Bartlesville baseball battled through a gauntlet of distractions to earn gritty glory
Bartlesville High School Bruins pause for the National Anthem during an earlier season game. The Bruins (20-17) made it to post season play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
May 19, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
All things considered, Bartlesville High School baseball’s achievement of 20 wins could rank somewhere on the scale between improbability and miraculous.
Indeed, this might have been veteran skipper Cody Price’s coaching opus to this point in his career. It seemed as if he and his staff had to spend most the season fighting off the crocodiles of adversity.
At times, it seemed to be more a battle of survival than a season.
But the Bruins (20-17) kept slogging forward, kept finding ways to win, kept smoothing out the wrinkles in the ups and downs of their game.
Amazingly, the Bruins never lost more than two games in a row. At mid-season they strung together a five-game winning streak that defined their competitive character.
They hammered out a 7-7 record in district games, including wins against district powers Stillwater and Tulsa Union — to gather momentum for the playoffs.
They made it through the first day of the regional. But on day two Sand Springs eliminated the Bruins, 3-1.
Thus ended Price’s sixth season as Bruin head coach — with four of them resulting in 20-or-more-wins and his career total well more than 100 victories.
“I’m really proud of this group,” said Price about his 2025 team. “I’m proud of the way they responded to our challenges. To win 20 games is a pretty good season.”
To understand the full meaning of Price’s observation, one has to travel back to late February, to just a week before the season opener. At that time, it appeared that Bartlesville might have been capable of 25-to-30 wins. They were loaded with experience, proven quality pitching and solidness at every position.
Then the bad news started.
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Bartlesville High School’s head baseball coach Cody Price heads to the mound during an earlier season game. The Bruins (20-17) made it to post season play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Just six days prior to the season opener, the designated starting catcher — who would have brought a strong defensive presence and promising offensive punch in the middle of the lineup — decided to transfer to another school. Along with him went his brother, who likely would have contributed to the varsity.
A day or two later, Price lost to injury his best returning pitching arm in Barrett Merciez and his most-experienced catcher Jaxon Zaun.
Just like that, the Bruins were down three high-profile starters — and they hadn’t even played their first game.
Price had to rely on three varsity-unproven sophomores — Kanin Romesburg, Cy Rigdon and Bryce Luelf — into action.
All three would make important contributions. Luelf would handle catching duties until Zaun was able to get back full-time.
There were other obstacles for Bartlesville.
An unusual assault of illness and other injuries to starters kept the lineup in almost constant flux — but, remarkabily the team avoided any major funks.
Eventually, Merciez and Zaun recovered to share the main leadership load with Kaden Romesburg and Hunter Shea. Sam Marcella also stepped up in every phase to help keep the team on a winning trajectory. Damien Niko’s outfield defense and offensive highlights also fueled the good times.
Somehow the Bruins kept scratching out enough wins to build an aura of excitement.
Even as injuries increased toward season end, the Bruins found a way to keep pushing the success forward.
Sapulpa finally brought a close to the Bruins’ season as they went to battle without multiple key players.
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Bartlesville High School’s Damien Niko steps out of the batter’s box during an earlier season game. The Bruins (20-17) made it to post season play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Kaden Romesburg snapped off a mound classic — not allowing any earned runs. But, Sapulpa took advantage of a couple of Bruin mistakes to ring up its three wins.
Zaun and Marcella combined to score Bartlesville’s run. Shea delivered two hits.
Kaden Romesburg, Zaun and Shea are three of the Bruin seniors that helped keep it together between the foul lines, in the dugout and on the practice field. The other three stalwarts from the Class of 2025 that did the same thing were Niko, Justin Swart and Grant Foote.
Even though this Pick-Up Six will be graduated, the Bruins are set to return plenty of talent and experience next season.
True, Price will have to reorganize the pitching staff without the live arms of Kaden Romesburg and Shea available to him.
But among the returning seniors will be Merciez, Marcella and Silva, all three strong in the clutch. Some of the more well-known juniors-to-be should be Cy Rigdon, Kanin Romesburg, Luelf and Cooper Swaim. Price said he’ll also be looking at Braden Neill as one of his options at catcher.
So for what will the season of 2025 be remembered?
A resolute handful of coaches and a courageous group of warriors whose collective heart and pertinacity powered Bartlesville up the rocky mountain of hardship to the peak of deserved respectability.
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Bartlesville High School’s Cy Rigdon makes a play at second base during an earlier season game. The Bruins (20-17) made it to post season play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports