Losing in the state semifinals is something that can be forgotten in time.

But when the loss comes against a rival that goes on to win the title, the feeling never goes away.

That's what happened to Dylan Hochevar and the Wray baseball team last season. They lost 7-1 to Limon, then watched the Badgers win the Class 2A title the next day.

The loss still lingers with Hochevar. Now that his senior season is here, he knows he has one last opportunity to win it all.

"It's been a real big motivation for me; that loss last year challenged me this summer to get better," Hochevar said. "Losing to Limon, don't get me wrong, they were a good team, but they are one of our rivals and it was tough to lose that one."

The Eagles will be one of the early favorites to win the title as they return seven starters. Michael Kerbs, Aaron Orr and Hochevar were selected all-state last year. All three are starting pitchers, which gives Wray depth rarely seen in 2A.

"It helps having three starters, especially the way Orr and Kerbs dominated last year," Hochevar said. "We didn't lose that much, just our center fielder and shortstop, but we were able to fill in the losses well."

Hochevar dominated in his own way, leading the team in batting average (.443) and RBI (33), and on the mound he led the team in strikeouts (66) and was second in wins (five) and ERA (2.19).

How can he improve?

"I want to be an all-around baseball player both at the plate and on the mound," Hochevar said. "This year, I want to be a dominant pitcher every time I'm out there and I want to have the mental edge over the hitters."

Coach John Cure said he noticed an improvement in Hochevar's play from his sophomore to junior year and hopes for the same this year.

"There's always room for improvement with any player," Cure said. "With Dylan, he made a big jump in all facets of his game from his sophomore to junior season. We just hope that he has the same jump this year."

• With the new formation of Class A, several schools dropped from 2A, but that doesn't mean all the talented teams are gone. Of the 16 playoffs teams from last season, 12 remain, including three of four semifinalists: Las Animas, Wray and defending state champion Limon.

• When it comes to playing baseball, Longmont Christian coach Rusty Befus knows a thing or two about the game. Befus played for Metro State from 1988 to 1992 and owns several school records, include RBI, home runs and runs.

He was selected to the school's Hall of Fame in 1998.