Thursday

• Baseball: No. 2 Eaton at No. 1 Faith Christian, 3:30 p.m. The winner assumes the favorite's role in Class 3A. The Reds will try to slow the hot bat of Faith Christian's Dave Fox, who has three home runs this season.

• Girls soccer: No. 6 Mountain Vista at No. 4 Arapahoe, 7 p.m. Littleton Public Schools Stadium. This is a big early-season showdown in the Class 5A Continental League, featuring the past two state champions. Defending titlist Arapahoe is led by Kaitlin Bast, Kate Amsberry and Lauren Cavarra, who each have two goals this season. Also, No. 7 Cherry Creek will be at Fort Collins as the Bruins continue their brutal schedule. The No. 5 Lambkins will be the fourth ranked team Cherry Creek will have played this season (Chatfield, Arapahoe, Mullen).

• Boys swimming: No. 3 Heritage at No. 1 Regis, 4 p.m. Swim fans can see it all in one place today. The state's best swimmer, Mark Dylla of Heritage, goes against the state's top team in the Raiders.

Friday

• Baseball: No. 7 Chaparral vs. No. 4 Rocky Mountain, 3 p.m., Coors Field. Two of the state's best break in the diamond ahead of the Rockies' opener April 2. One player to watch: Rocky Mountain shortstop Andy Burns. Also, the small schools will get busy at the Las Animas Invitational, which will feature Class 2A defending champion Limon and No. 4 Burlington, in addition to the host Trojans, who are ranked first.

• Girls soccer: No. 1 Ralston Valley vs. No. 10 Conifer, 6 p.m., Lakewood Memorial. The schedule makers in the Class 4A Jefferson County League didn't waste any time. Ralston Valley has owned the league recently, and the Lobos figure to provide the stiffest challenge this season. Conifer will have to find a way to slow the Mustangs' Sara Nicholson, who has tallied five goals this season.

• Boys lacrosse: No. 3 Denver East at No. 5 Fort Collins, 7 p.m., French Field. The two powerhouses test themselves early in this nonleague matchup. The host Vipers are coming off a three-game stretch against out-of-state competition.

Saturday

• Track and field: Fort Collins Runner's Roost, 8:30 a.m., French Field. The Lambkins, ranked No. 1 in boys and 10th in girls in Class 5A, play host to an impressive field that includes Cherry Creek, Fairview, George Washington, Mullen and Rocky Mountain, to name a few.