After all the soul-searching, weighing of the pros and cons and the back-and-forth conclusions about his future, Andy Burns now knows which way he will lean today when he is selected in the amateur draft.

The Rocky Mountain shortstop, the Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado player of the year for the second consecutive season, likely is heading to college.

Burns has committed to the University of Kentucky, but he was considering going directly to pro ball if drafted in the upper rounds. He has modified that stance.

"I set my bar too high, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to school," Burns said. "Unless I'm taken in the first round, I'll go to Kentucky. Not that I think I should be drafted that high, but that's what it's going to take for me not to go college."

Many projected Burns to be chosen in the top five rounds, but that might not happen because he has informed teams he is going to school if not chosen in Round 1. But that doesn't change the fact Burns dominated the Class 5A circuit for the second consecutive season in leading the Lobos to their second consecutive big- school crown.

The Gatorade Colorado baseball player of the year batted .481, hit 10 home runs and drove in 34 despite being walked more than 25 times. Teammate Alex Kelly joins Burns on the All-Colorado squad.

Kyle Ottoson of Eaton was selected the All-Colorado pitcher of the year, a rare designation for a Class 3A player. Ottoson went 8-2 with a 1.78 ERA and a school- record 136 strikeouts. The left- hander finished his career 34-3.

After three near misses, Ottoson and the Reds captured the state crown this year, with the senior beating Lamar in the finale.

"It was definitely very relieving," said Ottoson, who will pitch at South Mountain Community College in Arizona. "It gets that weight off your shoulders after three years of getting so close. Getting a chance to pitch the state championship game and actually winning it is a huge achievement."

The All-Colorado coach of the year is Ralston Valley's Shane Freeh ling, who guided his team to its first Class 4A title by beating Thomas Jefferson twice on the final day of the double-elimination state tournament.

Freehling is joined by Ralston Valley's Matt Skipper, a pitcher- first baseman who won Game 1 against Thomas Jefferson and saved the clincher.

"It was the situation we wanted to be in," said Freehling, whose team had lost twice to Thomas Jefferson during the season. "We felt like the state championship should be decided by the two best teams. We really wanted to play TJ all along for the state title."

The All-Colorado team is chosen by Rocky staff, with input from coaches statewide. Players chosen for the All-Colorado team also are on the all-state team for their respective classification.

ALL-COLORADO TEAM

Pos. - - - Player - - - School - - - Yr. - - - HR - - - RBI - - - Avg.

Catcher: J.C. Ochoa - - - Dakota Ridge - - - Sr. - - - 8 - - - 36 - - - .494

1B: Dexter Price - - - Air Academy - - - Sr. - - - 10 - - - 43 - - - .407

2B: Casey Coy - - - Chatfield - - - Sr. - - - 4 - - - 32 - - - .421

SS: Andy Burns - - - Rocky Mountain - - - Sr. - - - 10 - - - 34 - - - .481

3B: Eric Cain - - - Dakota Ridge - - - Sr. - - - 10 - - - 38 - - - .544

OF: Ron Burton - - - Air Academy - - - Sr. - - - 8 - - - 49 - - - .533

OF: Micah Green - - - Cherokee Trail - - - Jr. - - - 6 - - - 30 - - - .617

OF: Brett Nathan - - - Th. Jefferson - - - Sr. - - - 8 - - - 49 - - - .485

DH: Alex Kelly - - - Rocky Mountain - - - Sr. - - - 9 - - - 43 - - - .475

Utility: Matt Skipper - - - Ralston Valley - - - Sr. - - - 11 - - - 55 - - - .476

Pos. - - - Player - - - School - - - Yr. - - - W-L - - - SO - - - ERA

Pitcher: Alex Blackford - - - Cherry Creek - - - Jr. - - - 7-1 - - - 81 - - - 1.50

Pitcher: Kyle Ottoson - - - Eaton - - - Sr. - - - 8-2 - - - 136 - - - 1.78

Pitcher: Taylor Rogers - - - Chatfield - - - Jr. - - - 5-2 - - - 82 - - - 1.98

Pitcher: Tyler Sample - - - Mullen - - - Sr. - - - 4-3 - - - 85 - - - 2.27

Utility: Matt Skipper - - - Ralston Valley - - - Sr. - - - 7-0 - - - 99 - - - 3.20

Player of the year: Andy Burns, Rocky Mountain.

Pitcher of the year: Kyle Ottoson, Eaton.

Coach of the year: Shane Freehling, Ralston Valley.

CLASS 5A

* First team

Pos. Player School Yr. HR RBI Avg.

C J.C. Ochoa Dakota Ridge Sr. 8 36 .494

1B Dexter Price Air Academy Sr. 10 43 .407

2B Casey Coy Chatfield Sr. 4 32 .421

SS Andy Burns Rocky Mountain Sr. 10 34 .481

3B Eric Cain Dakota Ridge Sr. 10 38 .544

OF Ron Burton Air Academy Sr. 8 49 .533

OF Brian Guymon Arapahoe So. 7 29 .510

OF Mark Shannon Chatfield Sr. 7 25 .457

DH Alex Kelly Rocky Mountain Sr. 9 43 .475

UT Shay Maltese Monarch Jr. 10 42 .500

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L K ERA

P Alex Blackford Cherry Creek Jr. 7-1 81 1.50

P Bryan Peters Rocky Mountain Sr. 5-0 48 1.30

P Taylor Rogers Chatfield Jr. 5-2 82 1.98

P Tyler Sample Mullen Sr. 4-3 85 2.27

* Player of the year: Andy Burns, Rocky Mountain.

* Pitcher of the year: Alex Blackford, Cherry Creek.

* Coach of the year: Mike Yansak, Chatfield.

* Honorable mention

OF Michael Barker, Grandview, Sr.; P Luke Bublitz, Legacy, Sr.; 1B Ben Burmeister, Fairview, Jr.; P Ryan Beck, Fort Collins, Jr.; C Justin Byrd, Arapahoe, Jr.; UT Nick Capra, Arvada West, Sr.; SS Luke Campbell, Arvada West, Sr.; 3B Stephen Castiglione, Horizon, Sr.; 1B Curtis Cunningham, Columbine, Sr.; C Jake Davis, Chatfield, Sr.; P Devon Davidson, Pomona, Sr.; SS Connor Eppard, Lakewood, Jr.; P Manuel Garduno, Kennedy, Sr.; P Marco Gonzales, Rocky Mountain, So.; 1B Alex Haag, Ponderosa, Sr.; P Bobby Hansen, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.; OF Bubba Higgins, Grand Junction, Sr.; SS Anthony Hincy, Pine Creek, Sr.; OF Pat Hirschberg, Chaparral, Jr.; 3B Dave Holland, Arapahoe, Sr.; P Spencer Jackson, Regis Jesuit, Sr.; P Mike Kazakoff, Heritage, Sr.; OF Robert Kissner, ThunderRidge, So.; C Ross Koepsell, Grand Junction, Sr.; UT Erik Mattingly, Bear Creek, Sr.; OF Conor McCabe, Cherry Creek, Jr.; OF Shaun Morrison, Horizon, Sr.; P Jacob Nelson, Wheat Ridge, Jr.; C Chris O'Dowd, Regis Jesuit, Jr.; SS Chaz Pannell, Thornton, Sr.; OF Drew Phelan, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; OF Jeff Popick, Lakewood, Sr.; OF Nick Rianoshek, Boulder, Sr.; SS T.J. Shantz, Cherry Creek, Sr.; OF Jake Stewart, Rocky Mountain, Jr.; C Chas Tabone, Durango, Sr.; P Cameron Tallman, Monarch, Sr.; C Scott Thornburg, Mullen, Sr.; OF Tanner Waite, Northglenn, Sr.; 2B Ross Yeager, Air Academy, Sr.

CLASS 4A

* First team

Pos. Player School Yr. HR RBI Avg.

C Todd Glime Cherokee Trail Sr. 7 32 .486

1B Ben Packard Niwot Sr. 5 28 .423

2B Ryan Barban Ralston Valley Sr. 4 36 .506

SS Derrick Bleeker Skyline Jr. 2 40 .434

3B Cade Schulze Falcon Sr. 2 26 .565

OF Micah Green Cherokee Trail Jr. 6 30 .617

OF Brett Nathan Thomas Jefferson Sr. 8 49 .485

OF T.K. Ochoa Conifer Jr. 7 32 .537

DH Travis Hayes Ralston Valley Sr. 7 39 .511

UT Matt Skipper Ralston Valley Sr. 11 55 .476

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L K ERA

P Forrest Carpenter Niwot Sr. 6-1 82 1.17

P Shayne Hulce Ftn.-Ft. Carson Sr. 7-0 66 3.12

P Ty Jacobs Cherokee Trail Sr. 9-0 70 1.79

P Cory McEvoy Fossil Ridge Sr. 8-1 86 1.90

UT Matt Skipper Ralston Valley Sr. 7-0 99 3.20

* Player of the year: Matt Skipper, Ralston Valley.

* Pitcher of the year: Ty Jacobs, Cherokee Trail.

* Coach of the year: Shane Freehling, Ralston Valley.

* Honorable mention

OF Anthony Baldassari, D'Evelyn, Sr.; OF Jarrod Berggren, Broomfield, Sr.; OF Preston Boyd, Delta, Sr.; OF Manny Crespin, Canon City, Sr.; OF Austin Darby, Cheyenne Mountain, Fr.; SS Tony DeCarlo, Golden, Sr.; 1B Dion DeHerrera, Pueblo Central, Sr.; SS Travis Del Moral, Palisade, Sr.; SS Jarren Donato, Mountain Range, Jr.; C J.T. Greenhood, Pueblo County, Sr.; 1B Robert Hawkins, Greeley West, Jr.; P Chris Howard, Fountain-Fort Carson, Sr.; OF Kian Jost, Thomas Jefferson, Sr.; OF Evan Kenebrew, Widefield, Jr.; P Kaden Koch, Mountain Range, So.; P Orion Kostival, Conifer, Sr.; 1B Andrew Kugler, Liberty, Jr.; SS Kevin Liddle, Mountain View, Sr.; OF Michael Mankoff, Thomas Jefferson, Sr.; OF Tyson Martinez, Longmont, Sr.; SS Rex Morgan, Greeley West, Sr.; P Jeremy Ortiz, Pueblo South, Sr.; P Ernesto Ovalle, Jefferson, Sr.; P Ryan Rodriguez, Pueblo South, Sr.; OF Kyle Seery, Golden, Sr.; P Dylan Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Sr.; SS Cody Solberg, Falcon, Sr.; 1B Jeremy Trujillo, Pueblo West, Sr.; P Chris Winder, Moffat County, Sr.; P Shane Zaruba, Skyline, Sr.

CLASS 3A

* First team

Pos. Player School Yr. HR RBI Avg.

C Nathan Wilson Roosevelt Sr. 2 29 .487

1B Tyler Patterson Peyton Jr. 6 27 .510

2B Will Percy St. Mary's Sr. 0 22 .551

SS Jobi Wall Faith Christian Sr. 4 50 .493

3B Tyler Wallace Eaton Jr. 12 57 .638

OF Leonel Aguilar Lamar Sr. 5 40 .447

OF Bubba Baros Erie Sr. 3 23 .429

OF Mike Stefanski Middle Park Sr. 6 22 .404

DH Jeff Huffmyer Bayfield Jr. 7 37 .436

UT Bo McLavey Eaton Sr. 0 24 .380

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L K ERA

P Bo Baker Cedaredge Sr. 7-1 54 2.54

P Cody Fulton Erie Sr. 7-3 52 1.32

P Pierce Johnson Faith Christian Jr. 7-2 83 0.54

P Kyle Ottoson Eaton Sr. 8-2 136 1.78

UT Bo McLavey Eaton Sr. 7-1 58 1.24

* Player of the year: Tyler Wallace, Eaton.

* Pitcher of the year: Kyle Ottoson, Eaton.

* Coach of the year: Jim Danley, Eaton.

* Honorable mention

UT Brady Adamek, Buena Vista, Sr.; UT Colin Bailey, La Junta, Sr.; OF Marshall Beebe, Bayfield, Sr.; P Tyler Blain, Lamar, Sr.; SS David Bowen, The Academy, Sr.; C Seve Carbajal, Faith Christian, Sr.; SS Everado DeLa Cruz, Platte Valley, Sr.; OF Evan Genders, Holy Family, So.; P Dakota Granzella, Salida, Jr.; SS Roy Grauberger, Brush, Sr.; OF Garret Harper, Lamar, Jr.; C D.J. Jackson, Bennett, Sr.; 3B Chaunce Lindley, Cedaredge, So.; 2B Matthew Lopez, Holy Family, Jr.; IF Jacob Machado, Machebeuf, Jr.; P Arturo Maltos-Garcia, Brush, Jr.; UT Alex Peacock, Lamar, Jr.; UT Chris Piper, Weld Central, Sr.; IF Sam Prentner, Platte Canyon, Jr.; P Devan Pries, Holy Family, Sr.; P Taylor Roberts, Machebeuf, Sr.; UT Steven Ronan, Bennett, Sr.; SS Ryan Sparks, Hotchkiss, Sr.; C Chad Sprague, Middle Park, Sr.; P Jeremiah Struble, Manitou Springs, Jr.; DH John Travis, Manitou Springs, Sr.; C Ryan Valdez, Clear Creek, So.; C Shane Wade, Erie, Sr.; DH Jared Weber, Roosevelt, Sr.; UT Dillon Whisman, Platte Canyon, Jr.

CLASS 2A

* First team

Pos. Player School Yr. HR RBI Avg.

C Austin Tharp Holyoke Jr. 8 31 .569

1B Jordan Grano Rocky Ford So. 7 27 .567

2B Keith Pocock Sedgwick County Sr. 5 36 .547

SS Lance Woltemath Sedgwick County Sr. 6 31 .604

3B Joey Younkerman Jefferson Acad. Sr. 3 24 .597

OF Rusty Caldwell Custer County Sr. 1 23 .453

OF Byron Guy Akron So. 5 31 .517

OF Brady Sanchez Sedgwick County Sr. 4 34 .524

DH Kyle Eck Las Animas Sr. 4 42 .662

UT Andrew Hill Dolores Jr. 9 48 .493

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L K ERA

P Lucas Carls Resurrection Chr. So. 9-1 77 1.83

P Ben Doran Calhan Sr. 8-2 91 1.98

P Tyler Lohr Resurrection Chr. So. 6-2 78 2.75

P Martin Valdez Rocky Ford Sr. 8-1 94 2.42

UT Andrew Hill Dolores Jr. 9-1 66 2.55

* Player of the year: Lance Woltemath, Sedgwick County.

* Pitcher of the year: Lucas Carls, Resurrection Christian.

* Coach of the year: Steve Schultz, Custer County.

* Honorable mention

OF Jorgen Anderson, Akron, Sr.; C Corey Barnes, Custer County, Jr.; UT Matt Brown, Limon, So.; SS Brett Brunner, Dolores, Sr.; CF Aaron Crews, Evangelical Christian, Sr.; 3B Logan Davisson, Akron, Jr.; P Jon Dick, Longmont Christian, Sr.; C A.J. Donovan, Cotopaxi, Sr.; P/INF Alex Emig, Kiowa, Jr.; P/3B Jason Frink, Custer County, Jr.; P/SS Sam Gerk, Cotopaxi, Sr., 2B Timy Layton, Limon, Sr.; OF/P Xavier Lewis, Jefferson Academy, Sr.; P David Lukow, Limon, Sr.; OF Zach Lynch, Longmont Christian, Sr.; C Cody Miller, Kiowa, Jr.; OF Matt Morris, Kiowa, Sr.; SS Ben Mullett, Custer County, Jr.; OF Colton Neppl, Cotopaxi, Sr.; P Mark Nyhoff, Front Range Christian, Jr.; P/INF Aaron Orr, Wray, Sr.; P Dustin Stallings, Resurrection Christian, Sr.; SS Tommy Staudt, Jefferson Academy, Jr.; 3B Joe Stone, Limon, Sr.; OF John Swett, Resurrection Christian, Sr.; 1B Brad Todd, Paonia, Sr.; INF Nolan Thompson, Holly, Sr.; C T.J. Wells, Maranatha Christian, Jr.; SS Adam Welsh, Center, Sr.; 1B Fred White, Custer County, Sr.

CLASS A

* First team

Pos. Player School Yr. HR RBI Avg.

C Kendall Kroeger Haxtun Jr. 7 26 .517

1B Wes Richardson Eads Sr. 2 16 .333

2B Derek Weingart Caliche Jr. 4 19 .458

SS Tyndan Marquez Granada Jr. 2 21 .474

3B Bo Wertz Stratton Jr. 3 25 .667

OF Cody Zink Caliche Jr. 2 16 .476

OF Landon Shaffer Idalia Fr. 2 20 .393

OF Andrew Stieb Caliche Sr. 1 18 .421

DH Adam Adamson Eads So. 2 35 .475

UT Kevin Lindholm Eads Sr. 0 23 .420

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L K ERA

P Kenan Gooden Eads Sr. 7-1 92 3.00

P Danny Morales Granada Sr. 9-2 84 3.00

P Phillip May Stratton Sr. 5-2 73 2.95

P Sam Rotbart Herzl/RMHA So. 6-2 66 2.17

UT Kevin Lindholm Eads Sr. 7-0 59 3.11

* Player of the year: Kevin Lindholm, Eads.

* Pitcher of the year: Kenan Gooden, Eads.

* Coach of the year: Billy Koehler, Eads.

* Honorable mention

3B A.J. Bolin, Eads, Sr.; P Chris Beanland, Dove Creek, Sr.; P/SS Tyler Flock, Stratton, Sr.; P/SS Justin Guynes, Dove Creek, So.; C Dustin Bohlander, Granada, Jr.; 1B Gabe Ramseier, Idalia, Sr.; SS Jordan Rittenhouse, Idalia, Jr.; C Desi Rotenberg, Herzl/RMHA, Sr.; CF/SS Tim Sullivan, Elbert, Sr.; 2B/SS Colton Taylor, La Veta, Sr.; 2B Dylan Thomsen, La Veta, Sr.; 1B Chris Trenckmann, La Veta, Jr.; 1B Tyson Thrall, Granada, Jr.; OF Adam Watts, Eads, So.

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