Much as the accomplishment would support an MVP candidate in Major League Baseball, winning Class 3A's regular-season Triple Crown offensively certainly didn't hinder Bayfield junior Kelton McCoy when it came time for the Intermountain League honchos to choose a Player-of-the-Year.
But his work behind the plate-catching the pitches by fellow First Team All-IML players Matthew Knickerbocker, Zane Phelps, Brody McGhehey and Taed Heydinger, while using his own rifle of a right arm to detour opposing baserunners from merely thinking of stealing second-made the decision easy.
"We've been working really hard on our defense, and it's starting to pay off," McCoy had said after BHS' home-opening win over 5A Aztec, N.M., in which he threw out three Tigers. "I mean, we don't have guys that are 'aces' like a Clay Miller or a guy like that, so we've got to rely on defense a lot."
And no matter which of the Wolverines' five First Teamers was on the hill-including McCoy, all five logged innings as pitchers-there was always plenty of defense in support behind him.
Phelps held down home plate for most of the season, with Knickerbocker most often to his left at shortstop. Known for a criminal robbery of a sinking Alamosa liner in Game 2 of a key IML doubleheader sweep of the Mean Moose, McGhehey was steady in centerfield, with Heydinger most often nearby in left.
Jon Qualls was named the Intermountain's Coach-of-the-Year after Bayfield (18-5 overall, 7-1 IML) successfully avenged last year's stunning, season-ending district tournament loss and returned to the 3A state championship series, where the team played two games on in three days. The first was rain-delayed. First baseman Noah Loutherback, another of BHS' talented now-seniors ready to return in 2016, was named Honorable Mention All-IML to round out the half-dozen league-lauded Wolverines.
TRIPLE TROUBLE (PLUS SOME): McCoy's sweep of the classification's Triple Crown categories went down with a .595 batting average, 11 homers and 50 runs batted in, according to maxpreps.com-reported statistics. His tater total, and 1.216 slugging percentage (total bases divided by at-bats) also paced not only 3A, but all five CHSAA levels. His RBI's tied sophomore Bailey Benz of 2A State Champions Rye (25-0) for Colorado's most.
For comparison's sake in 3A, Granby Middle Park senior Jordan Holmes' .586 batting average was nearest McCoy, as were Brush senior Alec Petterson's seven HR, Knickerbocker's 38 RBI and New Castle Coal Ridge junior Nathan Nelson's 1.029 SA.
Eaton (25-0) finally won the rain-delayed 3A state championship Wednesday afternoon at Butch Butler Field in Greeley. They defeated the Brush Beetdiggers 11-7. It's Eaton's 11th state baseball title, the most in state history.
MORE 1ST TEAM ALL-IML PICKS: Alamosa-Dalton Carleo (sr., P/1B), Brett Del Tondo (sr., 2B), Tyler Hussman (sr., P/OF), Brett Pearson (jr., C); Centauri-Christopher Martin (jr., P), Timmy Engel (jr., SS), Devon Barrows (sr., OF); Pagosa Springs-Caden Henderson (sr., P/C), Tyler Manzanares (sr., P/3B); Monte Vista-Dillon Martinez (sr., P/OF).
MORE HONORABLE MENTION ALL-IML PICKS: AHS-Robbie Alejo (jr., 1B); CHS-Mitchell Wilson (sr., 1B); PSHS-Austin Harker (sr., C/OF); MVHS-Brandon Medina (sr., 1B).
