Notes from the North: Baseball teams working around snowy mountain conditions

March 20, 2023 by Brian M. Bergner Jr., AZPreps365


Flagstaff pitching coach Ty Van Dyke talks to his players as they take on Empire at the Lancer Baseball Classic on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tucson. (Flagstaff Athletics/Courtesy)

TUCSON — Needing to go as far south as Tucson to finally see green grass and sunshine in the Arizona sky, the Flagstaff baseball team has certainly been put through a lot this spring.

“I feel that we are doing pretty good for the inclement weather that we have had so far this season,” Flagstaff head coach Kenny Macias said. “Having 3 feet of snow on your field from the start of the season has been very challenging, but the team is grinding it out and working through it.”

The National Weather Service station in Flagstaff reported the city has seen more than 120 inches of snow this winter and early spring, and nearly triple that (326 inches) has fallen at Snowbowl.

White fluffy snow and cold, wet and windy afternoons in the mountains make for great holiday pictures, snow days and fun with the family during Christmas, but its disastrous for outdoor sports like baseball.

Luckily for the Eagles (7-4, 0-0 4A Grand Canyon), it seems the weather hasn’t affected their ability to win games.

“We have a dome facility with a batting cage and we take ground balls with softies on the gym floor, so we keep the basketball coach and our AD happy. We definitely take a lot of BP when we are indoors,” Macias said.

The Eagles have even made their way south down Interstate 17 for a few practices at Bradshaw Mountain and Camp Verde high schools.

“We have had the privilege to have outdoor practices at [those places],” Macias said.

To cap the Lancer Baseball Classic in Tucson, Flagstaff earned an 11-4 win over Empire on Friday morning, ending the five-day tournament with a 2-3 record.

Heath Lopez was 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, Samuel Faust was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and the Eagles stole eight bases on their way to a win.

Connor Iniguez pitched 4-2/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits while striking out seven.

Next up, Flagstaff is scheduled to host Shadow Mountain on Tuesday, March 21. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN 10, ST. MARY’S 0

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Josh Khazaal had three hits, Anthony Morales and Dalton Irwin each had a pair of RBIs and the Bradshaw Mountain baseball team blanked St. Mary’s 10-0 on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears (7-3, 0-0 4A Grand Canyon) scored three in the fourth and plated three more in the sixth to blank the Knights, which have managed to win only one game so far this season and have been outscored 77-16.

Khazaal struck out nine and gave up only two hits in six innings of work for Bradshaw Mountain.

Next up, the Bears have a doubleheader with Lee Williams on March 25. First pitch in game one is set for 2 p.m.

PRESCOTT 6, LAKE HAVASU 5

MOHAVE VALLEY — Paul Fernow and Lukas Barrett each had two RBIs and the Prescott baseball team survived a late rally by Lake Havasu to hold on to a 6-5 win Saturday afternoon.

Fernow allowed five runs on four hits and struck out seven to get the win for the Badgers (5-3, 0-0 4A Grand Canyon), which took four of five at the Route 66 Tournament in Mohave Valley.

Fernow, Brendan Costes and Jack Burton were 2 for 3 at the plate, while Burton had two doubles.

Brock Cross was 1 for 3 with an RBI for Lake Havasu (11-2, 0-0 5A Desert West), which is 8-0 in power point games this season, having lost only one game to an Arizona team in the Route 66 Tournament … Prescott.

Up next, Prescott will host Coconino (5-5, 0-0 4A Grand Canyon) on March 21. Official start time is set for 3 p.m.

3A: SAND DEVILS WINNERS OF 5 STRAIGHT

PAGE — After losing their first two games of the season, Page has come on strong as of late, winning their last five including a 16-1 rout over Ganado on March 17.

The Sand Devils (5-2, 4-0 3A North) have outscored their last five opponents 78-14, earning wins over Winslow, Monument Valley, Tuba City and Ganado twice.

Next up, Page takes on Snowflake on March 27. First pitch set for 3:30 p.m.

2A: KINGMAN ACADEMY 8, CAMP VERDE 5

MOHAVE VALLEY — Cade Benson was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored to lead Kingman Academy past Camp Verde with an 8-5 win to cap Route 66 Tournament play on Saturday afternoon.

Benson was the only player to record a base hit for the Tigers (4-2, 0-0 2A West), which earned five walks and were hit by Camp Verde pitchers twice in the victory.

Zane Zimmerman was 1 for 2 with an RBI double, while Gunner Selting had two hits and a run scored for the Cowboys (4-9, 0-0 3A North Central).

Up next, Camp Verde travels to Northwest Christian on March 21. First pitch is set for 3:45 p.m.

Kingman Academy is scheduled to host Mohave Accelerated at 3:45 p.m. March 22.

1A: STATE RUNNER-UP SULTANS RETURNING TO FORM

BAGDAD — Losing 8-2 to Mogollon in the 1A state championship last season has likely lit a fire under the Bagdad baseball team, so much so that in their six wins this season, they’ve outscored their opponents 65-11.

The Sultans (6-2, 1-0 1A West) recently earned a doubleheader sweep over Globe, 12-2 and 7-6 on March 17, respectively.

The club from a small mining town in northern Arizona has already earned wins over Anthem Prep. (15-1), Desert Heights Prep. (5-0), Antelope Union (14-0), Salome (12-2), and the Globe sweep.

Next up, Bagdad travels to Yavapai County rival Mayer on Thursday, March 23. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

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Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.