COLORADO CUTTHROATS BASEBALL

The Tradition’s Foundation

Key Foundational Players: Jon Bielecki, Kenneth Reichelt, Kellen Sorauf, Mark Link, Wes Sconce, John Hawley, Joe Cordo, Andy Daub, Graham Baughn, Kyle Newman, Zach Scott, Sreyas Krishnan, Joe Abeyta

Notable seasons: 6-11-1 in inaugural 2012 season; 10-7-1 in 2014 (first winning season and first playoff appearance); 13-4 in 2015 and 15-3 in 2016 (first championship appearances); 4-11-1 in 2020 (the nadir before the dynasty).

Behind the come-up: The Cutthroats had humble beginnings, with just 12 wins across their first two seasons combined, and consecutive next-to-last divisional finishes. But the club started to turn the corner with its first playoff appearance in 2014. Fast-forward to 2020, and the club faced another volta, turning in just four wins in the worst season in franchise history and the first under manager Kyle Newman. But a retooling of the roster the following offseason sprung the Cutthroats toward its current dynasty.

Key postseason moments: Colorado came up just short of its first title in both 2015 (an 11-9 loss to the Bad News Bears at Double Angel) and ’16 (a 2-1 loss to the Snappers, also at Double Angel). The latter defeat was a gut-punch considering the club was the top seed in the playoffs and the favorite in that game. But the losses forecasted what the team could achieve, especially with some more pieces in place and additional pitching depth.

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The Breakthrough

Roster: Alex Scott, Zach Scott, Brett Jones, Joe Abeyta, Mac West, Ryan Sullivan, Keven Mackintosh, Graham Baughn, Andy Daub, John Hawley, Mark Link, Kyle Newman, Sreyas Krishnan

Regular season record: 13-3

Team MVP/Postseason MVP/World Series MVP: Keven Mackintosh/Keven Mackintosh/Mac West

Season backstory: Colorado had been to the championship twice before, in 2015 and ’16, but couldn’t close the deal. Coming off an ugly 4-11-1 season the year before, the Cutthroats knew they were one of the top teams in the division, but had to prove it in tense moments in the postseason.

Key moment in regular season: In their first title season, the toughest moments molded the Cutthroats to win the championship later in the year. Colorado got blasted by the Buffaloes 14-5 at midseason, then lost again to them — and control of the No. 1 seed — in a 9-4 defeat in the penultimate game of the regular season. In that latter loss, the Cutthroats blew up on each other on the field, a moment that ultimately brought the team closer and primed them for a championship run.

Key moment in championship: The back-and-forth showdown against the Buffaloes was an instant-classic. Colorado took early control with a five-run opening inning, but the Buffaloes battled back. A three-run homer by Ryan Sullivan proved critical, then Zach Scott caught the game-ending flyout on the warning track in the 9th a few feet short of a walk-off homer.

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The Repeat

Roster: Mac West, Alex Scott, Darryl Baca, Joe Abeyta, Andy Daub, Brett Jones, Graham Baughn, Zach Scott, Keven Mackintosh, Mark Link, Kyle Newman, Sreyas Krishnan

Regular season record: 15-3

Team MVP/Postseason MVP/World Series MVP: Darryl Baca/Keven Mackintosh/Darryl Baca

Season backstory: Colorado entered 2022 as a favorite to repeat, especially considering the club added Darryl Baca as its slugging backstop. Baca was a star at Metro State, where he finished among the program’s all-time home run leaders. In his first at-bat in spring training, Baca launched a 430-foot homer with ease. With that power batting cleanup, the team took a repeat-or-bust mindset into the season opener.

Key moment in regular season: The Cannon Ballers drubbed the Cutthroats 15-2 in the middle of June in a game defined by poor pitching and a litany of errors by the green and red. But Colorado responded from that beatdown by reeling off 12 consecutive wins to end the season, a streak in which the club won every game by at least three runs.

Key moment in championship: In a 4-4 game against the Cannon Ballers at Denver Christian, Baca — who had been mired in a deep slump late in the season — stepped to the plate in the 8th inning and blasted a three-run nuke 440 feet over the rocks in left field at Denver Christian. Graham Baughn did the rest, slamming the door with the save in the repeat title triumph.

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The Three-Peat

Roster: Andy Daub, Joe Abeyta, Keven Mackintosh, Brett Jones, Zach Scott, Alex Scott, Eric Soehngen, Cole Trujillo, Kyle Newman, Mark Link, Graham Baughn, Sreyas Krishnan

Regular season record: 16-1

Team MVP/Postseason MVP/World Series MVP: Graham Baughn/Kyle Newman/Graham Baughn

Season backstory: In their final season in the 25WA division, once again the Cutthroats carried championship expectations. With Keven Mackintosh in his third campaign as Colorado’s unhittable ace, it didn’t seem anything could stand in the way of another banner.

Key moment in regular season: The Cutthroats dominated, finishing with the most wins in all of Denver NABA’s nine leagues with a +120 run differential. The only setback came in a 9-3 defeat to the Cannon Ballers in the second game, a loss that fueled Colorado heading into the championship game.

Key moment in championship: With the Cutthroats clinging to a 5-4 lead with two outs in the 7th inning, the Cannon Ballers were about to tie the game on a single to center field. But Keven Mackintosh threw a dart to Kyle Newman at the plate, and the catcher was trucked by the Cannon Ballers’ baserunner. Newman — who reached base five times in the game, with four hits — held onto the ball, ending the scoring threat. Over their next two-at bats, the Cutthroats plated seven runs to blow the game open.

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Back On Top

Roster: Marcellus Briscoe, Alex Scott, Michael Keen, Jake Chambers, Kyle Newman, Zach Scott, Ryan Sullivan, Brett Jones, Colin Suter, Keven Mackintosh, Kenneth Weber, Graham Baughn, Andy Daub

Regular season record: 11-5

Team MVP/Postseason MVP/World Series MVP: Colin Suter/Colin Suter/Colin Suter

Season backstory: After making the playoffs in 2024, the club’s first season in the 25WAA division, Colorado re-loaded again to become a championship contender in ’25. That included adding three key pieces from the Redhawks, which had folded, in Marcellus Briscoe, Jake Chambers and Kenneth Weber as a part-time player. Plus, Colorado got a new ace: right-hander Colin Suter.

Key moment in regular season: The Cutthroats lost two of their final four games of the regular season, a 6-4 setback to the Dirtbags at Scott Carpenter and then a 12-2 shellacking by the Wiseguys at Thomas Jefferson. That set up the postseason revenge tour, when Colorado beat the Dirtbags in the semifinals before vanquishing the Wiseguys in the title.

Key moment in championship: Colorado’s win was highlighted by a four-run 5th inning that featured a leadoff double by Kyle Newman, then consecutive singles by Brett Jones, Alex Scott and Graham Baughn. On defense, Baughn escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 6th, and Keven Mackintosh notched the save by escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 9th.

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Repeat, Repeated

Roster: Kyle Newman, Michael Keen, Kenneth Weber, Ryan Sullivan, Alex Scott, Jake Chambers, Andy Daub, Graham Baughn, Zach Scott, Ernie Yake, Marcellus Briscoe, Brett Jones, Colin Suter

Regular season record: 12-4

Team MVP/Postseason MVP/World Series MVP: TBA/Jake Chambers/Jake Chambers

Season backstory: Colorado entered the ’26 campaign with the target squarely on its back. The key offseason acquisition was shortstop Ernie Yake, who played in the Twins’ minor-league system and became the highest-level player to suit up for the green and red. Yake — the latest addition from the club’s Gonzaga recruiting pipeline — would quickly establish himself as the clear-cut best defender in the league.

Key moment in regular season: Colorado rallied to beat the Bulls on a walk-off by Kenneth Weber early in the year, a victory over their longtime rivals that inspired confidence. And just like in 2025, a part of decisive defeats set the team up for its rebound in the playoffs. The Cutthroats lost 10-3 to the Bulls in late July then got run-ruled for 16-5 by the Roughriders in the regular season finale, the team’s worst loss in four years. But those setbacks set up Colorado to play its best ball when it mattered most.

Key moment in championship: After a stellar performance in the semifinals, Jake Chambers upped the ante against the Buffaloes in the championship. He spun six innings of two-run ball to get the W, plus had a four-hit day at the plate with two doubles. One of those doubles came with two outs in the 6th inning to drive home a run and give Colorado extra insurance for the final couple frames. It was a total “Chambo” takeover.