Feature photo by Aaron Braun: Junior Gonzalo Luevano pitches against East. Luevano went five innings and gave up no earned runs in the Raiders 12-2 win.

By Aaron Braun, Reporter

For the first time in 15 years, the RHS baseball team will be under the reign of a skipper other than Mike Hamilton, as Brian Gausman takes over; it will be Gausman’s first season as the head coach. Although this is his first year as head coach, he isn’t new to baseball, or the program at Rangeview. Gausman graduated from Grandview High School and attended New Mexico State University. He signed a minor league contract to pitch for the Kansas City Royals. Later on, Gausman became the varsity pitching coach and attained the position of head coach after former coach, Mike Hamilton, stepped down.

There has also been a whole rearrangement of the coaching staff. There are two new junior varsity coaches, who are alumni of Rangeview, and a new varsity pitching coach. Patrick Hogarty is the new varsity pitching coach. Although Rangeview is new to him, the sport isn’t.  

Hogarty pitched for all four years of both his high school, and college careers. He played for Queens College, a Division II school in New York. After his time pitching in college, he became a pitching coach for the Bayside Yankees. For the past five seasons Hogarty has been a certified umpire and officiated in New York and in Colorado.

“Baseball has been a huge part of my life.” Hogarty said. Hogarty said his plan for the season is to,”Win, I plan on winning.”

Coach Gausman will be looking to improve from last season’s record of 8-12, and look to advance further into the state playoffs. Last year, under coach Hamilton, the varsity team entered the state playoffs as the 32nd seed and played the number one seed Cherry Creek, in the first round. Unfortunately, Creek came out on top, winning the hard fought battle 3-0.

Gausman plans to play harder, non-league, games throughout the year to help prepare for playoffs.

“We have good arms,” Gausman said, referring to the pitching staff, “ they put up a fight every time out.”

Varsity played their first game of the year last weekend, against Thunder Ridge. The outcome wasn’t in Rangeview’s favor with the game ending 10-1 after seven innings. The team fought hard but was still a little rusty, having five errors throughout the game.

On Monday the Raiders played under the lights at All-City Field, and played Denver East. After Rangeview didn’t allow East to score any runs in the top of the first, they came up to bat with a desire to win. Junior Jace Lester came up to bat in the bottom of the first inning and hit a grand slam to left field. This was only four of the nine runs scored by the Raiders in the first inning. Within  five innings, Rangeview took home a victory the final score being 12-2.

The Raiders will travel to Highlands Ranch High School tonight to take on the Falcons at 4:15.