The Pagosa Springs High School baseball team finished the regular season this week with a 9-9 record, ranked as the No. 32 team in Colorado 3A baseball.
But, when the 32-team regional playoff brackets were released Wednesday morning, the Pirates were not listed, with the final playoff spot going to the team ranked 33rd in the Seeding Index.
That team, Lincoln, holds a 16-7 record on the season.
“I’m very disappointed in not the boys, absolutely, and not our year, but the way the season progressed with limited games and opportunities to be able to build that record up to where it wouldn’t come down to a decision like that, because this is a very good team this year and they deserve better,” coach Ben Garcia said.
The Pirates had five games canceled early in the season that they were unable to make up, leaving the team with fewer games than many in the state.
“You’ve got to give yourself a chance,” he said, adding losing five games and bouncing around trying to figure out games “takes its toll.”
Garcia noted he called about 15 schools trying arrange games to allow the Pirates to play before the regular season ended and have a better chance of moving up in the index and making the playoffs.
“I’m just really disappointed in how things finished for us on a lot of levels,” he said, adding that’s how sports are. “Baseball can be very humbling.”
Despite the team not advancing to the postseason, Garcia highlighted several aspects of the team’s play over the course of the season.
Cooper Ralston, he noted, had a really, really good season from a pitching standpoint, even logging a perfect game.
Ralston ended the season with a 1.56 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 40.1 innings. He tallied five wins.
“That’s a huge highlight,” he said.
Garcia also stated that he thinks Chris Young-Martinez had the best year of his career in terms of hitting and on-base percentage, as well as other areas.
“He continued to excel ... at baseball,” Garcia said.
Kyler Henderson also did a lot of good things hitting-wise on the season, the coach added.
Garcia further highlighted that Taylor Wells played a lot of different positions for the team and played them “very, very well.”
“And that’s a freshman. That, I think, speaks volumes for what kind of year he’s had,” he said, adding Wells is a pleasure to coach. “He’s a coach’s dream because he loves to work. He’ll be there at every practice. He’ll stay late, come early, whatever it takes. And that’s the kind of ball players you want to build with.”
Garcia noted there was a lot the team was unable to do with catching this season due to injuries and other factors, but that there’s hope for the future.
“Catching is such a critical position that ... we definitely for years to come need to build that position, and we knew that going into the season,” he said, adding the team was hoping someone would stand out.
That happened, Garcia said, indicating there were multiple Pirates who took on the role at the JV level and “did a great job,” but that they weren’t yet ready for the varsity level consistently.
The coach indicated he’s excited about the team’s future after seeing the progress made this season.
Garcia added he’s really pleased with the progression of the Pirates who swung between JV and varsity.
“The growth in them ... was amazing to see, it really was,” he said, adding if those players could progress that much in a short period of time, there’s opportunity for them to progress further over the course of the offseason if they play over the summer.
Garcia acknowledged, however, that the team will have a “big hole to fill” when it comes to pitching since the team’s main pitchers — Ralston, Young-Martinez and Charles Washburn — are all seniors who are departing the team.
But, while the team’s youth means holes to fill moving forward, Garcia noted the team’s youthfulness is exciting.
“They really love to work,” he said of the team’s younger players. “They love coming to practice. They loved gettin’ better and just havin’ fun, and that’s really what I’m looking for because I think that group’s gonna be good for some years to come.”
In addition to Ralston, Young-Martinez and Washburn, the Pirates will also lose Henderson and Sean Ryan to graduation.
“I think all of them are gifted, I really do,” Garcia said of the seniors, noting they each have a lot of the qualities needed to be a college player.
“I wish them tons of success, not only in baseball, but in life,” the coach said.
randi@pagosasun.com
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