No. 1 Hamilton (18-2) vs No. 16 Mountain Pointe (10-8)
Hamilton according to Maxpreps enters the postseason ranked as the No. 10 team in the United States. To most schools, that is a cause for celebration. But not for a team with a storied history like the Huskies, who started the year ranked No. 2 and had aspirations of a National Championship. The Huskies due to cancellation of the state tournament last season are still the defending 6A conference state champions and have a talented lineup that can compete with arguably any team in the nation. The leaders of the lineup are the senior duo of UCLA commit shortstop/3rd baseman Roch Cholowsky and the flame throwing LSU commit, pitcher Brock Selvidge who boasts a fastball that tops out at 96 MPH. Both have caused fits for each team they’ve faced and has made the Huskies the team to beat in the state. The two games that the Huskies lost were polar opposites, the first was a 1-2 loss to Red Mountain on March 22 in which the Mountain Lions walked off the Huskies. The other loss was a 9-2 drubbing by Liberty on April 14 that was even more of a domination for the Lions than the score shows.
Mountain Pointe limps into the final seed after losing four of their final five games, which includes an 8-4 loss on April 27 to Hamilton. But the Pride have proven that they’re not a push-over with wins on the season over No. 8 Corona Del Sol, No. 10 Queen Creek No. 11 Brophy Prep, and No. 15 Chandler. The Pride’s key to pulling an upset will be senior Jacob Beltran. Beltran has made an impact on the mound and at the plate, contributing a .345 batting average and a team high eight doubles to pair with his four wins and 32 strikeouts. Another player to watch for is senior Cole Sheehan and his team high 23 RBI’s. Sheehan also had .439 batting average which placed him second in the 6A Central region.
No. 2 Liberty (17-3) vs No. 15 Chandler (11-9)
Liberty after a slow 2-3 start has rolled off 15 straight victories and is the hottest team in the 6A conference heading into the postseason. Since April 1, the Lions haven’t just won seven games against playoff teams, they’ve outright dominated those teams. In those seven games the Lions outscored opponents 86-22. Which included major wins over No. 1 Hamilton, No. 3 Mountain Ridge, and No. 7 Chaparral. A big key to those wins has been senior pitcher & Washington State commit Kaden Schiefelbein whose 0.84 ERA and 52 strikeouts lead the team. At the plate senior infielder & Edgewood College commit Ryan Ambrosy has connected for a stellar .571 batting average which is No. 4 in the 6A conference in 19 total games played. In fact the Lions have four players with ten or more games played that are batting .500 or better, no other team in 6A has more than three.
Chandler with two weeks left in the season was on the outside of the playoff bubble and its hopes looked bleak. The Wolves then proceeded to win their final five games, a stretch that started with a 7-6 thriller over No. 9 Basha on April 26. During the regular season the Wolves relied upon the pitching duo of senior Patrick Morris and junior Daniel Hutchinson. They went a combined 7-3 on the mound with a 2.31 and 3.07 ERA respectively which were the lowest on the team amongst starters. A player who can impact the game when he gets on the base path is junior Tate Scott with nine stolen bases. Getting on the bases shouldn’t be a challenge either for Scott, he’s batting .368 which is near the top for the team. The Wolves average 3.5 runs in the final two innings of games, if they’re able to chase the opposing starter out of the game they can pounce.
No. 3 Mountain Ridge (16-4) vs No. 14 Perry (9-10)
Mountain Ridge has made it to at least the semifinals in five out of the previous six state tournaments but hasn’t been able to get the elusive championship that previous coach turned current assistant Lance Billingseley and current coach Artie Cox have yearned for. The Mountain Lions were No. 1 in 6A for much of April, until a 18-3 defeat by No. 7 Chaparral on April 23 knocked them behind Hamilton and Liberty in the rankings. The Mountain Lions have relied on senior pitcher/University of Texas-Arlington commit Gray Bailey to stay at the top of 6A. His eight wins are 2nd in the state. With a deep senior led pitching staff, the Mountain Lions field a group of batters that are young and hungry and for most this will be their first playoff experience. The first taste of success was clinching a Desert Valley region title with a 8-2 record in region play this season. Junior infielder/University of Hawaii commit AJ Singer will play a big role in if there is more success in the future for the Mountain Lions as he has been clutch at the plate for the young team with a .388 batting average and eight doubles.
Perry has played one of the toughest schedules in the 6A conference. 14 of the 19 total games for the Pumas were against playoff teams, the majority of which in region play. In those 14 games against playoff teams the Pumas went 6-8, including a loss in their first home game of the season against Mountain Ridge 10-1 on March 17. For the Pumas to succeed, one of their two aces will need to step-up and shut down the hard hitting Mountain Lion lineup. Sophomore Zack Agnew went 4-1 on the season and senior Justin Still finished 3-2, both are well rested and available for the Pumas in their first game and will be key to a Cinderella run if they get rolling.
No. 4 Alhambra (16-1) vs No. 13. Sunnyslope (13-7)
Alhambra to many has been the surprise team of the 2021 season, But to those in and around the program they knew the Lions have been waiting for this moment since last season. Prior to the cancellation of the season last year the Lions started 8-2 and had a legitimate chance to make noise in the conference. Now with a full season under their belt it’s time for the Lions to take another step forward. Two stars who’ll determine whether or not as a unit they do it, is senior pitcher Daniel Avitia who’s 0.78 ERA across nine games ranks second on the team. And sophomore Marco Pacheco who has left opposing hitters in shambles as he holds the best ERA in the state, allowing a grand total of zero runs in 29 ⅔ innings pitched for the Lions.
Sunnyslope enters the postseason with something to prove. The Vikings played three 6A playoff teams and lost to all three including a 20-4 loss to No. 2 Liberty on the final night of the regular season May 5. The Vikings although in an easier region when compared to others in the postseason did challenge themselves with five games against 5A playoff teams going 4-1 in those battles. Up and down the Vikings lineup are batters who get into duels at the plate which bodes trouble for opposing teams as the pitch count can get high fast if they can’t get past the disciplined hitters. The Vikings key contributor this season has been junior Christian Perez whose vision at the plate has led to a great .533 batting average while driving in 33 RBI’s from the seventh spot in the batting order.
No. 5 Red Mountain (17-3) vs No. 12 Tucson (14-6)
Red Mountain has a legitimate argument for best team in the 6A conference yet the Mountain Lions enter the postseason sitting at No. 5. A major reason for that is a 3-1 loss to No. 11 Brophy Prep on May 3 that dropped the Mountain Lions in the rankings with one day left in the regular season. A 4-0 start which included a 2-1 victory over No. 1 Hamilton that turned across the state as it showed the level of talent the Mountain Lions had. They then proceeded to drop the next two games to No. 17 Skyline and No. 8 Corona Del Sol. Those losses were just what the doctor ordered as the Mountain Lions rattled off a month-long winning streak of 11 victories with only one of those wins being by less than five runs. The ace of the Mountain Lion rotation RJ Elmore will most likely be saved for when he’s absolutely needed, and when that happens teams beware. Elmore holds a 1.03 ERA with 49 strikeouts on the season, he was on the mound when the Mountain Lions beat Hamilton and will be ready to attack again if they make it to a potential semi final rematch against the Huskies.
Tucson like most Southern Arizona teams played a very local schedule and rarely hosted teams from north of Pima and Pinal counties but when they did, they proved that they can compete with some of the best teams in the valley. No. 10 Queen Creek and No. 11 Brophy Prep both made trips to Cherry Field and neither made the return trip up I-10 victorious. All six of the losses for the Badgers came from playoff teams in either 4A or 5A including 4A No. 1 Canyon Del Oro twice and 5A No. 10 Catalina Foothills on the final night of the regular season. For Tucson to succeed in the postseason, it begins with power hitter Ruben Villaescusa-Galaz whose 28 RBI’s, four home runs, and 12 doubles all lead the team. He has the ability to spark a run any time he steps to the plate and could lead the Badgers past round one.
No. 6 Sandra Day O’Connor (13-7) vs No. 11 Brophy Prep (10-10)
Sandra Day O’Connor is now three years removed from their first baseball state championship in school history and they are just as hungry to win one now as they were then. They don’t boast an imposing figure like first round draft pick Nolan Gorman from their 2018 championship team, but they do hold three players who were on that roster: Aiden Sullivan, Chase Valentine, and Barrett Skaugrud. Skaugrud as a freshman pitched a complete game allowing only one run to bring home the championship. Fast forward to present day, Skaugrud has only gotten better. Now as an Arizona State commit Skaugrud has a 1.20 ERA with six wins in seven appearances this season. Coach Jeff Baumgartner has been leading the Eagles since the school opened in 2002 and has the experience to lead his group of men back to the championship game.
Brophy Prep had firmly been locked into the 12-14 range for playoff seeding heading into the final week of the season. Although they held an average record by most standards, the strength of schedule of the Broncos allowed them to not fall any further than No. 11 as all ten of their losses were to playoff teams. Teetering on the edge of falling below No. 14 the Broncos started the final week of the season with a 3-1 win over No. 5 Red Mountain on May 3, which allowed the Broncos to jump even higher than their previous ceiling of No. 12 before they fell to O’Connor 5-2 just the next day. The Broncos ability to pull off an upset in the rematch depends on how fast they can jump on the O’Connor starter. The Broncos average more than half of their runs in the first three innings.
No. 7 Chaparral (11-7) vs No. 10 Queen Creek (14-6)
Chaparral this season has been a tale of two stretches. The Firebirds started the season 5-5 with all five losses coming against playoff teams and a pitching staff that was lit up for 29 total runs against No. 2 Liberty and No. 11 Brophy. After a 4-3 loss to No. 8 Corona Del Sol, the Firebirds hit their stride going on a 6-2 run to end the season that included road wins against region opponents No. 6 Sandra Day O’Connor and No. 3 Mountain Ridge. The Firebirds enter the postseason on a four game winning streak with an offense that averaged seven runs a game in the final six games of the season. Junior Ethan Hott has been key to the offensive explosion for the Firebirds as he has seven home runs on the season including three in the past four games including five RBI’s in the same stretch.
Queen Creek returns to the state tournament for the fourth straight season looking to build from their first round exit in the 2019 tournament. The Bulldogs schedule allowed themselves to test their talent against other playoff teams, playing against six different playoff teams in eight games going 3-5 against them. The key to pulling off a victory for the Bulldogs is scoring, and scoring a lot. In 10 of the 14 victories for the Bulldogs, they scored eight or more runs including 21 in a blowout victory over Shadow Ridge on April 27.
No. 8 Corona Del Sol (14-6) vs No. 9 Basha (11-8)
Corona Del Sol enters the state tournament looking to repeat the success of the 2019 tournament where they got to the state championship game. Although the Aztecs lost, they learned what it took to get to that point and look to make a run back to Tempe Diablo stadium. After a slow 2-2 start to the season the Aztecs had a stretch of 11 wins in 13 games that hit a screeching halt on April 29 when No. 1 Hamilton hosted the Aztecs and proceeded to put 19 runs on the board in five innings on its way to a 19-3 win. The Aztecs bounced back beating Mountain View Mesa 9-0 on April 30, before falling 9-8 to No. 3 Mountain Ridge on May 3. The bump in the road before the postseason is not cause for concern though as the offense hasn’t missed a beat throughout the season, that means pitching will be key to any run the Aztecs go on. Senior Wyatt Bauer has been the go to ace for the Aztecs and most likely will be on the mound against Basha.
Basha is a unique team, some nights the team that beat No. 6 Sandra Day O’Connor and No. 11 Brophy Prep appears. Some nights the team who was run ruled by No. 2 Red Mountain and No. 14 Perry takes the field. Finding a consistent stretch of games is hard for the Bears as they rarely win multiple games in a row and rarely lose multiple games in a row. Finding consistency in such a unique postseason will be the one thing the Bears need to succeed. That consistency begins with who takes the mound, senior pitchers Cayden Musgrove and Ethan Gibbs have pitched half of the total innings for the Bears this season. If the Bears go far in the tournament it’s because of their workhorses on the mound going deep into games.
No. 1 Xavier Prep (15-2) vs No. 16 Cibola (14-4)
Xavier Prep for years has been near the top of the rankings yet hasn’t gotten over the hump to make an appearance in the state championship game, this year though looks to be different for the Gators as they’ve steamrolled most competition in the 6A conference. The Gators have outscored opponents 156-37 on the season and have six wins of 10 runs or more. The only two losses for the Gators came in region play to powerhouse No. 2 Hamilton. The Gators have one of the most feared hitters in the state in their lineup, junior Bridget Donahey is third in the 6A conference with 10 home runs on the season that includes a stretch of six straight games with a home run. The Gators went 5-1 in that stretch. Donahey also has 28 RBI’s to go with a .417 batting average on the season.
Cibola was comfortably in a playoff position throughout the final month of the regular season, but in the final two weeks of the season the Raiders kept dropping in the rankings in spite of them not having lost since April 13 and winning six straight games. The final rankings dropped the Raiders from No. 14 to the final spot in the tournament with only .49 points separating them from the No. 17 team Mountain Ridge. Nevertheless the Raiders are in the tournament and hope to make noise with a major challenge ahead of them round one. The hope of an upset falls on the trio of seniors Stephanie Tapia, Madison Mathews and sophomore Mischa Mathews. These three ladies have been the power source in an electric offense, Tapia leads the team in home runs with six, Madison Mathews leads the team in triples with three, and Mischa Mathews leads the team in batting average with a .564 average. If the Raiders can get them to the plate they can cause fits for the Gator pitchers.
No. 2 Hamilton (15-5) vs No. 15 Corona Del Sol (11-9)
Hamilton since 2016 has been a consistent stalwart in the 6A conference championship game. The Huskies under coach Rocky Parra have made three of the previous four championship games winning twice. After starting the season 3-5, the Huskies did not look poised to make a return trip to the championship game. After a 5-3 loss to No. 12 Basha on March 31, the Huskies have ripped off 12 straight wins including a sweep on No. 1 Xavier Prep and a nail biting victory against No. 6 Sandra Day O’Connor. The Huskies have one of best players in the state in freshman Kate Vance. Vance is No. 2 in the state with 12 home runs and 33 RBI’s. Her best game of the season was in an 18-2 win vs San Luis on March 27 where she had three home runs and seven RBI’s.
Corona Del Sol was the No.16 team in the rankings for the final eight days of the season sitting on pins and needles playing every game as if it was an elimination game. On May 3, the Aztecs hosted No.17 Mountain Ridge in a defacto play-in game and dominated the Mountain Lions 16-6 moving them up to No. 15 and officially off the bubble as they headed into the final day of the regular season. The Aztecs on the season played 12 games against playoff teams going 3-9 in those matchups. In order to reverse their fortunes against the Huskies, the Aztecs need their stellar hitter senior Tristin Jamar and her .605 batting average to keep the offense in the game.
No. 3 Queen Creek (15-3) vs No 14. Perry
Queen Creek hosted the No. 14 Perry Pumas who were fighting for their playoff lives on the last day of the regular season. The Bulldogs dropped the matchup 4-3 which in turn dropped them from No. 2 to No. 3. Prior to the loss on May 5, the Bulldogs had won 14 straight games after starting the season 1-2. Offense has played a large part in the success the Bulldogs have achieved, scoring nine or more runs in 11 of the victories during the season including 39 runs in a shutout victory against Skyline on March 16. If the pitching can stay dominant, the Bulldogs have a legitimate shot at the championship. On the mound senior Paige Salazar has been the dominant force that every great team needs in order to succeed. Her seven wins and 0.55 ERA is best on the team.
Perry can finally breathe again. The Pumas the final week of the season were moving up and down the ranking system as if it was a rollercoaster. On May 3, before the first rankings of the week came out the Pumas were sitting at No. 14. A loss to No. 4 Pinnacle sent the Pumas down to No. 15 heading into the next day where they would fall to No. 10 Chaparral. This loss sent the Pumas tumbling out of the top 16 where their hopes depended on whether or not they could upset then No. 2 Queen Creek. The Pumas jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on in a final inning for a 4-3 upset that skyrocketed them into the top 16 and set up a rematch with the Bulldogs on May 8. The key to the Pumas shocking the Bulldogs again will be containing their offense. This starts with freshman Sarah Phillips who statistically has been the best pitcher on the Pumas roster boasting four wins and a 1.40 ERA. She pitched in the win against Queen Creek and will be rested and ready to do it again.
No. 4 Pinnacle (15-5) vs No. 13 Mountain View Mesa (13-5)
Pinnacle has alternated winning the state championship and finishing as runner up for the past three tournaments, losing in 2017 and 2019 while winning in 2018. In order to make this a trend, the Pioneers will need to win the championship this season and they have the players to do it. The Pioneers started 8-1 that included a 3-2 win over 5A No. 1 Willow Canyon. They then proceeded to drop three of five losing to No. 2 Hamilton, No. 6 Sandra Day O’Connor, and No. 10 Chaparral. After that bump in the road the Pioneers won four of their final five, only falling to No. 1 Xavier Prep on the final day of the regular season. The Pioneers boast talent up and down the lineup, but freshman Faith Kroening has become the one of the most dangerous players in the state. Kroening at the plate is dominating with a .472 batting average and four triples. On the base paths she has 14 stolen bases leaving her mark on the field when she gets the chance.
Mountain View played an easier schedule than most teams this season due to their region. But when they’re rolling they can compete with most teams in the 6A conference. The Toros went 8-2 in the East Valley region getting swept by region champ No. 8 Red Mountain. They enter the postseason on a two game losing streak and hope to right the ship. In order to do just that they’re going to have to rely on junior Hina Huber and her 0.83 ERA and ten wins pitching. At the plate Huber is batting .500 with eight extra base hits on the season and 17 RBI’s.
No. 5 Sunnyslope (16-4) vs No. 12 Basha (9-10)
Sunnyslope had a great year, in a partial season they managed to match the win total from the 2019 season when they made the round of 16. The Vikings enter the postseason with five games already played this season against playoff opponents. They went 3-2 in those games with victories over 4A No. 6 Cactus and 5A No. 2 Canyon View, the losses came to 4A No. 10 Greenway and No. 1 Xavier Prep. The Vikings have won five games in a row entering the postseason since a 4-3 loss to No. 11 Shadow Ridge on April 26. The Vikings have used only two starting pitchers this season, sophomore Ailli Crabtree who’s 3-0 and junior Sam Hildebrant who’s 13-4 on the season. Junior Maggie Udall has been the leader at the plate for the team. She’s batting .530 with 18 total extra base hits.
Basha started off the season with three straight victories against playoff teams knocking off No.7 Red Mountain, No. 9 Desert Ridge, and No. 8 Sandra Day O’Connor before falling to No. 1 Xavier Prep. The Bears played 15 games against playoff teams going 6-9 in those games. They knocked off 5A No. 10 Cactus Shadows 14-0 in the final game of the regular season to move up from the No. 15 position heading into the tournament. Throughout the season the most reliable player at the plate has been senior Emma Paul and her .393 batting average and team high 12 RBI’s.
No. 6 Desert Vista (13-5) vs No. 11 Shadow Ridge (13-6)
Desert Vista begins the playoffs as winners of seven of the last eight games including 4 wins against playoff teams with the only blemish being a 3-1 loss to No. 17 Mountain Ridge. The name of the game for the Thunder is pitching, as a unit the Thunder pitchers have combined for seven shutouts and an additional four games allowing two runs or less. In order to go far, the Thunder need to turn on their offense. All five losses came to playoff teams, in those five losses for the Thunder they combined for seven runs. In order to improve on that, they’re going to have to rely on sophomore Jocely Briski who leads the Thunder in batting average, RBI’s and total hits.
Shadow Ridge started off the season with a 5-1 loss to No. 5 Sunnyslope, the Stallions then proceeded to win nine straight games in a month that included a win in the 8-0 rematch against Sunnyslope. Until a week left in the season the Stallions were firmly in the top ten and were looking to move up a few more spots to clinch a home playoff game. They then lost four of their final five games and were on the verge of falling out before they beat No. 8 Sandra Day O’Connor 5-1 in the final game of the regular season. Sophomore Jayden Hart is a talented player who makes an impact on the basepath. She has 15 stolen bases on the year and is dangerous once in scoring position and will be key in if the Stallions go far.
No. 7 Red Mountain (15-5) vs No. 10 Chaparral (12-7)
Red Mountain started off the season 3-3 scoring three total runs in the three losses. The Mountain Lions went on a stretch of 11 wins in 12 games to establish themselves as a real contender in the 6A conference. They split the final two games of the regular season falling to No. 1 Xavier Prep before knocking off Boulder Creek on May 4. Senior Brooklyn Ulrich is the toughest player in the lineup at the plate, she’s drawn eight walks, to go with 21 RBI’s, and a .464 batting average.
Chaparral on the season was a tough team to gage in terms of whether or not they should’ve been ranked higher. They have victories against No. 8 Sandra Day O’Connor, No. 14 Perry, and No. 4 Pinnacle but also lost to No. 20 Liberty. They enter the postseason as winners of three of their final four regular season games, but were shutout 7-0 to No. 6 Desert Vista in the final game of the regular season. Senior Amber Schweigert has been the best hitter on the team with a .515 batting average.
No. 8 Sandra Day O’Connor (12-7) vs No. 9 Desert Ridge (15-5)
Sandra Day O’Connor started the season ranked No. 9 in the country by Maxpreps. To say that the Eagles record is not reflective on the talent on the team would be an understatement. They’re the defending 6A conference champion and were inconsistent to end the season. The Eagles lost four of their final five games, with their only win coming at No. 14 Perry 11-2 on April 30. Although they don’t come in on a winning streak, they have the experience needed to return to the championship game. Senior University of Washington commit Rylee Holtorf has been a four year starter for the Eagles and has helped the offense soar with her .511 batting average. Meanwhile, junior Rylee Valentine leads the lineup with 11 home runs and 37 RBI’s. As a duo Valentine and Holtorf have the ability to impact the game in the Eagles favor.
Desert Ridge is rolling as the postseason starts as they enter with a five game winning streak. The Jaguars played an almost entirely east valley schedule with their only game against a non east valley team being Kofa on March 31. The highlight of the Jaguars season so far started March 23 as they began a six game winning streak that ended April 8 against Hamilton. In that stretch they beat No. 3 Queen Creek and No. 6 Desert Vista. Senior Denay Smith determines how far the Jaguars will go as her impact is felt on the mound and at the plate. She’s batting .424 with 25 RBI’s and eight home runs. She’s also pitching lights out with a 1.56 ERA to go with six wins and 70 strikeouts.
