Kadets ready for next step forward

    After advancing to the Class 5A state semifinals for the second straight year, Air Academy sets its sights on a trip to Saturday's championship baseball game.

    The third-seeded Kadets (22-2), who lost last spring in the semifinals, play No. 8 Chatfield (19-5) at noon today at All City Field in Denver. Air Academy will lean on its powerful offense in hopes of advancing to the final.

    "We do have great pitching, but our hitting has been our key weapon so far," coach Glenn Millhauser said. "We score a lot of runs and we feel that we are always in the game because we can score so often."

    The Kadets overcame a 7-3 deficit in an elimination game Saturday to beat No. 1 Cherry Creek 9-7.

    "We have so much confidence in our abilities and we have come back so many times this season," Millhauser said. "We knew we could come back if we just kept hitting the ball hard."

    The Kadets will rely on ace pitchers Dexter Price and Jared Brown to shut down the opposition and will hope the top of the batting order keeps producing.

    Bob Terry, Ross Yeager and Ron Burton lead the offense, which scored 34 runs in three games last weekend.

    "If we keep scoring like we have been, we will have great chances to win," Millhauser said. "All the guys in our lineup have been contributing and it's led to success."

    In the other semifinal, defending champion and No. 2 seed Rocky Mountain (20-3), the only team without a loss in the double-elimination tournament, will face No. 6 Arapahoe (18-6) at 2:30 p.m.

    The Lobos and Kadets are familiar foes. Rocky Mountain defeated Air Academy 12-9 last weekend in the regional round and in last year's semifinals.

    In order to win the title, Rocky Mountain need only win twice. The Kadets will have to win against Chatfield today, and then win twice Saturday.

    "This team seems very ready even though we have a long road to go," Millhauser said.