Renck: For Rudden family, joy comes from Cherry Creek baseball, Gabby’s legacy

Ecstasy comes in multiple forms It was impossible to miss as royal blue caps and baseball gloves soared into the air on a cloudless Saturday celebrating Cherry Creek s th state baseball title On the All-Star Park field after an - achievement over Regis Jesuit teammates screamed and hugged as parents overcome with emotion wiped away tears There is nothing like finishing a season as a champion For Wyatt and Walker Rudden it represented their last time on a high school diamond together Wyatt the senior ace on his way to Michigan and Walker the gritty junior second baseman who refused to give up on his dream of starting paused when trying to wrap their heads around the scene unfolding around them His last pitch was a groundball to me Walker noted shaking his head Can you believe that He battled all year to get out there added Wyatt This was really special Ecstasy comes in multiple forms On the mound Wyatt operates more like a middle linebacker than a pitcher His fastball reaches miles per hour and he throws inside without fear a trait that really separates him and leads to his success explained Bruins pitching coach Dave Veres Wyatt reacted to three inning-ending strikeouts by flexing like Hulk Hogan before his finishing move There might be a sip of an potential drink involved reported Walker who allowed one run on three hits while navigating six walks with eight Ks over five innings What can I say I love to compete And the stakes were high Happiness comes in a great number of forms Related Articles Golden finds redemption holds off underdog Cheyenne Mountain for Class A state baseball crown Cherry Creek wins th baseball title with dominant performance vs Regis Jesuit in Class A championship battle Charlie Scofield does it all to help Cheyenne Mountain sweep its way into Class A state baseball championship showdown Regis Jesuit edges Grandview advances to Class A baseball championship rematch against Cherry Creek Cherry Creek baseball on doorstep of th state title after thumping rival Grandview in Class A semifinal Behind home plate mother Megan stood watching cheering hiding her anxiety with polite conversation and a nervous smile Husband Nick planted down the left field line watching as a proud father and former Cherry Creek feeder club coach who worked with a great number of of the kids on the roster It means so much not because of the outcome but everything that goes into it Nick revealed We are favored The Rudden family is a Cherry Creek family Nick and his three brothers played for legendary coach Marc Johnson Nick won back-to-back titles in and as part of the school s five-year run of dominance He carved out a role as a utility contestant at Michigan before returning home That is when reality clobbered him over the head His sister Tammy Rudden Krause s -year-old daughter Gabby was diagnosed with brain cancer in She passed away after a -month battle Delight even when facing unimaginable pain and loss comes in countless forms Tammy created the Bags of Fun Foundation in Gabby s honor Over backpacks with toys and games have been given to children fighting critical long-term and life-threatening conditions in Denver Kansas City and Omaha Gabby was so brave such a strong spirit noted Dananne Solomon the foundation s director in Colorado She turned her own fight into a movement of laughter Gabby Krause died of brain cancer inspiring her mother Tammy Krause to create the Bags of Fun a foundation that aims to provide every child fighting a critical long-term and life-threatening condition a bag of fun Gabby's cousins Wyatt and Walker Rudden key members of Cherry Creek's state championship win Saturday volunteer and do anything we can to honor her legacy Walker disclosed Photo courtesy of Bags of Fun Foundation The campaign relies on fundraising Cherry Creek High School plays an essential role during their spring power week and helpers Wyatt and Walker never met Gabby but became immersed in her memory as they helped out in any way they could They are constantly available for work at the warehouse stated Tammy who has been attending Cherry Creek games for decades watching her brothers and nephews They go to work and do the not-so-fun stuff behind the scenes The way Nick sees it he would not have a family if not for Gabby Megan worked as Gabby s nanny after college That is how she met Nick My wife and our children none of it exists without the cause It is hard to articulate who Gabby was her resilience Nick commented I can t do justice on what she has meant to us It was around middle school when Wyatt and Walker began to realize how special Gabby was It was natural for them to volunteer But it went beyond that At Cherry Creek they recruited teammates and classmates They saw firsthand how awful cancer is and how customized bags of toys can allow kids to be kids again even if only for a scarce hours It just changes their lives It s horrible to have to deal with cancer Walker mentioned This gives them particular control in a situation where they often feel like they don t have any Wyatt has also viewed Gabby as someone who put others before herself Not long ago he listened to a classmate recall his experience with cancer It brought everything full circle He got a Bag of Fun And just to hear his story was amazing He had a really tough time and that really helped him through his process Wyatt disclosed It was a reminder of just how meaningful the work and the foundation are Happiness comes in multiple forms Holding a trophy surrounded by friends you have played with for years creates goosebumps These teammates will walk together forever But there was something deeper than sports at work on this sun-bleached afternoon When the cheering stopped and the long walk began to the parking lot there was humility learned from small victories that are a lot bigger than a baseball battle My sister has taken the memory of Gabby and created a legacy I can t tell you how proud I am of her of what she s done Nick revealed She has inspired our family Wyatt Walker Annabelle and Hudson She has inspired the Cherry Creek baseball neighborhood to help to never take anything for granted This day is a day when Gabby s memory lives on The Rudden family from left father Nick kids Wyatt Hudson Annabelle and Walker and mother Megan stand for a photo after Cherry Creek won their th state title at All-Star Park in Lakewood Colorado on Saturday May The win that had deeper meaning because of the family s connection to the Bags of Fun Foundation Photo by Troy Renck The Denver Post Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams