Panther Baseball Stars Kick Off Season in Undefeated Fashion
Trevor Phipps
During most spring seasons, the ultimate success of high school baseball teams hinges on the stuff delivered by their best pitchers.
In past years, the number one part of the game the Panthers needed to fix was their presence on the mound, almost similar to the challenges facing the Colorado Rockies every year.
However, in 2026, this pitcher-less scenario for Woodland Park has drastically changed. Last year, a handful of players proved they were stellar both at home plate and on the mound. This season proves to be no different as the Panthers started 2026 with four wins in a row. As a result, baseball playoff fever is sizzling in Woodland Park.
During mid-March, local baseball fans were excited to get outdoors and catch a game. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ first road game was nixed due to weather. Moreover, during their home opener and second scheduled match, their opponent forfeited leaving hopeful fans who tried to attend the game stuck with an empty parking lot.
But as soon as the Panthers did officially put their gloves on and hit the diamond for real, they proved that they are eyeing another playoff-worthy season. So far, all of the players both young and old have contributed to the team’s success.
On March 12, the Panthers finally arrived home to face off against their league opponent: the Colorado Springs Christian High School Lions. For the team’s home opener, the weather was decent but Mother Nature did decide to dish out heavy, cold mountain winds that seemed to negatively affect the spectators more than the athletes. Welcome to springtime, Woodland Park.
To start their 2026 season, the coaches put in sophomore right handed pitcher Nathan Vieux. Vieux is not new to the mound as during his freshman season last year he ended with a 2-3 pitching record and recorded the team’s second-best ERA with 3.74.
Vieux started the game off on fire. He almost let a run go in the first inning, but he had a strikeout during just about every inning. He ended the game with 14 total strikeouts.
In the end, the sophomore pitched all seven innings in the Panthers’ 10-2 win over the Lions. Overall, Vieux only surrendered four hits all game. And since the two runs against him were due to errors or passed balls, he ended his first win with a 0.00 ERA.
The hitting during the game, though, got to a slow start. During the first inning, the Panthers swung at the ball hard, but the inning ended with three decent pop fly catches by their opponent’s defense.
But then the Panthers got to home plate during the second and third innings. The offense slowed a bit and the score stayed 4-1 until the end of the fifth inning. Then in the sixth, the Panthers’ batters really came out swinging and secured the game with six runs over their last inning on offense.
The Panthers then used three other star pitchers to win their next two games. On March 13, the Panthers played a double header against the Harrison Panthers and beat them 15-9 and 6-3.
Several Stars Put Up Stellar Stats Early in Season
Overall, the Panthers have looked awesome on both offense and defense thus far. The common names from their stellar season last year seemed to have improved. Plus, there are some new names that are also making some big plays to help the team.
Senior Gavin Strouse has so far put up the best numbers on the team in several statistical categories. Strouse currently ranks in the top 10 in Colorado 3A baseball in batting average (0.625), on base percentage (0.750), and stolen bases (five).
Senior Link Bryden is having another great start to the ’25-’26 spring season. Bryden leads the team with six hits and seven RBIs. He also sits in second place on the team with a 0.545 batting average and a 0.583 on base percentage.
Last year, Cody Becker (when he was a sophomore) was one of the best on the team when it came to hitting and pitching. This year now that he is a junior, he is already putting up good numbers.
After playing three games and seven at bats, Becker has picked up two runs, two hits, three RBIs, and he has earned a nearly .300 batting average. And on the mound, over four innings pitched Becker has recorded a 1.75 ERA.
The team has also shown that they picked up a new star for the 2026 season. Freshman Liam Rawson has already proved his worth in just four games into the season.
During his nine at bats this season, Rawson has picked up four runs, four hits and one RBI. After playing three games, he already has a .444 batting average. In addition, he is listed on the roster as a right handed pitcher, so expect him to see some time on the mound before the season ends.
The Panthers take a break from the field this week for the high school’s spring break. They play at home next on March 31 against the 1-2 Palmer Terrors. Then on April 3, the boys play a double header on the road against the Ellicott Thunderhawks.
