For some, actual teammates were nowhere to be found at the 58th annual Southern Colorado High School All-Star Game, held May 27 at Mountain Lion Park at UCCS.

But for Liberty third baseman Chris Smith and Hunter Felts, a first baseman from Rampart, a dugout full of players mostly in rival uniforms became their biggest fans.

“I thought I’d have someone else from my school here, but I play with a lot of these kids in club ball,” said Smith, who registered a .327 average with 11 RBIs in the recently completed season. “It’s fun to play with these guys and great to get out on the field one more time.”

Like Smith, Felts also was his school’s lone representative on the squad that featured 5A Colorado Springs Metro League all-conference selections, in addition to top players from area 3A, 2A and 1A programs.

“I’m glad I could represent my team,” said Felts, a CSML second-team selection after hitting .379 with 1 home run and 19 runs batted in and a team-best 11 doubles. “I’ve been working hard for this and really wanted to play in this game. I wish some of my teammates could share in this, but I love a lot of the guys here. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

The game’s roots go back to 1962, when it was known as the Colorado Springs City Suburban Game. The name was changed to the Colorado Springs Senior All-Star Game in 2005 and previous editions of the contest had been staged at UCHealth Park (formerly Security Service Field) since 2012 and Memorial Park prior to that.

Pine Creek’s Glenn Millhauser coached the 5A/3A/2A/1A combined team, while 4A’s student-athletes were led by Mark Swope of Cheyenne Mountain.

Paring down four classifications worth of all-league teams to a 22-player team proved to be Millhauser’s toughest task. But once everything was set, Millhauser could sit back and be more of a spectator than coach on this day.

“I do zero coaching in games like this,” Millhauser said. “We just put them in their spots and let them do their thing. It’s fun and laid back. Our goal here is to let them all get playing time and have some fun.”

The game marked the end of many careers for those who won’t play baseball at the collegiate level.

Smith plans to walk on at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, while Felts wants to play but has yet to commit to an institution.

“I’ve been playing this sport for so long, coming to the field and doing what I love,” Felts said. “I’m not ready to give it up yet. I’m looking for any opportunity to play at the next level. Playing in college is still my main goal.”

A pitcher sends the ball towards waiting Ram Hunter Felts in 2018. Felts played in the Memorial weekend all-star game at UCCS.

File photo by Jeff Kearney