Projected Winner: Canyon Del Oro

For us, picking Canyon Del Oro here was one of our quicker predictions we have made all day. In our coverage this spring, the Dorados really stood out as a strong team that had the potential to compete against anyone across all of the different HS classifications in AZ. When you put them with only 4A teams, they are pretty easy favorite. They have more than enough pitching with their two main starters in Dante Schindler (0.55ERA) & Trey Weidner (1.25ERA) combining to allow only 9ER runs all season long. Michael Kochanski also threw quality innings with a 2.95 ERA. The CDO bullpen also has two D1 commits in Marcus Delgado (NMST commit) & Lucas Cardy (GCU commit) that have been used sparingly all season. There aren't many teams in the state that can matchup with that. Their offense is nothing to take lightly either. They have six players that are hitting around .400 or better. Senior, Andrew Stucky has played a key role for this team hitting .446 out of the leadoff spot with 8 doubles & 3 HRs. Isaiah Pintor has also been swinging a hot bat lately with his average climbing to .461 with a close to .600 OBP. CDO has shot to take it all the way this year. 

Challenger: Poston Butte

Poston Butte had a strong offseason and continued that trend this spring with an 18-2 record. They didnt play as tough as a schedule as some team did out there but that doesnt mean they are any less of a team. They do nothing but find ways to win and we expect them to do much of the same in this tournament. Senior, Colton Vercoe has led this team on both sides of the ball all season long and is a big reason we give them the edge over Mesquite on their side of the bracket. Veroce has a 1.46 ERA while hitting .516 on the season with 18 extra base hits including 6 triples & 3 HRs. Octavio Flores has also carves up hitters this season only allow 2 ER all year. Assuming things go as expected we should see Vercoe  or even Flores pitching against Mesquite in the semis. Veroce started against them the end of April where they suffered a loss by 1 run. Its hard to highlight all of the guys that have been having success with the bat with the Bronco because their team batting average is .492 with a .579 OBP. 

Upset Alert: Salpointe Catholic

Salpointe Catholic will be looking for some pay back and could get a chance at it in the semi-finals. Salpointe has suffered two defeats this year to Canyon Del Oro and Dante Schindler. Like CDO, Salpointe is a team that we think can compete with most teams around the state. They have some strong prospects from top to bottom. Cade McGee & Jack Rogers are two of the more physical bats in 4A and have solid power capability, both with 6 HRs on the season. Rogers is also hitting .500 on the season with a .633 OBP. Their top pitcher to follow will surly be Senior, Liam O'Brien who has only allowed 7ER all year. Cade McGee could also make some appearances on the mound with an electric FB that has worked up to 93mph this year. The Lancers have plenty of more talent to watch out for. 

Bold Predictions:

+ Brandon Compton (San Diego) commit & Buckeye Union give Mesquite some trouble in the first round. Compton started on the mound against Mesquite earlier this week where he had probably his worst outing of the season. The way this kid works, he will be looking to bounce back better than ever. We still pick Mesquite to make the semis but the road wont be easy. 

+ St. Mary's upsets Flagstaff in the first round on the back of sophomore, David Galindo who has pitched lights out all season long. Galindo is having arguably an MVP season in 4A as a two-way player. He's only allowed 12ER on the season while striking out 66 batters in 35 innings, only surrendering 8 walks. Galindo is also hitting .552 on season with a .640 on base percentage with 13 doubles. Fellow teammate, Alonso Contreras has also raked this season, batting over .600. 

+ Cant sleep on Notre Dame prep who have a senior dominant team this year with leaders like Max Zdimal and Brian Leon. They have plenty of capable athletes in this lineup with some depth on the mound. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Arizona ProCase (Invite Only)	AZ	05/23
Arizona Prospect Preview	AZ	05/23
Top Prospect Games (Class of 2023)	AZ	06/01	Cactus Shadows High School
Junior Future Games Trials (Makeup)	AZ	06/09	Red Mountain High School
Mesa Position Player ID	AZ	06/09	Red Mountain High School
Underclass Games (2024 & 2025 grads)	AZ	06/16	Cactus Shadows High School
Top Prospect Games (Class of 2022)	AZ	06/17	Central Arizona College
PBR Junior Future Games	NATIONAL	07/28	LakePoint Sports

 

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