Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Derek Saenz is watched by teammates Micheal Casillas and Patrick Chavez while he takes a few cuts. The Morenci Class of 2023 member is one of six playing his final weekend for the Wildcats. Morenci is one of four semifinalists still in contention for the 2A state title. The East Region fourth place No. 10 Wildcats take on South Region champion and No. 6 Horizon Honors in Glendale on Friday, May 12.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – Three region champions and a fourth-place finisher remain in the hunt for the 2A state title as semifinalists Friday, May 12. All four teams are unbeaten in May and will square off in the Goodyear Baseball Complex, 2601 South Wood Blvd., starting at 6 p.m.
Fourth-ranked Phoenix Christian (23-2-1 overall, 14-2 seeding, 5.0802 rating, 8-0 Central Region for 1st) faces No. 8 Scottsdale Prep (17-7, 14-5, 3.2188, 8-0 for Metro Region 1st) and No. 6 Phoenix Horizon Honors (19-7, 13-5, 4.4927, 10-0 South Region for 1st) meets No. 10 Morenci (14-12-1, 10-7, 2.9950, 6-6 East Region for 4th).
Horizon Honors ended No. 9 Morenci’s 2021 season with a 6-3 first-round loss as No. 8.
Scottsdale Prep averaged a 13-3 (262-73) score per game or a 10-run margin through 24 games, Horizon Honors a 9-3 (250-89) score per game or 6-run margin through 24 games, Phoenix Christian a 10-6 (241-133) score per game or 4-run margin through 26 games, and Morenci an 8-7 (216-190) score per game or 1-run margin through 27 games.
The winners meet for the state title on Saturday, May 13 at 4 p.m. in Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W. Alameda Drive.
2A State Tourney
The higher seeds went 5-3 in the first round and 1-3 in the quarterfinals or 6-6 in 12 games played. The four semifinalists toppled higher seeds in three of eight pairings.
Scottsdale Prep eliminated No. 9 Bisbee (10-7 seeding, 3.1489 rating) 6-3 in the first round on May 5 and upset top-ranked Benson (15-3, 9.7477) 1-0 in the quarterfinals on May 6; Phoenix Christian slipped past No. 13 Eagar Round Valley (10-6, 0.5963) 3-2 in the first round and No. 12 Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (13-5, 1.2682) 8-7 in the quarterfinals; Horizon Honors ousted No. 11 Kingman Academy (13-5, 2.4495) 4-1 in the first round and upset No. 3 Tombstone (13-4, 7.2942) 9-4 in the quarterfinals; and Morenci (10-7, 2.9950) upset No. 7 Pima (7-7, 3.3379) 7-6 in the first round and defeated No. 15 Phoenix Country Day (11-7, minus 0.8621) 12-1 in five innings during the quarterfinals.
Other first-round exits were made by No. 16 Willcox (6-12, minus 1.1472), 4-0 to Benson; No. 5 Gilbert Classical (12-3, 4.8126), 5-2 to Arizona Lutheran; No. 14 Tempe Prep (8-6, minus 0.8613), 10-0 to Tombstone; and No. 2 Miami (14-3, 8.1895), 4-3 in 10 innings to Phoenix Country Day.
Play-in Round
The play-in Round paired the Numbers 9-24 on April 26, with the winning eight going against the top eight in the first round of bracket play.
All eight higher seeds advanced to the Round of 16 or the first round of the state tourney. Eliminated were No. 24 Saint Johns (7-9, minus 5.9377), 11-1 by Bisbee; No. 23 Phoenix Veritas Prep (6-10, minus 5.7975), 11-1 by Morenci; No. 22 Flagstaff Northland Prep (8-6, minus 4.0809), 10-4 by Kingman Academy; No. 21 Eloy Santa Cruz (10-8, minus 3.9066), 2-1 by Arizona Lutheran; No. 20 Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (8-10, minus 3.7381), 6-2 by Round Valley; No. 19 Glendale Prep (10-7, minus 2.7582), 3-2 by Tempe Prep; No. 18 Chandler Prep (9-8, minus 2.0842), 3-0 by Phoenix Country Day; and No. 17 Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated (9-8, minus 2.0596), 11-1 by Willcox.
No. 8 Scottsdale Prep (14-5 seeding, 3.2188 rating)
The David Primavera-coached Spartans won 14 of 19 seeding games, one of three tourney games, and two of two state tourney games.
Through 24 games, the Spartans batted .312 (197-631) with 175 RBIs, 39 doubles, 20 triples, and five home runs. They drove in 175 of 231 runs scored, and also struck out 154 times, received 117 walks, and were beaned 19 times.
Defensively, Scottsdale Prep has a combined .906 (411-118-55) fielding average and turned in 13 double plays
The 10-member pitching corps has a combined 3.93 earned runs allowed average, yielded 77 earned runs of 123 scored, struck out 145, walked 94, yielded 126 hits, and beaned 19 while facing 665 batters during 137 innings.
Scottsdale Prep has an 18-member roster, including nine seniors, five sophomores, and four freshmen.
No. 4 Phoenix Christian (14-2 seeding, 5.0802 rating)
The Mark Band-coached Cougars won 14 of 16 seeding games, seven of eight tourney games, and two state tourney games.
Through 26 games, the Cougars batted .343 (196-572) with 197 RBIs, 39 doubles, seven triples, and four home runs. They drove in 197 of 236 runs scored, and also struck out 102 times, received 143 walks, and were beaned 31 times.
Defensively, Phoenix Christian has a combined .912 (431-158-57) fielding average and turned in 26 double plays
The 7-member pitching corps has a combined 2.24 earned runs allowed average, yielded 46 earned runs of 70 scored, struck out 161, walked 55, yielded 110 hits, and beaned 16 while facing 621 batters during 143 2/3 innings.
Phoenix Christian fields a 12-member roster comprised of five juniors, a sophomore, and six freshmen.
No. 6 Phoenix Horizon Honors (14-2 seeding, 4.4927 rating)
The Tom Kandler-coached Eagles won 14 of 16 seeding games, six of eight tourney games, and two state tourney games.
Through 26 games, the Eagles batted .351 (237-676) with 213 RBIs, 51 doubles, 10 triples, and seven home runs. They drove in 213 of 241 runs scored, and also struck out 159 times, received 152 walks, and were beaned 42 times.
Defensively, Horizon Honors has a combined .941 (481-185-42) fielding average and turned in zero double plays.
The 8-member pitching corps has a combined 1.88 earned runs allowed average, yielded 4 earned runs of 84 scored, struck out 222, walked 94, yielded 109 hits, and beaned 29 while facing 721 batters during 106 1/3 innings.
Horizon Honors has a 16-member roster, including five seniors, four juniors, five sophomores, and two freshmen.
No. 10 Morenci (10-7, 2.9950 seeding)
The Christopher Aguallo-coached Wildcats won 10 of 17 seeding games, one of seven tourney games, a play-in game, and two state tourney games.
Through 27 games, the Wildcats batted .293 (200-682) with 161 RBIs, 34 doubles, six triples, and four home runs. They drove in 161 of 216 runs scored, and also struck out 171 times, received 98 walks, and were beaned 41 times.
Defensively, Morenci has a combined .861 (464-149-99) fielding average and turned in nine double plays
The 14-member pitching corps has a combined 3.76 earned runs allowed average, yielded 83 earned runs of 192 scored, struck out 167, walked 151, yielded 156 hits, and beaned 30 while facing 842 batters during 154 2/3 innings.
Morenci has a 17-member roster, with six seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman.
