Nighthawks Reach State Tournament In First Year of 5A Play

May 2025

This spring, the Northfield Nighthawks baseball program competed in the highest division of Colorado high school baseball, the 5A division, for the first time in program history. Coming off a 13-10 season in the 4A division in 2024, the step to 5A was going to be tough for the Nighthawks. Looking back on the season, Coach David Miller said, “I think there is a big difference between 4 and 5A. The margins of error are so small … we really had to stay on top of things and really focus when the pressure was on.” He noted that he felt they could have just flipped the results of two or three games, and they would have been hosting a playoff game, instead of going on the road. Even against better competition, the Nighthawks found success, improving their record and reaching the state tournament.

A big part of the growth this program has made is its improvement on the defensive side. They set a team record this year with a fielding percentage of 0.923. Coach Miller said, “I think in previous years they [the Nighthawks] have really leaned on hitting and not trusted their gloves and pitching. This year, we’ve emphasized those two as part of the winning formula, and I think they have really bought in.” The Nighthawks’ pitching has also been impressive. Junior Adler Hickey led the team in innings pitched, but they did not rely too heavily on him or any other pitcher. The Nighthawks had six main pitchers they could go to at any time and trust to get the job done. They had four pitchers with ERAs below 4.00 and had an impressive team ERA of 4.43. Coach Miller also highlighted the improvement throughout this season of senior first baseman Cooper Hasler. He said, “He has always been our best defensive first baseman, but over the past three weeks, he has really started coming around with the bat.” Hasler had four home runs this season and a batting average of 0.394. Two of those four home runs were big, lead-taking moments in significant games against Denver East and Denver South.

Unfortunately for the Nighthawks, their season came to an end in the first round of the regional tournament on Saturday, May 17, in a 10-4 loss against Riverdale Ridge. This loss, however, does not discredit the incredible season the Nighthawks had. They improved as a team even when the competition got tougher. The Northfield baseball program is clearly on an upward trajectory and will continue to reach new heights every year. Coach Miller said, “We’re having fun playing baseball, we’re building team camaraderie, more than I’ve ever seen with this program, and it’s just exciting to see where we go from here.”