azpreps365.com checked in with some of the state's baseball contenders this week to spotlight some of their players as the teams approach the final stretch of the regular season.

The first round of the playoffs begin April 29 and 30. This year figures to follow the trend of previous seasons, with closely contested state title races since the frontrunners in each division already lost to a division foe or two.

Notes   

Ash Fork (14-1): Ashton Atkinson has struck out 114 of the 167 batters he's faced in 44 innings. Atkinson not only has great control on the mound, but he also has excellent defensive skills, his coach said. “Ashton is our captain and biggest role model,” coach Sonny Martin said. “He is very positive and energetic. (Sr. 1B/C/P) Jose Cohen and (Jr. 2B, P) Kyle Howard have been the biggest surprises this season with their batting and defense. (Fr. C/INF/P) Cesar Acosta has also excelled as a catcher and has pitched surprisingly well in a couple of games.” Jr. SS Rian Gutierrez (2.82 ERA, 36 K’s in 22 1/3 innings) is the team’s No. 2 on the mound. “We have done exceptionally well so far this season mainly because of our pitching and offense. This is the first year that our batting has been as successful as it has been."  

Bagdad (14-4): The Lovealls continue to break the hearts of opponents. Four Loveall brothers and two cousins have donned the royal blue, gray and white of Bagdad in the past eight years, when a Loveall has started every year and led the team in hitting. This season, Benj Loveall is leading the way at the plate (.582 ave.) and on the mound (5-0, .66 ERA, 40 K’s in 32 innings.) He’s also 18 for 18 in stolen bases. Benj’s younger brother, Israel, also is 5-0 on the bump and is hitting .526. After 112 combined at bats, the Loveall brothers haven’t struck out yet. But the Lovealls aren’t the only Bagdad players who are producing. SS Connor Pacheco is batting .456 as a first-year switch hitter. “We are really strong up the middle with Connor Pacheco and (Lee Williams transfer) Chase Williams as a double play combo,” coach Dalton Mills said. “Israel and Benj are both quality catchers. Our three top pitchers aren’t over powering but command the strike zone, and Benj is the best centerfielder in the division when he is out there.” 

Corona del Sol (16-3): “We lost our ace, Quinn Flanagan (injury), for the season and our No. 4 hitter to a broken hand, but they still keep battling,” said coach David Webb of his team. “I am very proud of them." Team stat leaders are Sr. CF Ryan Novis (.571 ave., 25 RBI’s, 25 runs), Sr. 1B/LHP Connor McCord (.408 ave., 1.40 ERA in 20 innings), Jr. SS Chase Hamilton (.391 ave., 33 runs in 46 AB), Jr. LHP Brandon Bracy (5-1), and Fr. LHP Daniel Sotelo (.88 ERA in 23 innings). So. RF/RHP Matt Novis, Ryan's brother, has done a good job in place of injured RF Christian Slater, coach said. 

North (12-3): Sr. SS Francisco Valenzuela is a threat every time he steps to the plate (.500 ave) or on the mound (1.97 ERA, 34 K’s). His battery mate, Jesse Valenzuela, has allowed only five stolen bases. On the mound, Jesse is 5-0 with four complete games and a .81 ERA in 26 innings. Leadoff hitter Sr. centerfielder Servando Munoz is hitting .421. So. Max Sweet worked his way into the No. 3 pitcher (2-0, 2.21 ERA, 23 K’s in 19 innings) and tossed a perfect game in his first career varsity outing. “We knew pitching would be our strength going into this year,” coach Ty Coulter said. “We have significantly cut down on our defensive errors from last year. We aren’t the best hitting team, but we know how to hit to the situation, and we have patient hitters who draw a lot of walks.”

Odyssey Institute Buckeye (13-2): Steven Boyd, Christian Carraway, Nico Drogaris, Kyle Jenson, Zac McNeiley, and Oscar Talamantes have a combined .500 batting average. The team's fielding percentage is at a .931 and carries a combined 2.92 ERA. The squad is winning despite injuries to three key players, Nico Drogaris (hamstring), Parker Williams (shoulder) and Samuel Nunez (shoulder). But Tyler Beeson, Chase Fry and Branson Fry are stepping up for the missing players. The first-year AIA program is led by former major leaguer Daniel Nelson.

Perry (18-5): “The kids are talented, hungry and resilient,” coach Damien Tippett said. “They never give up at bats, offensively or pitching-wise. They buy in and they play for each other. In the era of club ball, it is nice to see an old-school high school team where the kids want to represent their high school more than their own agendas.” Perry has three proven leaders in Trevor Hauver, Tommy Sacco and Bryson Wheatley. Hauver and Wheatley not only lead the team in almost every offensive category, they are also two of the state’s best middle infielders. Wheatley has “matured” from being just a hard thrower into a pitcher. He’s also a solid teammate every minute of the day. Another standout pitcher and teammate is senior Tayt Smith. Smith used last year’s junior varsity stint to improve his game and did so by leaps and bounds. He’s now the starting centerfielder, one of the team’s leading hitters and “arguably” Perry’s best pitcher. 

Salpointe (18-3): The team regularly starts eight seniors. Two of the seniors, Branden Hance (6-1, 1.28 ERA) and Tommy Garcia (5-0, 2.00 ERA), helped prove that, despite graduating some talented arms last year, the team’s pitching is still formidable this year. And there’s also pitching depth with Ivan Varela, Jesus Carmona, Alex Hernandez and Adrian Martinez. All three levels of Salpointe’s baseball program practice on one field without lights. The teams practiced at the same time during the first third of the season, which helped the varsity players retain lesson plans and mold the younger players, coach Danny Preble said. “We have 20 solid guys who are pulling in the same direction,” Preble said. "Our team is built around a very solid core of guys who have been together for 5-6 years. They all show up each day and put their time in. It’s not forced on them. They want to perform at a high level.”

Sandra Day O’Connor (20-3): Jeff Baumgartner’s squad reached 20 wins for the eighth time in the past 12 seasons. The program “sneaked" into the playoffs last season, but that experience is paying off this season, Baumgartner said. The lineup is following the lead of leadoff hitter Bailin Markridge (.438, 25 runs, 18 RBI, 9 stolen bases). Nolan Gorman leads the team with a .450 average, 25 runs and 25 RBI. Colby Wyatt, Ryan Alexander (.78 ERA, .353) and Keegan McCarville (2.41 ERA, .370 ave.) are a combined 14-2.

Thunderbird (15-5): With nine games left in its regular season, Thunderbird was hitting .100 points higher (.383) and had hit 10 more home runs than last season with almost the same lineup. It has also already recorded more runs, doubles and triples than last season. Another impressive stat is the team’s overall GPA of 4.0. “Our team goal before the year was to simply be the most selfless team in the state and the rest would take care of itself,” coach Clayton Klavitter said. Klavitter said his team has benefitted from its time with Randy Chambers of FCA and 3D Coaching. The team also worked with former Thunderbird player P.J. Garcia in the weight room. “We have put the process over performance, and the guys have fun and play loose,” Klavitter said. "We have tremendous leadership with our seniors, which makes all the difference in the world.” So. Sasha Sneider (5-0, 2.59 ERA, 39 Ks in 24 innings) has been the team’s ace since last year. He has command of three pitches and is very poised for his age, coach said. Sr. Matt Lundh (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 40 K’s in 34 innings) has rebounded from a slow start. The team’s stat leaders are So. 1B/P Haydn McGeary (.557, 36 RBI, 9 doubles, 8 HRs), Sr. LF/C Alex Sevensky (.488, 33 RBI), Sr. OF Sean Tamboer (.439, .515 OBP), Sr. C. Alfredo Amaya Zapata (.345, .514 OBP, “great defense behind the plate”), Sr. CF/P Brett Budde (4-year starter, .345, “energy leader,” four saves as closer), and Sr. leadoff hitter Thomas Dohgne (.391, 13 RBI, only two errors at SS).     

Verrado (20-5): This is the fifth consecutive season that Verrado has reached the 20-win plateau but the first with a new coach. First-year coach Mark Flatten credited Verrado’s administration and players for the smooth coaching transition. Flatten and assistants Nick Swanson and Enrique Cotto came over from Valley Vista. “When you take over a program that has already had success, sometimes it’s hard to get kids to do things differently, not better or worse, just different,” Flatten said. “The kids were hungry to learn and we had a mutual respect for the success we both had as players and coaches. It has helped us come together and use our knowledge and experience to get things done.” The team’s stat leaders are 3B Tristan Pool (.397, 17 RBI, 3 HR), OF Elijah Celaya (.410, 20 RBI, 7 triples), RHP Breckyn Montano (29 2/3 IP, 3.07 ERA, 26 K’s, 4-0), and LHP Tony Caporrimo (1.68 ERA, 16 2/3 IP.)