Four years ago, Severance baseball was a new team at a new school.
Now, the Silver Knights are one win from becoming the Colorado prep version of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.
That D-backs team became the fastest expansion franchise to win a World Series in its fourth season. On Saturday, Severance can also win the program’s first state title — and first team championship in school history — with a victory at UCHealth Park.
Severance’s quick ascent in Class 4A baseball came as coach Kevin Johnson inherited the right talent at the right time in ever-changing Weld County, where old rural is quickly blending with new suburban.
“If I knew exactly how we did this so fast, I’d make a hell of a lot of money writing a book,” Johnson quipped. “But the big thing is we had the right mix of kids coming in, and a couple of assistants who worked with these kids when they were young. It all came together as a great mix of kids, and coaches, and the talent and drive of my players.”
Severance’s emergence is even more impressive considering Johnson barely got to know his players in the spring of 2020 before the COVID pandemic wiped out the program’s first season.
No matter: The Silver Knights upset their way into the state tournament in 2021 before losing both games there. Then, after winning one game at state last year, Severance ran the table at the tournament this year with wins over Cheyenne Mountain, Pueblo County and Holy Family last weekend.
Severance is headlined by senior third baseman/right-hander Nolan Hertzke and senior center fielder/right-hander Mason Bright. Hertzke, a Kansas City Kansas Community College commit, is hitting .456 with five homers and an 8-0 record with a 2.76 ERA on the mound. Bright, a Northern Colorado pledge, is batting .519 with 38 RBIs and an 11-3 record with a 1.99 ERA.
“They breed confidence into the other kids,” Johnson said. “They’re both good leaders and they do it in different ways. Mason’s more the silent, watch-what-I-do type, and Nolan, ever since his freshman year, has been a vocal leader with this group. … He’s the one I go to when we need a pep talk and they’re tired of hearing it from me.”
The duo carried Severance to a pair of wins in the regional tournament to set up the state run.
In the playoff opener against Discovery Canyon, Hertzke pitched 4 2/3 innings, and Bright finished with 2 1/3 innings while Hertzke had a two-run homer in the 3-2 win. Then, Bright pitched six shutout innings in the regional title game and Hertzke had another two-run blast as the Silver Knights edged out Thomas Jefferson 2-0.
“If other guys were struggling, Mason and I knew that we were going to have to be the dudes to do it,” Hertzke said. “At regionals, we sort of had to put us on our back. But last weekend at state, our whole team was playing well, which you saw (in three wins). We’re playing like a complete team at the right time.”
The Silver Knights also feature five other college commits in senior right-hander Austin Neeley (Friends University), senior third baseman Joe Tamburro (Concordia College Nebraska), senior center fielder Shane Gockley (Oklahoma Baptist), senior shortstop Ty Adam (CSU-Pueblo basketball) and senior left fielder Brycen Farris (South Dakota School of Mines golf).
The team’s balanced cast outside of Hertzke and Bright enabled Severance to re-find its footing following a three-game slide at midseason in which the Silver Knights lost to Thompson Valley and then Northridge twice at the end of April. Severance hasn’t lost since, racking up 11 consecutive wins heading into Saturday’s title game.
“Those losses flipped the switch in all of us, and it was when we started putting in extra work outside practice, going full speed at practice,” Hertzke said. “That’s when we realized we can’t just show up and expect to win. … Now with that focus, we’re on the doorstep of our dream. It’s surreal.”
CHSAA Big-School Baseball Final Four
Class 4A
Schedule
No. 4 Golden vs. No. 9 Lutheran, 10 a.m. Friday, UCHealth Park
No. 1 Holy Family vs. winner of Golden/Lutheran,12:30 p.m. Friday, UCHealth Park
No. 6 Severance vs. winner of Friday’s afternoon game, 10 a.m. Saturday, UC Health Park
If Nec. — No. 6 Severance vs. winner of Friday’s afternoon game, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, UCHealth Park
Final Four Insight
Golden features the top arm in the state in senior right-hander Laif Palmer, who is likely to be selected in July’s MLB Draft. The Oregon State commit has a mid-90s fastball, plus a slider (82-84) and changeup (83-85). The Demons could throw Palmer in the opener against Lutheran, which is in the Final Four in its first year in Class 4A, but they also have other options in senior right-hander Noah Wicks and junior right-hander Braeden McCarroll.
Plus, the Demons have near-guaranteed power in Wicks, as the catcher/pitcher has belted 16 homers this year, while third baseman Jaydon Hord also has nine dingers.
“We’ve got all the tools needed to make a run,” Golden coach Jackie McBroom said. “If we can go out and play our kind of game, even though it’s a tough road, I think we could get it done with good defense, good pitching, good situational hitting and clutch hitting as well.”
On the other side, Lutheran features the father/son coaching tandem of Dick and Scott Hormann and preaches an emphasis on fundamental baseball. The Lions are led by junior right-hander/outfielder Eli Morgan, who has a .467 average and 11 homers to pair with a 3-1 record and 3.38 ERA. Other pitching options for LHS are junior right-handers Jake Field and Asher Clark and senior right-hander Alex Chumrau.
Don’t count out top-seeded Holy Family, either, which suffered a narrow 6-5 defeat to Severance in last Saturday’s semifinals. The Tigers feature star senior right-hander/infielder Jacob Syverson, a Montana State commit who has four homers, a .408 average and a 10-1 record with a 1.11 ERA. Beyond Syverson, Holy Family also has junior right-hander Brady Hudson and senior right-hander Jack Krueger.
Class 5A
Schedule
No. 3 Regis Jesuit vs. No. 25 Cherokee Trail, 10 a.m. Friday, All-Star Park
No. 5 Rock Canyon vs. winner of Regis Jesuit/Cherokee Trail, 12:30 p.m. Friday, All-Star Park
No. 15 Valor Christian vs. winner of Friday’s afternoon game, 10 a.m. Saturday, All-Star Park
If Nec. — No. 15 Valor Christian vs. winner of Friday’s afternoon game, Saturday 12:30 p.m., All-Star Park
Final Four Insight
While Valor Christian is in command of the bracket as the Eagles seek their first Class 5A title to go along with a pair of 4A crowns, the other private school left standing, Regis Jesuit, also has the depth to make a run from the consolation side of the bracket.
Regis Jesuit has yet to play a close game at state. The Raiders beat Chaparral in last weekend’s tournament opener, 9-1, then were walloped by Valor Christian, 11-1, in the second round before trouncing Mountain Vista, 15-5, to secure a Final Four berth.
“To bounce back and play the way we did after the loss to Valor was really encouraging for moving forward this weekend,” Regis Jesuit coach Matt Darr said. “Sometimes in those situations, to get thumped by a rival the way we did, you worry about your players coming out flat the next game. But our kids refused to cash it in.”
The Raiders, who are seeking their third 5A title and fourth overall, feature three capable arms in freshman right-hander Hudson Alpert, senior left-hander Jack Carey and sophomore right-hander Luke Reasbeck. Alpert features a high-80s fastball with a curveball and slider as one of the top arms to watch in the state’s Class of 2026.
“I wish I could tell you I knew he’d be this good,” Darr said. “I knew he’d be pretty good, but he’s been unbelievable. He’s one of those slow-heart-rate kids where the moment never seems to be too big, and he’s won some huge games for us.”
Regis Jesuit will need to get by a scrappy Cherokee Trail team that upset its way through districts, knocked off defending champion and top-seeded Broomfield in the opening round of state, then eliminated Rocky Mountain and Chaparral to make it back to the Final Four for a second straight season. CT’s offense is led by Western Carolina commit Bowen Tabola, who has six homers and a .462 on-base percentage.
Waiting for the winner of Regis Jesuit-Cherokee Trail is Rock Canyon, which features three of the top players in the Class of 2023 in shortstop Chase Jaworsky, right-hander/center fielder Sean Barta and first baseman JT Shank. Jaworsky, a Utah Valley commit, is hitting .462 with 12 homers while Barta (Pima Community College) is hitting .446 with nine homers and an 8-2 record with a 1.42 ERA on the hill. Shank (Pacific University) is hitting .382 with five homers.
