The $30 million investment in youth baseball pays off

The University Bulldogs baseball team ended a six-year championship drought with a dominant 5-0 victory over D'Evelyn in the CHSAA Class 3A state championship game at Butch Butler Field in Greeley on May 30, 2026.

This win marks the program's first state title since 2019 and breaks a streak of four consecutive runner-up finishes.

Head coach Casey Miller, now in his ninth season, guided the team to back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 but had to wait through years of near-misses.

He credited the seniors from those previous teams for building the foundation for this success, saying, "Heartbreak, heartbreak, heartbreak, but then, I'm really glad we finally got one.It's been a long time coming, and the boys have been working their tails off."

Senior Gage Viken shines in championship game

Senior Gage Viken threw a complete-game two-hitter with 10 strikeots, and an early first-inning run provided all the ofefnse needed.

The Bulldogs finished the season 27-2 with an 18-game win streak.

The University Bulldogs baseball team ended a six-year championship drought with a dominant 5-0 victory over D'Evelyn in the CHSAA Class 3A state championship game at Butch Butler Field in Greeley on May 30, 2026 .

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The Bulldogs' pitching staff, considered the deepest in 3A, was a key factor throughout the tournament.

Because they were the only team to go unbeaten in the opening rounds, the Bulldogs conserved their arms and had plenty of options for the final.

The staff is anchored by seniors Joel Ramirez, Gage Viken, and Evan Davey-Anderson, along with junior Derek Casillas.

Each pitcher has an earned-run average below 1.70 and a combined strikeout-to-walk ratio of 206 to 40.

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In the championship, Viken delivered a complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits while striking out 10 and walking two on 99 pitches.

He dominated from the start, striking out seven of 10 batters at one point, including four in a row.

This performance mirrored his earlier 6-0 second-round win against The Classical Academy.

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Offensively, the Bulldogs wasted little time.

In the bottom of the first inning, after Viken retired the side in order, senior Damian Alvarez stole second base and later scored on a line-drive single by Ramirez to give University a 1-0 lead.

That early run proved sufficient as Viken took over.

Alvarez finished 2 for 2 with an RBI and two runs, saying, "Getting that first run, scoring first, has been one of our big goals throughout the season.

That was a great feeling.It gave us momentum going into the next inning and the rest of the game.

And, we just kept that going."