CDO has sights set high for baseball season

By Andrew Nintzel

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Preseason super sevens

BAseball

1Sunnyside – With junior Anthony Duarte leading a very talented cast, the Blue Devils should adjust well to the stacked 5A Southern Region.

2Catalina Foothills – First-year coach J.J. Northam will inherit a solid team with senior lefty Joey Rohe and sophomore Kayvon Bahramzadeh returning.

3Canyon del Oro – Two may be a good number for CDO coach Len Anderson. In his second year, he has another great squad and ace pitcher Taylor Lewis leading the way.

4Sahuarita – Despite the loss of pitcher Chapo Delgado, the Mustangs look just as capable of going back to the Class 3A title game. Juniors Manny Barreda and Fernando Mejia will lead with their bats.

5Sabino – Led by senior pitcher Karl Whitley, the Sabercats will give the Dorados a run for their money in the 4A-I Sonoran Region.

6Tucson – The Badgers got a nice surprise during the off-season when catcher P.J. Ortega transferred from Cholla. Combined with the talents of junior pitchers Chris Moon and Mark Damon, the Badgers will be a team to watch in the Southern Region.

7Sahuaro – Wait a second, Pat McCoy is only a junior? Yep, and the Cougars will look to McCoy and senior Mike Lachapelle to challenge the Falcons for a top spot in the 4A-I Kino.

— Andrew Nintzel

Projected region finishes

5A SOUTHERN

1. Sunnyside

2. Tucson

3. Salpointe Catholic

4. Flowing Wells

5. Mountain View

6. Sierra Vista Buena

4A-I KINO

1. Catalina Foothills

2. Sahuaro

3. Amphitheater

4. Nogales

5. Cienega

6. Catalina

4A-I SONORAN

1. Canyon del Oro

2. Sabino

3. Pueblo

4. Ironwood Ridge

5. Marana

6. Rincon/University

4A-II GILA

1. Cholla

2. Douglas

3. Desert View

4. Palo Verde

5. Santa Rita

6. Rio Rico

Players to watch

Brayden Ashdown, Sr., Catalina Foothills; Kayvon Bahramzadeh, So., Catalina Foothills; Erik Barnes, Jr., Marana; Manny Barreda, Jr., Sahuarita; Frank Bernal, Sr., Pueblo; Hunter Buckmore, Sr., Salpointe Catholic; Billy Canizales, Jr., Flowing Wells; Steven Castillo, Sr., Pueblo; Shawn Cooper, So., Catalina; Josh Cooks, Sr., Sabino; Michael Chavez, Sr., Douglas; Mark Damon, Jr., Tucson; Anthony Duarte, Jr., Sunnyside; Frankie Duran, Sr., Cienega; Jesus Gomez, So., Nogales; Chris Griffith, Sr., Salpointe Catholic; Andrew Hagedon, Jr., Rincon/University; Memo Hernandez, Sr., Sunnyside; James Howe, Jr., Benson; Ben Humphreys, Sr., Amphitheater; Kody Johnson, Sr., Cienega; Mike Klass, Sr., Rincon/University; Mike Lachapelle, Sr., Sahuaro; Taylor Lewis, Sr., Canyon del Oro; Ryan Lush, Sr., Canyon del Oro; Pat McCoy, Jr., Sahuaro; Fernando Mejia, Jr., Sahuarita; Manny Merino, Sr., Clifton; Gabriel Mojarro, So. Catalina; Chris Moon, Jr., Tucson; Jared McDonald, Sr., Sahuaro; Brandon Orr, Sr., Palo Verde; P.J. Ortega, Jr., Tucson; Calen Pennington, Sr., Sierra Vista Buena; Lito Pereida, Sr., Douglas; Reinhold Povilaitis, Sr., Ironwood Ridge; Carlos Ramirez, Sr., Sunnyside; Joey Rohe, Sr., Catalina Foothills; Daniel Romero, Sr., Desert View; Richard Sandoval, Jr., Amphitheater; Kyle Szyndlar, Sr., Ironwood Ridge; Bryce Torres, Sr., Palo Verde; Taylor Thomas, Sr., Salpointe Catholic; Rafael Valenzuela, Sr., Nogales; Bobby Weigano, Sr., Marana; Mike Weldon, Sr., Canyon del Oro; Karl Whitley, Sr., Sabino; Daniel Workman, Sr., Sierra Vista Buena; David Zavala, Jr., Flowing Wells

Canyon del Oro High School's season began last week under the watchful eyes of baseball's best observers.

An array of ten scouts and college coaches packed CDO's bleachers for the Dorados' early season matchup with powerhouse Sunnyside.

With clipboards in their hands and radar guns in bags strapped to their shoulders, they walked from bullpen to bleachers, and back again, with an ever-watchful eye on the mound.

Why? Two of Southern Arizona's top pitchers — Canyon del Oro's Taylor Lewis and Sunnyside's Memo Hernandez — were performing.

And neither seemed fazed.

Players at Canyon del Oro have become accustomed to the constant attention from scouts and college coaches.

This season should be no different.

CDO coach Len Anderson has had one full season under his belt and has another new squad of talented players.

Though the Dorados' switch from the Class 5A Southern Region to the Class 4A-I Sonoran Region should bring new challenges for the Oro Valley school, the expectations of success are the same.

"This year it's a little easier, they make less mistakes in practice," Anderson said. "I don't have to do so much repetition, because they know what to do and what to expect."

It is easy to see the success in Anderson's coaching philosophy. Last year he coached the Dorados to a 20-10 record and a berth in the Class 5A state playoffs, where they lost to Gilbert Mesquite in the first round.

The Dorados return three starters, but Anderson is confident that his young players will have no trouble stepping up to the challenge of playing on a consistent basis.

Having Lewis on the mound should make that transition easier.

Lewis went 7-4 with a 1.23 ERA and 60 strikeouts last season. The senior will lead a pitching staff that should rebound nicely despite losing three players.

The staff will also gain a solid starter in senior Brandon Pennick, who mainly pitched out of the bullpen last season.

"We've got it figured out, what we need to do," said Lewis, who has committed to the UA. "We have been working hard at practice and getting ready for these big games."

Anderson said he also expects senior Ryan Lush to contribute at catcher. The starting quarterback on CDO's football team, Lush has been extremely successful throwing potential base stealers out.

"I wouldn't trade him for any other player in Tucson," Anderson added.

One of the big changes the Dorados will face is the transition from playing in the grueling 5A Southern Region to moving down to the 4A Sonoran, where they will join Sabino, Ironwood Ridge, Pueblo, Rincon and Marana.

Also, the team is still coping with the loss of center fielder T.J. Steele, who currently starts for the UA. While it won't be a seamless transition, Anderson said the Dorados have the talent to stay competitive.

"He was a great player, but that's the reality of high school baseball," Anderson said. "Would I like to have (Steele) back, yeah, but I don't ever say, 'I wish I had T.J. right now.' "