By Don Ketchum

It has been an amazing journey for the Phoenix Horizon softball team this season, emerging from the clouds of uncertainty to the top spot in power points and the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A Division II state tournament that begins Saturday (April 30).

Horizon opens play in the double-elimination event at home against No. 16 seed Yuma. First pitch is 1 p.m.

Other 5A-II first round games in Pool A are No. 9 Peoria Centennial at No. 8 Gilbert Perry, No. 12 Laveen Betty H. Fairfax at No. 5 Glendale Deer Valley and No. 13 Avondale Westview at No. 4 Phoenix Pinnacle.

Pool B first-round games are No.15 Phoenix Carl Hayden at No. 2 Yuma Cibola, No. 10 Scottsdale Chaparral at No. 7 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor, No. 11 Tucson Sunnyside at No. 6 Scottsdale Desert Mountain and No. 14 Marana Mountain View at No. 3 Tucson Ironwood Ridge. All the games except Horizon begin at 11 a.m.

Horizon’s program changed coaches in the days leading up to the start of team tryouts, and Bryan Casey took over. The son of Horizon football coach Steve Casey, Bryan Casey had not coached softball before. He had played baseball at Kofa High in Yuma, for Arizona Western junior college in Yuma and in the minor league system of the Kansas City Royals for six seasons.

“I wanted them to benefit from playing the game, and winning would be extra,’’ Bryan Casey said.

“Baseball and softball are different in a lot of ways, but they’re also very similar in a lot of ways. There’s a fine line. For the most part, a softball player hits the ball like a baseball player. Pitching is the biggest difference.

“We have a special group of girls. From the get-go, they have put in a lot of time and hard work. They really want to win.’’

When Casey played for Kofa, the team was in the same region as many of the southeast Valley schools. It was a challenge for the Yuma schools, he said, “but we would use it as fuel to try to win. That’s what Yuma is going to try to do. It is the start of a new season. It doesn’t really matter if you are 1 or 16.’’

Horizon (22-8) is led by senior pitcher Allison Schullo, senior center fielder Leah White and junior shortstop Nicole Newbury.

Casey said Schullo (15-3) only began full-time pitching last summer and picked up the pace when the Horizon season started.

“She has had a heck of a year. She is a battler and a leader,’’ Casey said. “She works the hitters pitch by pitch. Even when things aren’t going her way, she shows no emotion.’’

White, the team’s leadoff hitter, has 66 hits, breaking the previous team record held by Kaitlyn Boyd (now at Arizona State). She also has a team-record eight triples and has scored 56 runs. She has earned a scholarship to play for Stanford.

Newbury has 57 hits, including a team-record 18 doubles, and leads the team with 48 RBIs.

“Leah’s play speaks for itself. Nicole is a scrappy player. She doesn’t strike out much, just puts the ball in play and drives in runs.’’

Senior third baseman Jamie Morgan can hit and is one of the team’s top defensive players.

“She has awesome hands. It is tough to get the ball by her,’’ Casey said.

And sophomore first baseman Margaret Stahm is developing into a power threat.