This week’s special edition of the Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week determined our top local high school boys athlete for the spring sports season.
Wellington baseball’s Nate Blehm took top spring honors in the Fort Collins area with a tremendous two-way season on the diamond.
The junior could do it all for the Eagles.
That included leading Wellington to the program’s first-ever postseason wins and state appearance, making the Class 3A tournament.
Blehm was outstanding on all fronts this spring.
It has to start on the mound. The right-hander mowed batters down all season, compiling a 6-2 record with a sparkling 1.80 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 42 innings.
He tossed three shutouts, didn’t allow more than three runs to any Colorado team and went five-plus innings in seven of his eight starts.
Dominant pitching alone is ultra-valuable in high school baseball, but Blehm did plenty more.
The junior hit .312 with 10 RBIs. Plus, he was Wellington’s regular catcher when he wasn’t pitching, giving quality innings behind the plate at a demanding position.
It all came together during the Eagles’ magical upset run through regionals.
First, No. 22 Wellington eked out a 6-5 win over No. 11 Sterling in the opener, and Blehm caught every inning while providing a difference-making RBI single at the plate.
Hours later, he turned around and tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout to blank host and No. 6 seed Prospect Ridge Academy in a 4-0 regional championship.
Blehm was also responsible for Wellington’s first-ever win at the state tournament, pitching another complete game with two runs allowed and five strikeouts in a 5-2 victory vs. Delta.
While the Eagles lose several key seniors from this year’s state squad, Blehm and a core of several other starters should have Wellington baseball firmly in state contention again next spring.
Wellington fans showed out at the polls for their two-way star, pushing Blehm past the field in a tight race with 47.3% of the vote.
That was ultimately enough to beat out the other four fantastic spring nominees:
- Dylan Rubenstein, Fort Collins baseball (runner-up with 47.2%)
- Sam Lofstrom, Rocky swimming
- Cadel Ruthven, Fort Collins track and field
- Alec Lundy, Heritage Christian track and field
The Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week series features five nominees every Monday, with voting at Coloradoan.com until 11 p.m. Wednesday and the winner named later in the week.
With the high school seasons complete, stay tuned throughout June to vote in head-to-head brackets for the top Fort Collins-area boys and girls athletes of the entire 2025-26 school year.
View the final results:
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Wellington’s Nate Blehm is Blue FCU’s top spring sports boys athlete