Eight local baseball players earn all-state honors for 2026 season
Dove Creek’s three honorees, including junior Cael Beanland and freshman Kycen Gritz, point to a returning core after a district-final run and a statewide rise for local baseball.
Dove Creek’s three all-state baseball honors do more than pad a postseason résumé. They point to a Bulldogs core that could carry Dolores County into next spring with real expectations after a 7-13 season, a trip to the 1A district final and statewide recognition for junior Cael Beanland and freshman Kycen Gritz alongside senior Trevan Ivie.
The Colorado High School Activities Association announced the 2026 all-state teams June 8, with selections determined by votes from head coaches across the state and divided into first team, second team and honorable mention. Eight area players made the list: five from Montezuma-Cortez High School and three from Dove Creek.
For Montezuma-Cortez, senior Cory Carver led the group with 3A First Team honors. Seniors Parker Conrad, Jaris McDonald and Bodie Stiegelmeyer, along with junior Michael Krupa, were named honorable mention after a season that ended with a perfect Intermountain League record, 20 wins and the program’s third state appearance in four years.
The Panthers’ numbers help explain why the recognition kept piling up. Conrad and Carver combined to score nearly 100 runs, McDonald drove in 37 RBIs and Krupa added 33 RBIs. Stiegelmeyer finished as one of five Panthers starters to bat over .400, a sign of depth that helped push Montezuma-Cortez through the regular season and back into the state conversation.
Dove Creek’s three honorees all earned honorable mention, but their individual seasons show why the Bulldogs are not far behind. Beanland led the team with a .500 batting average and threw 46 innings. Ivie paced Dove Creek with more than 1.5 strikeouts per inning, giving the Bulldogs a reliable arm in the circle. Gritz, in his first high school season, led the team in hits and RBIs, a strong debut that gives Dove Creek an immediate bat to build around.
The recognition also fit into a broader recent trend. A year earlier, Montezuma-Cortez and Dove Creek combined for seven all-state baseball honorees, including Carver for the Panthers and Sheldon Gardner for Dove Creek. With Carver back on the first team and three Bulldogs earning mention, local baseball again showed that Dolores County programs can break through statewide and bring that momentum home for next season.
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