Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: A Santa Cruz base runner is safe at home. The Wildcats defeated the Dust Devils 7-2 during the play-in round on April 24. The win allowed a 5-4 home record on the newly resurfaced Francis Waldorf Stadium field. Morenci fell 2-5 to No. 6 Phoenix Horizon Honors on May 3, the third straight post-season loss to the Eagles.
Roybal, Carbajal on Region 2nd Team
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Christopher Aguallo-coached 2024 Morenci Wildcats concluded their season with an award banquet on May 14, or 11 days after the 2-5 state first-round loss to No. 6 Phoenix Horizon Honors on May 3. In between that span, the Wildcats landed two East Region first-teamers, two second-teamers, and three with an honorable mention as well as an all-conference (all-state) second-teamer.
Senior Anthony Ballesteros was selected to the all-state second team and all-region first team, senior Austyn Nelson to the all-region first team, senior Emilio Roybal and junior Christopher Carbajal to the all-region second team, and juniors Bryant Figueroa, Christopher Lopez, and Shane Seballos honorable mention.
Fielding averages of .935 (71-15-6) and .934 (23-10-1) were posted by Nelson and Ballesteros, respectively, with both playing in all 27 games.
Nelson batted .390 (30-77) with 22 RBIs, four doubles, three triples, and three home runs while Ballesteros batted .375 (27-72) with 20 runs batted in, five doubles, a triple, and a home run.
On the mound, Ballesteros notched a 1.73 earned run average in striking out 55, walking 20, grazing nine, and yielding a .190 (47-247) batting average while facing 276 batters during 60 2/3 innings. Nelson had a 4.96 ERA in striking out 23, walking 23, grazing three, and allowing a .290 (36-124) batting average while facing 150 batters during 29 2/3 innings.
Fielding averages of .908 (115-4-12) and .855 (35-36-12) were turned in by Carbajal and Roybal, respectively, while playing in 27 games apiece. Roybal batted .289 (26-90) with eight RBIs, four doubles, and a triple while Carbajal batted .282 (20-71) with 19 RBIs, six doubles, and a triple.
Defensively, Figueroa (39-13-6) and Lopez (35-0-4) both had an .897 fielding average while playing in 27 games and Seballos went .826 (33-24-12) while playing in 23 games.
Lopez batted .239 (17-71) with five RBIs, four doubles, and a triple; Seballos .190 (12-63) with five RBIs, and five doubles; and Figueroa .111 (4-36) with six RBIs, two doubles, and a home run.
Final East Region records (overall, seeding, region) standings were Tombstone (19-8, 13-5, 9-3) first, Bisbee (23-6, 12-5, 8-4) second, Pima (16-9-1, 11-6, 8-4) third, Benson (15-15-1, 9-9, 6-6) fourth, Willcox (13-15, 7-11, 6-6) fifth, Morenci (14-13, 10-8, 5-7) sixth, and Tucson Santa Rita (0-13, 0-13, 0-12) seventh.
The Jamie Milligan-coached No. 4 Tombstone Yellow Jackets averaged an 8-5 (223-130) score per game or a 3-run margin through 27 games; the Todd Hammett-coached No. 3 Bisbee Pumas averaged a score of 11-3 (324-92) per game or an 8-run margin through 29 games; the Tim DeCrow-coached No. 7 Pima Roughriders averaged a score of 8-3 (215-86) per game or a 5-run margin through 26 games; the Fred Trujillo-coached No. 10 Bobcats averaged a score of 7-5 (228-168) per game or a 2-run margin through 31 games; the Adrian Fuentes-coached No. 15 Willcox Cowboys averaged a score of 6-8 (164-214) per game or a 2-run deficit through 28 games; and the Christopher Aguallo-coached No. 10 Morenci Wildcats averaged a score of 6-5 (159-147) per game or a 1-run margin through 27 games.
Six of seven East Region teams qualified for the first round with four advancing to the quarterfinals, two to the semifinals, and one to the final. The region posted records of 3-0 in the play-in round and 8-5 in the four-round state tourney. It was No. 15 Willcox 6-1 over No. 18 Gilbert Classical, No. 11 Morenci 7-2 over No. 22 Eloy Santa Cruz, and No. 10 Benson 10-0 over No. 23 Laveen Heritage during the play-in round on April 24.
The No. 4 Yellow Jackets eliminated No. 13 Saint Johns 4-1, the No. 10 Pumas ousted No. 7 Pima 4-2, and the No. 15 Cowboys edged No. 2 Phoenix Arizona Lutheran 6-5 while the No. 11 Wildcats fell 2-5 to No. 6 Phoenix Horizon Honors during the first round on May 3.
Bisbee slipped past Horizon Honors 5-3, Benson run-ruled Willcox 13-3, and Tombstone was edged 6-7 by No. 5 Kingman Academy during the quarterfinals on May 4; Bisbee eliminated Benson 9-5 and No. 1 Phoenix Christian ousted Kingman Academy 6-1 in the semifinals on May 10; and Bisbee prevailed 7-2 over Phoenix Christian for the title on May 11.
Morenci has had its season ended thrice by the Horizon Honors Eagles, 3-6 in the 2021 first round, 3-4 in the 2023 semifinal round, and 2-5 in the 2024 first round.
2A East Region POY, COY
Bisbee had the region player of the year in senior infielder/pitcher Bryceton Meyer (1); Tombstone the region coach of the year in Jaime Milligan; Morenci and Pima seniors the co-defensive player of the year in Anthony Ballesteros (6) and Devon Hewitt (22), respectively; and Tombstone the co-offensive player of the year in senior infielder/pitcher Gabe Garcia (27) and junior pitcher/catcher D.J. Elias (5).
2A East All-Region First Team (17)
Morenci had seniors, pitcher/catcher Anthony Ballesteros (6), and catcher/pitcher Austyn Nelson Harris (10) on the first team, both as position players.
The rest of the first team was made up of Tombstone junior pitcher D. J. Elias (5), senior infielder Gabe Garcia (27), and freshman outfielder Hank Moody (6); Bisbee junior pitcher Bryceton Meyer (1), junior infielder Bryan Martinez (15), junior Sebastian Lopez (0), and junior Horacio Olivarria (7); Benson senior Dalton Crockett (11), sophomore Kellen Deskins (5), and sophomore Dawson Judd (9); Pima junior catcher Jeremiah Martinez (12), senior infielder Devon Hewitt (22), and senior infielder R.J. Morales (00); and Willcox senior infielder Alec Fuentes (7) and senior Kash Macumber (8).
2A East All-Region Second Team (15)
Morenci senior infielder Emilio Roybal (1) and junior infielder Christopher Carbajal (8) were selected to the second team.
Also on the second team were Tombstone junior infielder Sasha Webster (82), freshman infielder Kelly Bliss (2), and senior outfielder Maurice Alvarez (32); Bisbee sophomore pitcher Jose Mendez (13), senior outfielder/infielder Anthony Molina (5), sophomore infielder Hunter Wright (13), and freshman infielder Jaxxon Alvarez (8); Benson senior D.J. Workman (1) and sophomore Matthew Evans (3); Pima senior pitcher Riley Alder (5) and junior infielder Rhett Hughes (8); and Willcox student Magallanes.
2A East All-Region Honorable Mention (14)
Morenci juniors Christopher Lopez (3), Shane Seballos (7), and Bryant Figueroa (2) were selected for honorable mention.
Others receiving honorable mention were Tombstone senior infielder Brody Franklin (1) and junior outfielder/infielder Miguel Rincon (9); Bisbee senior outfielder Michael Alvarez (10) and junior outfielder Xavier Montiel (9); Benson freshman Easton Adams (4), senior Colton Bellmore (2), senior Aiden Bowling (6), and junior pitcher Gabriel Montijo (2); Pima sophomore utility Colter Kempton (10); and Willcox sophomores, infielder Jerry Reyes (6) and catcher Ty Shull (2).
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