Montezuma-Cortez High School Class of 2026 graduate Cory Dean Carver was named the second ever recipient of The Denver Post’s Roy Halladay award before he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June.
Carver was appointed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he will play baseball at the Division I level. Carver’s love of baseball runs deep from years on the field and volunteering as a youth baseball coach. He missed his own commencement to play at the state championship in May.
In an interview with 9News, Carver, who plays shortstop, said he volunteered to help grow and promote the sport along with other life values.
“I want to inspire kids to be like how I was on the baseball field, but I also want to inspire people to be diligent, be hard-working and get after it every day,” Carver said.
The award is presented to a baseball senior who exemplifies academic excellence, character, integrity, leadership and service. Players must be nominated by their coach or athletic director. Last year, there were 20 nominees.
Halladay, the award’s namesake, graduated from Arvada High School in the early 1990s and was known as “one of the top baseball prospects to ever come out of Colorado,” according to the award website.
“I want to congratulate you, Cory, for a lot of reasons,” Ed Henderson, award chairman of communications said during an award presentation. “Outstanding performance on the field, outstanding performance in the classroom and, equally important, your citizenship, character and integrity.”
During Carver’s senior year, he was selected to the 3A First Team. The Panthers also won their fourth straight Intermountain League title and advanced to the state championships as the No. 3 seed in 3A. They ended their state run in seventh place after losses to D’Evelyn and Elizabeth, according to MaxPreps.
Carver’s batting average was .580 during his final year as a Panther, with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases.
Carver’s coach Jake Huff did not immediately respond to The Journal’s request for comment.
bduran@the-journal.com
