The growth of Colorado high school baseball is evident at the College World Series.

An examination of eight rosters playing for an NCAA championship this weekend revealed seven local players: Jonah Cox (Flatirons Academy/Oral Roberts), Reese Chapman (Grandview/Tennessee), Calvin Marley (Fossil Ridge/Texas Christian), Trevor Moore (Mullen/Stanford), Ethan O’Donnell (Regis Jesuit/Virginia), Gabe Springer (Fairview/Stanford) and Drew Stahl (ORU/Mountain Vista).

Colorado ranks 12th nationally for the most homegrown talent playing in the CWS, according to MaxPreps.

“We don’t have a ton of kids going to those kinds of schools. So, the fact that we have seven is pretty cool,” said Scott Henry, the longtime head baseball coach at Grandview. “Colorado baseball has done a good job over the last decade of developing kids that maybe wouldn’t have had a shot (in the past).”

One local CWS player, Oral Roberts junior Jonah Cox, is in a class that’s all his own.

The infielder/outfielder entered the CWS leading the nation in total hits (110) and a 47-game hitting streak, third-longest in Division I baseball history. Cox told the Tulsa World earlier this week: “(The streak is) fun to think and talk about. But I really could care less. As long as we win, I’m happy.”

Cox attended Flatirons Academy, a private Christian high school in Westminster, and batted .548 his junior year before losing his senior season to Colorado’s COVID-19 restrictions. It makes sense when you consider his father, Darron Cox, was a fifth-round MLB draft pick in 1989. But his son took a challenging road to college baseball stardom.

Cox transferred twice, from Butler Community College and Eastern Oklahoma State College, before finding a home at ORU. Friends and family back in Colorado, like Flatirons Academy athletic director Reed Doughty, never lost faith in his abilities.

“(Cox) is super focused,” Doughty said. “He’s the type of kid where this has been the goal all along. It’s not something that just happened. He’s put the work in. … He’s just always had the mindset that this is the level he wants to be at, and he wants to play in the Major Leagues someday.”

COLORADO FLAVOR IN THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Oral Roberts

—UTL Jonah Cox (Flatirons Academy, ‘20): Junior led the nation in hits this season (110) and entered the CWS on a 47-game hitting streak, third-longest in NCAA Division I baseball history.

—INF Drew Stahl (Mountain Vista, ‘19): Senior with 11 home runs and 15 doubles this season. Former three-year starter at shortstop for Mountain Vista, winning the Class 5A state championship in 2018.

Stanford

—INF Gabe Springer (Fairview, ‘22): Did not play in his first college season. Third-best shortstop from Colorado in his recruiting class, according to Perfect Game.

—RHP Trevor Moore (Mullen, ‘22): Made pitching appearances in eight games this season totaling 6 2/3 innings, with eight earned runs on nine hits. Two-time Centennial League Player of the Year (2021-22).

TCU

—RHP Calvin Marley (Fossil Ridge, 18’): Senior who transferred from College of Southern Nevada and Wichita State. Made three appearances this season with six earned runs on two hits.

Tennessee

—OF Reese Chapman (Grandview, ‘22): Freshman who appeared in 15 games this season with five hits, two home runs and seven RBI. No. 1 player in his recruiting class from Colorado, per Perfect Game.

Virginia

—OF Ethan O’Donnell (Regis Jesuit, ‘20): First-team All-ACC selection after two seasons playing for Northwestern. Helped lead Regis Jesuit to a 5A state championship as a junior.