Contributed Photo By Martin Ornelas: A view of the baseball infield in Francis Waldorf Stadium from atop the Green Monster. Morenci is slated to play its initial game on the newly completed artificial surface against Bisbee on April 5.
The 44th Morenci Lions baseball tourney is April 11-13
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – Five teams will be joining the Christopher Aguallo-coached 2A Wildcats for the 44th Morenci Lions baseball tourney in two weeks. It is not the smallest field as three teams made up the initial meet in 1979, five in 1981, and six in both 1980 and 1982.
Teams scheduled to join the Wildcats are 1A Heber Mogollon and Winkelman Hayden, 2A Miami, and 3A Florence and Safford. Each of them has taken part in prior meets, now over four decades old.
A total of 11 games are scheduled to be played, four each on April 11-12, and three on April 13. Safford takes on Miami at 11 a.m., Florence meets Mogollon at 1:30 p.m., the Safford – Miami winner meets Hayden at 4 p.m., and the Florence – Mogollon winner meets Morenci for the nightcap at 6:30 p.m.
The Florence Gophers will be making their third appearance, the Safford Bulldogs their seventh, the Miami Vandals their 16th, the Mogollon Mustangs their 21st, the Hayden Lobos their 22nd, and the Morenci Wildcats their 44th. A total of 23 individual 2023 post-season honorees are on the current rosters.
Previously, Miami (1980, 2016), Mogollon (2001, 2006), and Safford (2022, 2023) have twice been finalists with the Bulldogs the team champion in 2023 (13-1 over Hayden); Hayden a finalist nine times (1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2023) and champion in 1979 (5-4 over Morenci), 1987 (12-8 over Willcox), and 1990 (16-8 over Willcox); and Morenci a finalist 21 times (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) and champion in 1980 (4-2 over Miami), in 1981 (2-1 over Thatcher), 1982 (8-1 over Thatcher), 1985 (6-5 in 12 inn. over Hayden), 1989 (14-10 over Thatcher), 1992 (15-10 over Willcox), 1994 (9-7 over Clifton), 1997 (5-0 over Willcox), 1999 (8-3 over Hayden), 2003 (9-1 over Thatcher), 2007 (4-2 over Thatcher), 2014 (3-0 in 5 inn. over Willcox), and 2016 (12-2 in 5 inn. over Miami),
Last season, one team bowed out during the play-in round, five teams went a combined 7-4 in the Round of 16 state tourneys, and Hayden emerged as the 1A state champion.
Thus far, Florence is 11-2 overall, 5-2 seeding, and 0-1 in the 3A South Central Region; Safford (9-4, 4-3, 1-0 3A South Region), Hayden (9-4, 6-1, 3-0 1A East Region), Mogollon (3-5, 3-5, 3-1 1A East Region), Miami (1-10, 1-7, 0-1 2A Valley Region), and Morenci (8-6, 6-4, 2-2 2A East Region).
Thirty-seven seeding games have yet to be played by the six 2024 Morenci Lions Tournament participants before the meet begins. Florence and Miami both have seven games; Hayden, Mogollon, and Safford have six apiece; and Morenci has five.
This week (March 25-30), Morenci visits Benson and Safford visits Tucson Tanque Verde on Monday, March 25; Florence visits Buckeye Odyssey Institute, Hayden hosts Chandler Lincoln Prep, Miami visits Globe, Mogollon hosts Joseph City, and Morenci visits Pima on Tuesday, March 26; Florence hosts San Tan Valley San Tan Foothills on Wednesday, March 27; Miami visits Scottsdale Prep, Mogollon visits Saint Johns, and Safford hosts Tucson Empire on Thursday, March 28; and Florence hosts Tonopah Valley, Hayden visits Joseph City, Miami hosts Gilbert San Tan Charter, and Safford hosts Tucson Pueblo on Friday, March 29.
Next week (April 1-6), Hayden hosts Superior, Miami visits Pima, and Mogollon hosts Pinon for a double-header on April 1; Florence visits Gilbert Christian, Mogollon hosts Lincoln Prep, Morenci visits Tucson Santa Rita on April 2; Hayden hosts Elfrida Valley Union, Safford hosts Tucson Sabino on April 4; Florence hosts Globe, Miami visits San Carlos, Morenci hosts Bisbee, and Safford visits Tucson Palo Verde Magnet on April 5; and Hayden visits Williams and Miami visits Eagar Round Valley on April 6.
Six games remain in the days (April 8-10) leading up to the tourney. Florence hosts Queen Creek Crimson, Miami hosts Gilbert Classical on April 8, and Florence hosts Coolidge, Hayden hosts Mogollon, Morenci hosts Saint Johns, and Safford hosts Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian on April 9.
Last season, 22-time participant and 10-time state champion Hayden (25-4 overall, 14-2 seeding, 10-0 region) went 4-0 to earn the 1A state title as the top seed, 44-time participant and 2-time state champion Morenci (14-13-1, 10-7, 6-6) wound up a 2A semifinalist as No. 10, 21-time participant and 3-time state champion Mogollon (10-12, 7-6, 5-5) was a quarterfinalist as No. 10, both 2A No. 2 Miami (20-6, 14-3, 6-0) and 3-time participant and 4-time state champion 3A No. 11 Florence (19-9, 12-5, 4-4) bowed out in the first round, and 7-time participant and 4-time state champion Safford (12-10-1, 7-8, 4-4) succumbed in the play-in round as 3A No. 21.
Individually at season’s end, seven players were named all-conference (all-state) first team, six second team, and seven honorable mentions along with a coach of the year; 25 players were selected all-region first team, 19 second team, and 26 honorable mentions along with two coaches of the year. Additionally, there were two defensive players of the year, two offensive players of the year, two players of the year, and a co-player of the year.
In 2022, Mogollon went 4-0 to end as a state champion; Hayden went 2-1 to end as a semifinalist; Morenci went 1-1 to end as a quarterfinalist; 42-time participant Thatcher went 1-1 to end as a quarterfinalist; 36-time participant and 1-time state champion Pima fell in the play-in round; 21-time participant and 2-time state champion Saint Johns fell in the play-in round; Florence was bumped out by No. 25 and North Region champion Page; Safford was bumped out by No. 29 and North Region runner-up Fort Defiance Window Rock; and 33-time participant and 2-time state champion Duncan did not qualify.
The Morenci Lions Club is providing a venue, a three-day baseball tourney, to make dreams come true, not only for the participants and spectators but for those needing aid with vision problems in Greenlee County. A week-long camp for special needs youngsters ages seven and up is also financed by the group. All proceeds from this athletic meet go towards that end. The club treasurer reported a net intake of $9,000 after the final bills came in for the 2018 meeting, with $4,000 immediately earmarked for student scholarships. The 2019 meet had identical numbers reported.
A global health crisis caused cancelation in both 2020 and 2021 and delayed the tourney until 2022.
The Sooner State (1), the Evergreen State (1), the Golden State (7), and the Land of Enchantment (11) have been represented in previous meets, as well as Grand Canyon State participants. The previous out-of-state team came for the 41st (2019) meet.
Over the previous 43 tourneys, the Morenci Lions Club has hosted 39 school teams with 30 different mascots ranging from insects to big game as well as Apaches to Vikings. Visitors have included Cougars, Tigers, Wildcats, and Wildkats plus Bearcats, Bulldogs, Cobras, Eagles, Elks, Falcons, Lobos, Mavericks, Mustangs, Rams, Roadrunners, and Yellow Jackets.
Others in town have been the Champions and Stampede along with Apaches, Braves, Cowboys, Redskins, Sultans, Roughriders, Trojans, Warriors, Vandals, Vikings, and Blue Devils.
Kangaroos made an appearance in Francis Waldorf Stadium for the 41st tourney (2019) and Gophers made an initial visit in 2022.
Through the previous 43 tourneys, 29 state finalists have prepared for the post-season in Morenci, with 18 finishing as state champions. Three of the 41st (2019) tourney participants ended as state finalists, two as state champions; and there was a lone champion in each of the past two meets.
Beginning as a three-team affair in 1979, the current tourney field has lofted the championship trophy 23 times. The initial statewide rankings will be released on March 26.
“We didn’t even know if we would have a second one whenever we started,” tourney founder and then-Morenci High Athletic Director Tom Powers said. “The baseball coach at the time asked me if we could have a tournament and I said sure.”
