20-25,” Ray said. “Eighteen (rounds) was a little early.”

Ray did watch as his UNC teammate and roommate, Brennan Garr, was selected in the ninth round by the Texas Rangers, and said another teammate, pitcher Tyler Pearson, could also be selected on Day No. 2.

Ray said if his name is called, he plans to sign.

“I’ve already committed to the financial stuff, for what I would sign for,” Ray said. “So it really doesn’t matter what round it is. I just want to play.”

By Doug Pike
Colorado Hometown Newspapers

Looking back on Kelsey Blomquist’s swim career, it’s hard to believe she was ever a substitute on one of Centaurus’ junior varsity relays.

But, if former Centaurus coach Jason Schmidt had not used Blomquist, then a freshman, to round out one of his “B” relays, she likely never would have found herself where she was on Monday, May 22 — staring at a collegiate letter of intent to swim for the University of Hawaii.

Blomquist, a four-time state qualifier and state runner-up in the 50-yard freestyle this year, signed with the Rainbow Warriors, completing a journey that seemed improbable four years ago.

That’s because in her first high school swim season, Blomquist was a diver.

Only when she was begged by Schmidt midway through the year to lead off a relay — more for the purpose of giving the rest of the relay a chance to swim than to see what Blomquist could do — did she leave the springboard.

Blomquist’s leadoff leg in that relay went under the state qualifying time. Two weeks later, she swam in the Class 4A state championships.

“I’m assuming, if I was still diving, I wouldn’t be swimming in college,” Blomquist said. “I was pretty determined not to swim. I did not want to go to those 5 a.m. practices.”

But those practices paid off.

Blomquist made the state finals as a sophomore, started year-round swimming as a junior and flirted with a state title as a senior.

Blomquist, who also placed sixth in state in the 100-yard freestyle this year, chose Hawaii over Miami, Texas, Arizona State and San Diego State, due to its sprint tradition and scholarship offer.

“They offered to pay for everything,” Blomquist said. “And it’s a good program. They won the (Western Athletic Conference) this year and took 15th at NCAAs. For a smaller school, that’s pretty good.”

So is the Hawaiian weather.

“I wanted to go somewhere warm, and it really doesn’t get much better than (Hawaii),” said Blomquist, who visited the school in April. “It was everything I was looking for. I’ve already got my surf board picked out.”

Blomquist is the second Centaurus athlete to sign with Hawaii this year.

Football player Waylon Lolotai also signed with the Rainbow Warriors.

In addition to her choice of schools, Blomquist could have had her choice of sports at the collegiate level.

Blomquist, who also participated in volleyball and track at Centaurus, drew attention from in-state schools for volleyball.

She said that while her heart is in swimming, she hopes to keep a volleyball in her hands whenever possible.

“I’m definitely going to be playing some beach volleyball,” Blomquist said. “I’m going to miss it a ton. Even after the swim season, I was still thinking, ‘Volleyball or swimming?’”

As one of the premiere sprinters in the state during the past four years, Blomquist will make it easy for the Hawaii coach Victor Wales to decide which events to put her in. However, she said in addition to sprint freestyle and relays, she expects to see some time in backstroke and breaststroke.

Wales is a friend of Centaurus coach Richard Harris.

“Coach Harris talked to (Wales) about me, but, in swimming, times kind of speak for themselves,” Blomquist said. “After state, it all just kind of fell into place.”

By Michael Kelly
Colorado Hometown News Group

Monarch High School product Louis Amundson was in Denver on Wednesday, May 31, working out with the Nuggets and seven other players in anticipation of the Wednesday, June 28, NBA Draft.

Amundson , who averaged 14.3 points and 8.6 rebounds a game for UNLV last season, is hoping to get a shot at a pro career.

“It’s cool to get the opportunity to be out here,” he said. “It’s a good group of guys.”

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Amundson is coming off of a senior season in which he scored 20 or more points seven times. His best game came against Hawaii on Nov. 22 when he scored 22 points and pulled down 21 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.

This is the fourth team he has worked out for, and he doesn’t concern himself with expectations.

“I try not to worry about that too much,” he said. “I try to do what I can do, bring some energy and show them my athleticism. There’s not much else you can do.”

Being in Denver was a little different for the Boulder native.

“I was a big Nuggets fan,” he said. “It was a little hard to be a Nuggets fan for a little bit. I’ve been to all the games, back at McNichols Arena.”

With as much nostalgia as he holds for the Nuggets, Amundson said the recent workout wasn’t different from the others he has taken part in.

“It’s the same for every team. I grew up watching all of the teams. Working out with the Bulls, seeing all of those banners; working out here watching the Nuggets throughout the years. It’s a cool experience.”