PARKER — Meredith Barnhart has three state championship rings and a scholarship to Tennessee, but Lutheran’s insatiable slugging shortstop still insists on being best friends with her alarm.
Barnhart gets up at 5:15 each morning to go work out before school. She’s determined to leave nothing to chance, and no opportunity on the table, despite already cementing her status as one of the best prep softball players in the nation.
“There’s always more to do,” Barnhart said. “Colorado softball, as good as it is, that’s not my cap. That’s not where I measure myself. I don’t know my bar, so why not push it? … And I really enjoy the grind. The 5:15 wake-up, it kills you, but once you get in (the gym), it feels good. It sets the tone for my day.”
Barnhart’s been setting the tone for Lutheran for four seasons now, the first three of which ended in state titles.
In just its fifth year as a program, Lutheran won the Class 3A crown in 2021, added 4A titles in ’22 and ’23, and is a heavy favorite to add a fourth championship to its trophy case on the final day of the CHSAA state tournament on Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
Lutheran head coach Glen Maestretti, who has coached Barnhart since she was 5 years old, says his shortstop possesses a unique blend of power, speed and defensive prowess that will translate well to the SEC.
“You just don’t see kids that talented,” Maestretti said. “She’s a right-handed shortstop, hits left-handed, and not only does she hit, she’s a power hitter. Ever since she was 5 years old, she’s had this sweet left-handed swing.”
The Lions have gone 25-1 en route to Saturday’s semifinals — their lone loss coming Aug. 24 vs. Class 5A power Valor Christian in a tournament game. And Barnhart’s been raking the entire time. Entering the state tournament, she was hitting .535 with eight doubles, six triples, nine homers, a 1.197 slugging and a 1.821 OPS.
Her performance over the past few falls, in conjunction with a homer in the Future Stars game broadcast on ESPN over the summer, catapulted Barnhart into the spotlight.
But her teammates and coaches say success hasn’t changed her. Barnhart remains the same humble, faith-focused young woman that she was when she first walked into Lutheran. She’s active in her youth group, describes herself as someone who enjoys school and relishes the family time she gets at the diamond with her dad, Randy, and brother, Macy, both of whom are Lions assistants.
“I’ve always had the hope that as my stage would grow, that it’s just a bigger opportunity to share who I am and why I play,” Barnhart said. “So has (Colorado prep greatness) crossed my mind? It has, but not for those (individual) reasons. It gets me excited because of what can come from it, not from what I’ve done to get it.”
While Lutheran’s racked up 105 wins over the past four seasons, Barnhart is far from the only star the Lions have produced. The private school is siphoning off much of the would-be public school talent in Parker by getting many of the top players in the Ponderosa, Legend and Chaparral neighborhoods to enroll on Newlin Gulch Boulevard.
Plus, the pitching trio of junior Ella Faries, sophomore Annie Schroeder and freshman Reese Walker have a collective 2.20 ERA. They’ve picked up where Hailey Maestretti, the 2022 state Gatorade Player of the Year who is now at Utah, left off.
That wealth of talent allowed the Lions to beat an array of 5A teams this year, including state tournament qualifiers in Chatfield, Arapahoe, Erie and Riverdale Ridge, while boatracing their 4A Pikes Peak League competition. Within that league, Lutheran outscored its opponents 133-14.
For that reason, Glenn says “our biggest moment of adversity as a team has been figuring out when to step into go mode.” Windsor and Pueblo County, which lost to the Lions in a narrow 3-2 game on Aug. 17, match up in the other semifinal. Lutheran plays Holy Family for the right to earn their fifth straight title game appearance.
“Most of the teams in our league that we play, we can run rule by just showing up, swinging the bat,” Glenn said. “But knowing the big games are coming is what has refocused us leading into the state tournament. … And come Saturday, with Meredith and all the other talent we have, we’ll be ready for the biggest moments of the season.”
Players to watch on Saturday
Beyond Lutheran’s quartet of stars, here are 10 more players to watch across Class 5A, 4A and 3A in the final games of the CHSAA state softball tournaments. All stats are via MaxPreps and entering the state tournament.
Player | School | Class | Year/Position | Commitment | Stats | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neila Lucero | Riverdale Ridge | 5A | Senior/C/SS | Metro State | .620, 8 HR, 50 RBIs, 1.291 slugging | A major factor in Ravens’ first Final Four showing. |
Emma Rice | Cherokee Trail | 5A | Soph/RHP/UTL | Uncommitted | .553, 8 HR, 11-2 with 3.01 ERA | The driver behind Cougars earning No. 1 seed. |
Kiley Wheaton | Broomfield | 5A | Junior/SS | Witchita State | .613, 5 HR, 25 SB, 1.107 slugging | Her stick and glove have the Eagles undefeated. |
Charlotte Morgan | Legend | 5A | Senior/RHP/1B | South Dakota | .519, 9 HR, 11-3 with 2.79 ERA | Two-way star can lead Titans to fourth title. |
Molli Magaña | Windsor | 4A | Senior/3B | Colorado Mesa | 14 HR, 57 RBIs, 1.224 slugging | Soul of Wizards’ lineup alongside Lilia Mancina. |
Olivia Nesbit | Pueblo County | 4A | Senior/RHP/1B/3B | Colorado State | .554, .600 OBP, 9-2 and 1.98 ERA | The Hornets’ two-way star has powerful bat, arm. |
Isabella Arroyo | Holy Family | 4A | Senior/LHP | Tulsa | .541, .820 slugging, 1.50 ERA | Dominant two-play pitcher, 161 strikeouts this year. |
Emma Anderson | Eaton | 3A | Sophomore/C | Uncommitted | .662, 10 HR, 1.377 slugging | Powerful catcher behind Reds’ three-peat dreams. |
Madi Olsen | Strasburg | 3A | Sophomore/INF | Uncommitted | .440, 5 HR, 22 RBIs, 1.346 OPS | One of six slugging Indians with an OPS over 1.200. |
Sydney Goetzel | University | 3A | Junior/RHP/UTL | Uncommitted | .452, 9 HR, 8-2 with 2.45 ERA | The centerpiece of Bulldogs’ hopes for first title. |