Local baseball, softball teams continue state playoff path

The season is on the line for two local baseball teams and one softball team today in the double-elimination 5A state baseball and softball playoffs.

Meanwhile, San Luis - the only area team not to lose a first-round game - will try to keep it going against one of the state's elite ballclubs.

The Cibola baseball (19-9) and Kofa softball teams will play at home. The No. 11 Raiders lost at Mesa-Mountain View in the opening game of the 5A Division I playoffs on Saturday and will host No. 14 Mesa-Red Mountain at 4 p.m. The eighth-seeded Kofa softball team (20-12) dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker at home in extra innings and needs a win against No. 16 Phoenix-Camelback at 4 p.m. today to prolong its season in 5A Division II.

In 5A Division II baseball, San Luis travels to Maryvale Baseball Stadium in Phoenix to take on top-seed Glendale-Sandra Day O'Connor, while the Kofa baseball team visits defending 5A Division II state champion No. 4 Glendale-Deer Valley (16-12). Deer Valley was upset by No. 13 Phoenix-Barry Goldwater 17-9 on Saturday. Both games are at 4 p.m.

"Maybe a change of scenery can be good. Sometimes the kids tend to focus a little bit better when we're away from home," Kofa coach Richy Leon said.

"Our backs are up against the wall just like a lot of teams in state right now, so we just have to go out there and forget that they're the defending champions and just focus on playing good baseball. If we do that for seven innings we should be in good shape."

San Luis (17-12) is riding high after Javier Solano's brilliant pitching performance got the Sidewinders into the second round with a 6-2 victory over Peoria-Centennial. But San Luis has a monumental task today against a similarly young program. O'Connor opened in 2002.

O'Connor (29-4) has six players hitting over .400 on the season, and the Eagles tied the state record with eight home runs in a single game earlier this year - a game that only went five innings. O'Connor has been just as dominant on the mound with a team ERA under 3.00.

"We have the opportunity to go against the best and that's what you want to do," San Luis coach Cesar Castillo said. "We're going in there loose and we know we have nothing to lose. We've been playing great baseball our last couple ballgames, and I firmly believe we can win this game. We have a chance to make history here at San Luis."

If the Kofa baseball team wins today and San Luis falls into the loser's bracket, the two 5A Gila Valley Region rivals would meet Thursday at 4 p.m. with a chance to end the other's season.

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Derrik Miller can be reached at dmiller@yumasun.com or 782-6520.

5A STATE TOURNAMENTS

• 5A Division II softball:

No. 16 Phoenix-Camelback (15-15) at No. 8 Kofa (20-12), 4 p.m. today

• 5A Division I baseball:

No. 14 Red Mountain (13-13) at No. 11 Cibola (19-9), 4 p.m. today

• 5A Division II baseball:

No. 8 San Luis (17-12) vs. No. 1 O’Connor (29-4), 4 p.m. today at Maryvale Baseball Stadium in Phoenix; No. 5 Kofa at No. 4 Deer Valley (16-12), 4 p.m.