Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Lyla Ferrell throws the ball to first base during her turn at fielding a grounder. A three-day fundamentals camp was held for area student-athletes to take advantage of, sponsored by the Morenci Recreation Center.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – We are all products of our upbringing and parental guidance, environment, and experiences. Area youth had the opportunity to gain from the experiences of accomplished coaches through a softball camp last month.
Diminutive Class of 2013 Glendale Apollo grad Breanna Aker Smith conducted the three-day camp, aided by three current collegiate players along with a local middle school coach and his assistant. Two sessions were held on the Greenlee County fields through the sponsorship of the Morenci Recreation Center.
All four of the female coaches excelled in high school and at the next level. Each used their experiences to pass on fundamentals in the sport to the participating 39 campers. Whether the campers use the knowledge to improve for upcoming seasons rests with them.
Current Division I collegiate players, outfielder Ledezma Romero and infielder Amailee Morales both earned multiple all-region honors while attending Surprise Paradise Honors.
Romero had a four-year (2018-21) batting average of .579 (143-247) and fielding average of .967 (51-7-2) while playing in 82 games, with senior year averages of .678 (40-59) and 1.000 (7-1-0) in 20 games, respectively. She landed on the first team thrice, the 2A Central Region as a freshman (2018), the 3A Metro West Region as a sophomore (2019), and the 4A Southwest Region as a senior (2021) along with being tabbed the offensive player-of-the-year. Additionally, all-conference rosters for honorable mention (2018), the second team (2019), and the first team (2021) had her name.
Last season as a junior at Park University in Gilbert, Romero had averages of .319 (51-160) batting and .967 (79-9-3) fielding while starting in 48 of 48 games.
Morales had a four-year (2019-22) batting average of .621 (164-264) and fielding average of .979 (462-22-10) while playing in 96 games, with senior year averages of .710 (71-100) and .976 (111-11-3) in 35 games, respectively. She earned all-region first-team honors thrice, the 3A Metro West Region as a freshman (2019) and the 4A Southwest Region as a junior (2021) and senior (2022), and was selected as the offensive player of the year. The all-conference rosters listed her honorable mention once (2019) and first-team twice (2021, 2022).
Last season as a sophomore at Northern Colorado in Greeley, Morales posted averages of .325 (50-154) batting and .983 (269-14-5) fielding while starting in 53 of 53 games.
Current Division III outfielder Candace Forgach-Aguilar notched four-year averages of .454 (49-108) batting and .783 (16-2-5) fielding while playing in 53 games for Morenci, with senior year averages of .571 (28-49) batting and .833 (10-0-2) fielding while playing in 14 games. Her post-season honors included All-Region Honorable Mention as a sophomore (2019) and First Team as a senior (2021). She capped her prep career as an Arizona Softball Coaches Association 1A/3A South All-Star in 2021.
As a junior at Notre Dame of Maryland University, the Greenlee County native posted averages of .222 (10-45) batting and .962 (22-3-1) fielding while starting in 22 of 26 games.
Smith played two varsity seasons at Apollo, averaging .299 (41-137) batting, .922 (79-63-12) fielding, and an earned run average of 3.76 with a 9-2 won-loss record, striking out 39, walking 19, and grazing six as a pitcher. She allowed a .255 (100-392) batting average while facing 420 batters during 82 innings. Her senior year averages were .400 (32-80) batting, and .944 (46-38-5) fielding, and posted a 3-0 record in allowing a .263 (31-118) batting average while facing 122 batters during 23 2/3 innings.
As a Division II collegiate utility player at Western New Mexico University, Smith averaged .296 (8-27) batting and .941 (26-6-2) fielding while starting in 26 of 77 games during three seasons (2014-16).
The first session campers, ages 5-7 (numbering six) were Alessia Boling, Tenley Brown, Edie Horrocks, Luna Martinez, Gabriella Rodriguez, and Amalis Skinner.
Second session participants, ages 8-18 (numbering 31) included Eva Bearden, Remmy Beck, Emeline Brown, Serenity Chavarria, Angelina Chavez, Analisa Cuhen, Araceli Cuhen, Lyla Ferrell, Mackenzie Hernandez, and Ava Kerrigan, Mila Madrid, Kieralyn Madrigal, Lilyanna Maldonado, Shaysea Marin, Catalina Martinez, Sienna Martinez, Juniper Payne, Alayna Redhouse, Emily Rivera, Alyssa Rosales, Janessa Rosales, Analise Roybal, Yamilet Sainz, Tamra Sipes, Elisabeth Skinner, McKenna Tate, Riccie Varela, Sofia Varela, Cora Williams, and Lilly Wyatt.
The campers will progress with the knowledge gained and eventually want to try out for the Morenci High School softball team. Previous Wildcats have posted records of 132-65-1 (.667) overall, 91-29 (.758) seeding, 60-17 (.779) region, 1-0 play-in games, and 7-7 (.500) state playoff games under 8-year (2017-24) head coach Joseph Garcia.
During the same eight-year span, 45 different Morenci student-athletes have totaled 77 All-Region honors with 31 on the first team, 26 on the second team, and 20 as honorable mention; 16 earned 20 All-Conference (All-State) slots with five on the first team, four on the second team, and 11 as honorable mention; and 21 were selected for 23 All-Star honors, 19 with the Arizona Softball Coaches Association as graduated seniors playing in Show Low, two with Southern Arizona as graduated seniors playing in Tucson, and two as Southern Arizona Futures (juniors) playing in Tucson.
ALL-REGION: 77
Wildcats selected All-Region were Shelby Aguallo (2nd – 2017), Alizabeth Aguilar (1st – 2023/2024, 2nd – 2022), Jaydn Aguilera (2nd – 2021), Caasi Apodaca (2nd – 2019), Destiny Apodaca (1st – 2017/2018), Celeis Bejarano (2nd – 2023), Caitlyn Blair (HM – 2017), Kay’Leigh Blair (1st – 2024, 2nd – 2023, HM – 2022), Audrey Castillo (2nd – 2017/2018), Elianna Cazares (HM – 2021/2022), Destiny Chavarria (2nd – 2018/2019), Krystyna Chavarria (1st – 2017), Keirah Chee (2nd – 2022, HM – 2023), Alicia Cruz (1st – 2022/2023), Candace Forgach-Aguilar (1st – 2021, HM – 2019), Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar (1st – 2021/2022), Daviana Gallegos (1st – 2024, HM – 2023), Marissa Gallegos (1st – 2021, HM – 2019), Dominique Garcia (2nd – 2019), Alexis Gregory (1st – 2018, 2nd – 2017), Jaliyah Hernandez (1st – 2024), Briseis Hudman (2nd – 2023, HM – 2022), Tiara Jones (1st – 2024), Heather Lee (1st – 2018, 2019, HM – 2017), Lanea Leonard (1st – 2021), Hunter Lindsey (1st – 2021, 2nd – 2019), Kieralyn Madrigal (2nd – 2024), Celina Manuz (1st – 2023, 2nd – 2021/2022), Malina Martinez (HM – 2024), Sabyn Martinez (1st – 2017), Devanie Medina (1st – 2022, 2nd – 2021, HM – 2019), Angel Ontiveros (1st – 2019, 2nd – 2018), Mia Ontiveros (1st – 2022/2023, 2nd – 2021), Yalitza Rios-Ortega (HM – 2024), Jaim’ee Rodriguez (1st – 2018/2019), Delicia Roybal (HM – 2022), Mayeli Salazar (2nd – 2024), Tatiana Sandoval (HM – 2017/2018), Jorden Seballos (HM – 2017), Shaunee Seballos (1st – 2017/2018), Brigid Silvester (1st – 2019, HM – 2018), Hannah Silvester (2nd – 2021), Janessa Webb (HM – 2024), Shaylee Wichman (2nd – 2024), and Cameryn Woodall (1st – 2023/2024, 2nd – 2022).
Additionally, Alizabeth Aguilar was selected the 2024 Region Offensive Player-of-the-Year, Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar the 2021 Region Offensive Player-of-the-Year; Sabyn Martinez the 2017 Region Player-of-the-Year, Woodall the 2024 Region Player-of-the-Year; and Joseph Garcia the 2017 and 2019 Region Co-Coach-of-the-Year as well as the 2024 Region Coach-of-the-Year.
ALL-CONFERENCE (All-State): 20
Morenci All-Conference (All-State) selectees have been Alizabeth Aguilar (2024), Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar (2021), Sabyn Martinez (2017), Shaunee Seballos (2018), and Cameryn Woodall (2024) for the First Team; Destiny Apodaca (2018), Kay’Leigh Blair (2024), Jaim’ee Rodriguez (2018), and Shaunee Seballos (2018) for the Second Team; and Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar (2022), Destiny Apodaca (2017), Daviana Gallegos (2024), Alexis Gregory (2018), Jaliyah Hernandez (2024), Heather Lee (2018), Lanea Leonard (2021), Devanie Medina (2022), Mia Ontiveros (2022), Jaim’ee Rodriguez (2019), and Tiara Jones (2024) for Honorable Mention.
ALL-STARS: 23
Arizona Softball Coaches Association All-Star rosters have included infielder Alizabeth Aguilar (2024), outfielder Kay’Leigh Blair (2024), infielder Destiny Apodaca (2018), outfielder Audrey Castillo (2018), outfielder Destiny Chavarria (2019), infielder Krystyna Chavarria (2017), outfielder Candace Forgach-Aguilar (2021), outfielder Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar (2022, did not play), infielder Dominique Garcia (2019), outfielder Alexis Gregory (2018), catcher Heather Lee (2019), pitcher Lanea Leonard (2021), outfielder Hunter Lindsey (2021), infielder Celine Manuz (2023), pitcher Sabyn Martinez (2017), outfielder Devanie Medina (2022, did not play), outfielder Misa Ontiveros (2023, did not play), pitcher Jaim’ee Rodriguez (2019), and outfielder Shaunee Seballos (2018).
Southern Arizona All-Stars have been Dominique Garcia (2019) and Jaim’ee Rodriguez (2019).
Juniors selected as Southern Arizona Futures included Angel Ontiveros and Brigid Silvester, both members of the Class of 2020 who finished their seasons as a global health crisis halted play in mid-March.
