State first round begins at higher seeds on Saturday
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The No. 21 Scottsdale Christian Eagles (8-8 seeding, minus 3.8755 rating) visits the No. 12 Morenci Wildcats (10-7, 6.1125) on Wednesday, April 30. It is the for the play-in round and a chance to advance into the state tourney first round on Saturday, May 3.
Scottsdale Christian has posted 16-game averages of .345 (123-357) in batting with 123 of 205 runs batted in, .788 (288-66-79) in fielding with three double plays, and 8.47 (ERA) in pitching with 92 of 203 runs earned.
Morenci has posted 26-game averages of .429 (294-686) in batting with 257 of 284 runs batted in, .821 (210-102-68) in fielding with 14 double plays, and 3.98 (ERA) in pitching with 96 of 178 runs earned.
Other pay-in round pairings for South Region members include No. 14 Bisbee (10-5, 5.2473) hosting No. 19 Many Farms (7-5, minus 3.3190), No. 15 Benson (9-9, 2.1179) hosting No. 18 Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (7-11, minus 2.4405), and No. 17 Desert Christian (6-10, minus 1.3220) visiting No. 16 Miami (10-6, minus 0.1253).
2A Play-in Round
The rest of the play-in pairing are No. 9 Santa Cruz (10-6, 9.0745) hosting No. 24 Pima (4-9, minus 6.0402), No. 10 Camp Verde (14-4, 6.4519) hosting No. 23 Fountain Hills (7-6, minus 4.8996), No. 11 Phoenix Christian (15-3, 6.4232) hosting No. 22 Wickenburg (8-10, minus 4.1528), and No. 13 Chandler Prep (12-2, 5.6088) hosting No. 20 Glendale Prep (10-8, Minus 3.5162).
2A South Region Final Standings
Region standings through April 26 have Willcox (18-8 overall, 13-2 seeding, 7-0 region) first, Tombstone (14-13, 12-5, 6-1) second, Bisbee (16-9, 11-4, 5-2) third, Morenci (14-11, 10-7, 4-3) fourth, Benson (11-13, 8-8, 4-3) fifth, Tucson Desert Christian (6-15, 6-9, 4-4) sixth, Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (8-10, 7-9, 2-5) seventh, Tucson Santa Rita (2-10, 2-10, 1-7) eighth, and Tucson San Miguel Catholic (0-15, 0-15, 0-8) ninth.
San Miguel forfeited its final four games with Morenci (April 16), Santa Rita (April 22), Tombstone (April 23), and Bisbee (April 28).
Region game results through April 22 include Willcox over Santa Miguel (27-4 in 4 inn, March 24), Morenci (17-16, March 27), Benson (17-7 in 5 inn, April 2), Saint Augustine (21-5 in 5 inn, April 4), Santa Rita (23-0 in 4 inn, April 11), Desert Christian (22-8 in 5 inn, April 18), Bisbee (25-5 in 5 inn, April 22); Tombstone over Saint Augustine (24-0 in 4 inn, April 1), Desert Christian (15-4 in 5 inn, April 8), Benson (17-2 in 5 inn, April 10), Santa Rita (19-0 in 4 inn, April 14), Bisbee (15-4 in 6 inn, April 18), and San Miguel (1-0, April 23); Bisbee over Desert Christian (16-6 in 5 inn, March 24), Morenci (17-14, April 2), Santa Rita (27-0 in 5 inn, April 4), and San Miguel (1-0, April 28); Morenci over Tombstone (15-13, March 24), Santa Rita (23-1 in 4 inn, April 8), San Miguel (1-0, April 16). Benson (21-8 in 5 inn, April 22); Benson over San Miguel (22-1 in 4 inn, March 27), Santa Rita (21-1 in 5 inn, April 2), and Desert Christian (10-9, April 4), Morenci; Desert Christian over Santa Rita (24-3 in 4 inn, March 27), San Miguel (30-5 in 5 inn, April 1), Morenci (17-16, April 11), and Saint Augustine (16-4 ion 5 inn, April 22); Saint Augustine over Santa Rita (34-15 in 5 inn, March 24) and San Miguel (29-16 in 5 inn, April 10); and Santa Rita over San Miguel (1-0, April 22).
2A East Region Standings
The final East Region standings on April 28 had Chandler Prep (18-4 overall, 12-2 seeding, 5-0 region) first, Miami (12-8, 10-6, 3-1) second, Pima (6-11, 4-9, 3-2) third, Gilbert Leading Edge (9-9, 7-8, 2-3) fourth, San Carlos (3-12, 3-10, 1-3) fifth, and Gilbert Classical (1-12, 1-12, 0-5) sixth.
Region game results through April 22 Chandler Prep over Pima (12-8, March 28), Miami (9-7, April 1), Leading Edge (24-18, April 16), San Carlos (16-1 in 4 inn, April 23), and Gilbert Classical (30-14 in 5 inn, April 25); Miami over Gilbert Classical (4-27, March 28), Pima (6-1, April 11), and Leading Edge (19-2 in5 inn, April 12); Pima over Leading Edge (17-13, April 3), Gilbert Classical (27-2 in 3 inn, April 9), and San Carlos (18-2 in 5 inn, April 16); Leading Edge over San Carlos (29-9, April 14) and Gilbert Classical (40-18, April 28); and San Carlos over Gilbert Classical (17-5, April 3);
2A State Rankings
State rankings for 2A South Region member teams through April 28 have Willcox (13-2 seeding, unrated) Top 8, Tombstone (11-4, unrated) Top 8, Morenci (10-7, 6.1125) No. 12, Bisbee (10-5, 5.2473) No. 14, Benson (9-9, 2.1179) No. 15, Tucson Desert Christian (6-10, minus 1.3220) No. 17, Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (7-9, minus 8.3170) No. 26, Tucson San Miguel Catholic (0-11, minus 17.5911) No. 36, and Tucson Santa Rita (1-11, minus 20.0281) No. 37.
Rankings for 2A East Region members were Chandler Prep (12-2 seeding, 5.6088 rating) No. 13, Miami (10-6, 0.1253) No. 16, Pima (4-9, minus 6.0402) No. 24, Gilbert Leading Edge (7-8, minus 10.0831) No. 28, San Carlos (3-7, minus 12.3894) No. 29, and Gilbert Classical (0-12, minus 23.0582) No. 40.
No. 27 Scottsdale Christian Eagles (8-8 overall)
The Maddi Coones/Thom Ott-coached 2A Central Region Eagles (8-8 overall, 8-8 seeding, 6-5 region for fourth of seven) averaged an 11-13 (174-203) score per game or a 2-run deficit through 16 games.
Scottsdale Christian has seeding game wins over Sedona Red Rock (12-9, March 17), Glendale Trivium Prep (20-4 in 4 inn, March 21), Tempe Prep (22-0 in 4 inn, April 1), Fountain Hills (13-7, April 11), Red Rock (27-7 in 5 inn, April 14), Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (14-13, April 16), Phoenix Madison Highland Prep (17-2 in 4 inn, April 17), Tempe Prep (22-9 in 4 inn, March 10) along with losses to Glendale Prep (14-21, Feb. 28), Phoenix Christian (4-9, March 24), Chandler Prep (5-25 in 6 inn, April 1), Camp Verde (0-29 in 4 inn, April 7), Fountain Hills (3-13 in 5 inn, April 11), Phoenix Northwest Christian (8-27 in 4 inn, April 23), Phoenix Christian (0-10 in 5 inn, April 26), and Camp Verde (3-18 in 4 inn, April 28).
The Eagles have a 15-member team, with a roster of two seniors, a junior, seven sophomores, and five freshmen. The roster includes seniors Bethany Ando (7) and Evin Ott (12); junior Hannah Morgan (20); sophomores Jewell Baddeley (15), Avery Begeman (5), Raegan Gibbons (4), Chloe Loop (8), Emery McMahon (18), Eve Puhala (9), and Caitlyn Troxell (16); and freshmen Madeleine Ketchum (6), Ella Ott (13), Campbell Reader (3), Kennedy Trillo (11), and Emily Velasco (17).
Scottsdale Christian competed in the seven-member 2A West Region with Camp Verde, Fountain Hills, Phoenix Christian, Phoenix Madison Highland Prep, Sedona Red Rock, and Tempe Prep.
No. 12 Morenci Wildcats (15-11 overall)
The Joseph Garcia-coached 2A South Region Wildcats (15-11 overall, 11-7 seeding, 5-3 region) averaged an 11-7 (291-183) score per game or a 4-run margin through 26 games.
Morenci has seeding game wins over Miami (11-0 in 5 inn, March 5), Pima (15-0 in 5 inn, March 11), Eagar Round Valley (13-3 in 6 inn, March 19), Tombstone (15-13, March 24), Fort Thomas (18-2 in 5 inn, April 2), Santa Rita (23-1 in 4 inn, April 8), Chandler Prep (15-0 in 4 inn, April 14), San Miguel (1-0, April 16), Pima (15-0 in 4 inn, April 17), Benson (21-8 in 5 inn, April 22), and Saint Augustine (31-0 in 5 inn, April 24). The losses were to Willcox (0-10 in 5 inn, March 14), Saint Johns (6-9, March 17), Willcox (16-17 in 10 inn, March 27), Tucson Empire (1-11 in 5 inn, March 28), Bisbee (14-17, April 1), Horizon Honors (3-22 in 5 inn, April 4), Desert Christian (16-17, April 11).
Sophomore has a .348 (23-66) batting average with 14 RBIs.
The Wildcats went 3-1 during the 3-day Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin tourney and 1-3 during the 2-day Chandler Prep tourney. Morenci topped Gilbert Christian (23-0 in 3 inn, Feb. 27), San Tan Valley Poston Butte (9-7 in 6 inn, Feb. 28), Phoenix Northwest Christian (14-2 in 5 inn, March 1), and Prescott (5-2 in 6 inn, March 20). The losses were to Phoenix Horizon Honors (4-11 in 5 inn, Feb. 28), Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep (0-18 in 5 inn, March 20), Phoenix Thunderbird (2-12 in 5 inn, March 21), and Thatcher (0-1, March 21).
Morenci has a 15-member team with two seniors, three juniors, six sophomores, and four freshmen. The roster includes seniors Ariana Burnette (20) and Cameryn Woodall (3); juniors Jaliyah Hernandez (14), Jaimie Turner (2), and Shaylee Wichmann (13); sophomores Tiara Jones (15), Kieralyn Madrigal (6), Malina Martinez (7), Mayeli Salazar (5), Kailee Sandoval (8), and Janessa Webb (9); and freshmen Ava Basteen (1), Khloee Kouts (11), Emily Rivera (17), and Leiah Strong (16).
The Wildcats competed in the seven-member 2A West Region with Benson, Bisbee, Tombstone, Willcox, and Tucson schools, Desert Christian, Saint Augustine Catholic, San Miguel Catholic, and Santa Rita.
