One swing of the bat on April 25 was one of the biggest moments of Justus Derickson’s young baseball career.

The Rampart junior stepped into the batter’s box with the bases juiced. Derickson had never hit a grand slam — until Vista Ridge’s pitcher threw him a fastball, which he got every stitch of.

Instantly, Derickson knew the ball wasn’t coming back. So he soaked in the moment.

“I kind of pimped it,” Derickson said.

After a pause and a bat throw in front of the box, Derickson rounded the bases and eventually met his teammates at home plate.

Just as the moment was special for Derickson, it was memorable for his coach.

“He absolutely crushed it,” Rampart coach Casey Berg said. “And that was against the team that beat us in extra innings earlier in the year. That was a pretty big moment.”

It was the highlight of Derickson’s season, but memorable moments have come regularly for the junior.

Derickson is batting .485, which leads the Colorado Springs Metro League. He has four home runs on the year, too, and leads the team with 32 RBIs.

This is Derickson’s third year on varsity. He was similarly important for the Rams in 2023, batting .375.

But this year, Derickson’s game has risen to another level.

“When he’s on, he’s our catalyst,” Berg said. “If he’s doing well, we’re probably doing well.”

With a 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame, Derickson is the biggest player on Rampart’s squad. He also stars on the Rams’ football team, playing on the offensive and defensive lines.

The power has always been there for Derickson, shown by his three home runs as a sophomore. But continued participation in both sports has allowed him to become an even heavier hitter.

“Having weight room experience, pushing people around every day in (football) practice really helps a lot,” Derickson said.

As he has improved, so has his team.

Rampart is 12-7 and has already clinched its first winning season since 2013. The Rams had won five of their last six games before falling to Doherty on Wednesday.

They are currently No. 17 in CHSAA’s 5A RPI standings. The only Pikes Peak region team ahead of Rampart is Pine Creek.

Lessons learned from losses have been the biggest catalyst for the team’s growth.

“We’ve played with each other a lot,” Derickson said. “We know each other’s strengths, and we know what we need to do to win games.”

Berg said, “This year, I think the kids have really bought into that culture. We have a special group of kids. Those two things combined have made this a really special team.”

Another way that Derickson — individually — has grown, per Berg, is his leadership. The coach noted an uptick in Derickson’s vocality.

Berg called Derickson a “goofball” that brings energy to the Rams’ clubhouse. And that’s something the Rams plan to lean on, as they vie for their first playoff run since 2013.

“He’s been a lot more verbal this year,” Berg said. “He has been a huge leader for this team.”