Student Athlete of the Week Haden Shaw

Bringing Niwot High School baseball back to its once-dominant form means a good deal to Haden Shaw.

Although Niwot has bigger goals this spring, the junior catcher believes that playing in the postseason last year helped the Cougars' reascending program gain some outside respect. And in today's age of high school athletics, respect goes a long way.

"It was nice to know that Niwot's back on the map," Shaw said. "When I tell everybody on my club teams that I go to Niwot, a lot of people say, 'Where's that?' I thought it was nice to put us back on the map. Niwot's a running school and it's nice to have another sport doing pretty well."

A one-year run to the state playoffs isn't enough for Shaw, especially considering how much talent remains in the Cougars' dugout. Along with Shaw, who led the team with a .439 batting average last season, and his twin brother Charlie Shaw, Niwot brought back ace pitcher Brock Rothstein and several other experienced varsity players.

"Everybody's pretty pumped for the season because we feel like we have a pretty solid chance to go pretty deep," Shaw said. "We got a lot of kids out this year."

Niwot's recent rise can be attributed in part to team chemistry, Shaw believes. Many of the Cougars' core pieces have played together for several years and that familiarity is producing on-field results.

"We're a pretty close-knit group of guys," Shaw said. "We're all friends and we all talk to each other at school. I feel like that's a big reason why we've had success."

After playing third base last season, Shaw is taking on the much more demanding defensive position of catcher this spring. Catching isn't new to him, but his ability to control Niwot's pitching staff will be critical to the Cougars' success.

At the plate, it's all about keeping things simple.

"Don't try to do too much, stay relaxed and drive the ball up the middle, that's kind of how I roll," Shaw said. "I try not to do too much and get overwhelmed."

Last year, his calm approach yielded four doubles and 18 RBIs. He picked right back up in Niwot's 2024 opener against Timnath High School on March 7, tallying a single in two at-bats. On March 9, he then went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in Niwot's 18-0 win over Weld Central High School.

Shaw expects to hit with some more power this spring after attacking the weight room hard over the offseason.

"I've gotten quite a bit stronger and I feel like I might be a little faster," said Shaw, who stole nine bases as a sophomore. "I hope to have a better bat this year and to keep improving."