AZSPORTSNETWORK

Hello 1A Sports Fans!

With basketball all but done we now move on to the spring sports and it has already started to be an exciting start to the spring season. Please remember the Florence Joe S. Padilla baseball tourney starts today and we will broadcast live. Send us your scores and we will update our site as well.

In baseball today #1 Valley Union will take on PCDS which could be a good match for our #1 1A team.

Softball:

Tanque Verde:
They beat Ajo by 2 in seven innings. This was a tremendous start to the season. From what people tell me this is the best TV team since they started softball at the school.

St. David 11 Tombstone 1
The Tigers were able to get an easy win against rival Tombstone. Tombstone is in rebuild mode after Coach Devere decided to return and try and get the program back on track.

San Pasqual Softball:

Last year: 1-15 overall

Top returners: Janequa Mills, jr., SS; Brandy Black, jr., P; Apple Casteneda, soph., C/CF; Dominique Rueda, soph., IF; Jodeci Williams, soph., P/OF

Key newcomers: Mari Barley, sr., 3B; Denise Orozco, fresh., C/CF

Player to watch: Mills is starting to develop into a fierce power hitter and is a threat as the cleanup hitter.

Coach Denise Lindeman's comments: "There's a definite lack of experience around here, but there are some great kids to work with. We should really get things going as the season goes on."

The lowdown: Lindeman, also the school's interim AD, likes the way the team is shaping up, although fears that eligibility may become an issue. That aside, the team has a 22-game schedule this year and hopes to be much more competitive. Only five players are back from last year's squad.
http://varsity.yumasun.com/sports/soph-2718-year-team.html

MAYER

This past spring the Wildcats finished fifth in the 1A West Region and struggled to click as a team. With a new coach, Sylvia Paulsen, and a fresh outlook, Mayer hopes to turn the corner.

"We're real optimistic about this year," said assistant coach Jesse Bais, speaking on behalf of Paulsen. "We have a good, solid corps of girls and we think we can make a run."

Senior Sadie Langdon will start at pitcher, while junior Shayna Adams returns as the full-time catcher.

Mayer's infield consists of senior Bridget O'Sullivan at first base, Sarah Mathern at second, Eunice Vega at short, and sophomore Candice Smith and senior Crystal Kathe likely sharing duties at third.

The outfield is not as locked down for the Wildcats, as right field appears open with sophomores Aleesia Phillips and Sarah Bywater competing alongside freshman Natalia Freemyer.

Crystal Kathe should see time in center field. But left field is also up for grabs with freshman Silkee Hill, junior Destiny Gore and sophomore Hannah Klisby all battling for the spot.

In the region, Mayer thinks it can lock up one of the top three or four seeds and return to state. Bagdad and Valley Lutheran should provide the stiffest competition.

"Up and down, we're pretty solid in the order and, defensively, we look good," Bais said. "We're working real hard and the enthusiasm is there. We will back down for nobody."

ORME SCHOOL

The Warriors finished 6-6 in the 1A West this past year and did not qualify for the state playoffs. But with a more experienced team in 2010, the outlook appears more promising for fourth-year coach Amy Sawyer.

Right-handed senior ace pitcher Kim Brennan, a workhorse from Prescott known for wracking up strikeouts, returns for her fourth and final season on the slab.

Sophomore Michaela Smyly, a righty from Spring Valley, will back up Brennan and see time at first base and catcher.

In the infield, junior Ramona Coroban enters her second season as the starting catcher. Smyly and junior Hillary Dethmer expect to split time at first, while returner Cody Kane of Prescott is at second.

Sawyer said she will play shortstop by committee and feature Smyly and sophomore Danielle Yazzi from Chinle as potential starters. Yazzi and junior Ellie Brownridge likely will share responsibilities at third.

In the outfield, right field also will be by committee, although junior Kristen Young holds an edge there.

Strong-armed junior Tiara Jackson gets the green light in centerfield, and athletic freshman Billie Shepard will play left.

"We have a lot of power and speed in our lineup," Sawyer said. "We just need to work on the fundamentals and fine tuning of where the ball goes."

Other Tuesday Scores:
Morenci 10 Duncan 0
Round Valley 15 Mogollon 4
Ray 12 Superior 2

Baseball:
Tanque Verde 11 Ajo 0 5innings
TV starts off their season with an easy victory vs a much improved Ajo team. AZSouth stated that Ajo has really improved and it is our feeling they will beat some teams. TV has a crucial match today vs St. Augustine at Kino Sports Complex.

St. David 3 Tombstone 2
The Tigers made an opening day statement that they are not gonna be satisfied with just a 4th playoff spot from the tough 1A South Division. Remember that the powerpoints will come into play as well. Tracey got the complete game, giving up only 1 hit, by defeating the Yellow Jackets. Tombstone relied on 3 pitchers, Skiles, Milligan, and Mora.

Ray 5 Superior 1:
Ray, was able to beat Superior in the first game for both teams. Ray has only 10 players at this point on the team and the Panthers had 4 starters missing.

SanPasqal wins DH vs Orme 17-2 and 13-3:
The Warriors started their 2010 season off by totally dominating Orme.

Victor Robles went 5-for-7 over two games for the Warriors, which picked up two wins against Orme. San Pasqual won the first game 13-3, followed by a 17-2 victory that was highlighted by a Robles grand slam.

In the first contest Alex Marquez pitched a six-inning complete game, where he allowed six hits and struck out seven. Aaron Lucero through a two-hitter over five innings in Game 2.

Jaime Marquez was 3-for-4 with a three-run homer for San Pasqual. Taylor Thomas finished the day 3-for-3 for the Warriors and Alex Marquez was 4-for-4.

MAYER

New faces will abound at the Mayer baseball field this season. Most notably, Brett Smith's.

The first-year coach inherits a program that finished 2009 7-11, but 6-4 in region play. That record, however, was not enough to land the Wildcats a spot in the state tournament after Mayer dropped a play-in game to Surrey Garden.

Smith's new program returns on a couple of players who made significant contributions in 2009, one of them being front-line starter Andrew Howland, who returns for his junior season.

"We're looking for big things (from him)," Smith said. "With his physical growth, we're looking for him to carry a lot of weight for us, and pitch a lot of innings."

Howland also plays the middle infield when he's not on the mound, teaming with another returner, Tony Warburton.

Couple that with the return to the game of center fielder Daniel Mendoza, and the Wildcats seem very solid up the middle.

"He's very quick, has a great glove (and) a great arm," Smith said of Mendoza. "We're really looking forward to him doing quite a bit for us."

Smith expects new faces to do their part as well, including three transfer students who should sure up other positions on the field.

Anthony Hall came to Mayer from Iowa and is expected to catch, pitch and play the infield. The same goes for Christian Smith from Florida.

Mason Smith - no relation to Christian - will spend time at third base and on the mound after arriving from California.

Smith plans on dressing at least 10 underclassmen when the season gets underway. But, he emphasized that the youth moment won't be a crutch to lean on if the team isn't successful.

"While we want to develop the young kids, we want to go out and be competitive and win ball games," Smith said. "Our goal is to play the game the right way, be a solid defensive team and use our speed."

ORME

At The Orme School, the baseball program is not judged by their final win-loss record.

To do so would be unfair, since many of the players on this year's squad had never even played a game of catch before practice began two weeks ago, coach Todd Roe said.

Instead, the coach plans to focus on the fundamentals, teach his players how to play the game right and hopefully they'll have some fun along with way.

The Warriors return four major players from last year's squad that finished 3-14, and Roe said he expects these four to play key roles at key positions.

Dakota Sawyer returns for his senior season and, in addition to his duties as the team's shortstop and a pitcher, he also coaches up his fellow teammates, Roe said.

"He's probably our best hitter and our most experienced player," Roe said. "We're going to lean on him heavily this year."

Chaz Erickson also returns for his senior campaign as the team's primary catcher. In fact, Roe said, he's basically the team's only catcher, meaning Orme will have to "really count on him, especially in doubleheaders," Roe said.

The two other returners come back to the team after logging their first year of organized baseball last season.

David Galbraith is expected to roam center field for the Warriors, while Chase Immel will showcase his arm strength on the mound and play first base.

Last season, the Warriors had the luxury of pitcher who consistently gives them solid innings. This year, that luxury isn't available yet.

Instead, Roe plans to coach and teach his players about the game. If the wins come, then they come. Either way, he plans on his kids having fun.

Other Tuesday Results:
St. Johns 18 Joe City 4
Morenci 6 Duncan 5
Valley Lutheran 19 Tempe Prep 0 5innings

Track and Field:
ORME

Ricardo Olivares, Orme's first-year track coach, inherits a solid boys' squad that features junior sprinter Alphonso Broom - a relay runner who as a sophomore placed in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Sprinters Metehan Akcam, Theo Turner and Hakim Mitchell also should stand out, as should distance runners Tony Ndunda (800m and the mile), Kaleb Johnson (3200m and the mile) and Ahilly Ohanlon.

Olivares said he is still piecing together a girls' team, which presently has only two members.