Mid-Week Prep Report

by Alan Matthews
May 11, 2005

Colorado’s Niwot High climbs to top with unconventional Rockies recipe

While the Rockies were off to a slow start, fans in Colorado could still find a winning brand of baseball.

An hour north up Interstate 25 in Longmont, Niwot High was piecing together another impressive season. The Cougars, ranked No. 32 in the Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, concluded their regular season with a perfect 19-0 record, running their winning streak to 40 games, dating back to March 2004.

Niwot, which won the Colorado Class 4-A title in 1998, 1999, 2000 and last season, was primed for another run deep into the playoffs.

Teams relying on pitching and defense aren't standard issue in the thin air of the Rockies, but Niwot, which plays on a home field that measures 335 feet down the lines and 390 to center field, combats the long ball with a staff that boasts five pitchers who throw 82 mph or better.

Niwot ranks 15th in the state among 4-A schools with a .358 average, but seniors Sean Ratliff and Kyle Spencer have combined to win 10 games atop the Cougars rotation. Ratliff, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound lefty, had 83 strikeouts in 45 innings and Spencer, a 5-foot-9 righthander, posted a 0.80 ERA.

"I thought we would be pretty good and we were trying to find a No. 2 (starter), and Kyle stepped into that role well," said coach Bob Bote, a 26-year veteran. "I was a little concerned about how well we would score runs, but we run well and . . . have gotten good pitching all season."

Ratliff's fastball sits near 87 mph to go along with a solid slider and developing curveball, but his value extends beyond the mound. He was also batting .522-7-29 with 17 walks and four strikeouts.

Bote said at least one of the many professional organizations scouting Ratliff, who has a 3.9 GPA, likes him as a hitter as much as a pitcher. If he doesn’t sign out of the draft, he should be a two-way force in the Pacific-10 Conference. "It will have to be way up there and a real good chunk of money to give up going to Stanford," said Bote of Ratliff's signability.

Ratliff's left arm and sweet swing were the edge the Cougars needed to reach the postseason as the top seed in the 32-team Class 4-A playoffs. Bote said his team is better prepared for a run at the title than in years past because of the competition in a reconfigured Northern Conference.

The league expanded to 16 schools prior to the season, four of which, including Niwot, advanced to the state semifinals last year.

"This league is really good, so good I would bet there are five or six of the best teams in the state in our league," he said.

AROUND THE NATION

• Russell County was one of just two top 10 teams from the previous poll to avoid a loss. Previous No. 2 Monsignor Pace, No. 3 The Woodlands and No. 4 Roswell (Ga.) High each lost twice, and No. 5 Rancho Bernardo High of San Diego lost three games. Sarasota (Fla.) High entered the Florida playoffs undefeated and moved up from No. 13 to No. 2. Moody High moved up six spots to No. 3.

• The Sarasota Sailors were one of the Sunshine State's surprises this season. The teams lost Ian Desmond, a third-round pick by the Nationals last year, from the heart of their lineup in 2004, when they compiled a 18-11 record. Little wonder Sarasota was not expected to make much noise this season. Twenty-six wins later, Sarasota remained unbeaten and entered the Florida Class 6-A playoffs as the favorite to win the state's largest classification. "We have 10 seniors, four of whom are going to junior college, two to Division-II and one to Division-III so it's not like we have a lot of high profile guys out there," said coach Clyde Metcalf, who won his 600th career game this season. "But they have really gelled and turn into a very special ballclub." Sailors junior lefthander Eric Erickson established himself as the team's top pitcher, posting a 6-0, 0.33 mark to highlight a staff that owned a 1.03 team ERA.

• Indiana prep baseball has been tightly contested this spring, with a larger number of talented teams than in years past. Bragging rights were on the line when No. 9 Brownsburg (Ind.) High met New Palestine High in a battle of unbeatens. Brownsburg senior righthander Matt Snyder struck out six and allowed an earned run off four hits in a 78-pitch complete game as the Bulldogs won 8-3. "This game had a lot of hype with them being No. 1 in (Class) 3-A and us being No. 1 in 4-A," Snyder told the Indianapolis Star. "We try to be humble, but I'm really glad we came out and played well. It's a good feeling."

• Parity is the watchword in Tennessee this season, and Collierville High established itself as a favorite to claim the Class 3-A state title. The Dragons inched up the BA/NHSBCA poll with a win over Memphis' Christian Brothers High, but did so without senior catcher Scott Hawkins. Hawkins, who committed to Louisiana-Lafayette, was kicked off the team following a disagreement with coach Jeff Hopkins after a loss to Houston High of Germantown.