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The Sandra Day O’Connor baseball team achieved two firsts in 2007–the Eagles’ first Northwest Region championship and their first No. 1 seed at the 5A‑Division II state tournament.
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O’Connor still alive in 5A tournament
by Jason Stone

NORTH VALLEY – After all the offense the Sandra Day O’Connor baseball team had been generating during the season, nobody expected a shutout to send the Eagles to within a game of elimination at the 5A‑Division II state tournament.

But that’s exactly where the team ended up after No. 12‑seed Marcos de Niza shocked the top‑ranked Eagles with a 1‑0 victory in a winners’ bracket game at state May 5 at Maryvale Baseball Park, the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The loss meant Sandra Day O’Connor needed to beat region‑rival Deer Valley May 8 in a losers’ bracket game. The contest was played past press time, but had O’Connor won, it would have advanced to a rematch against Marcos de Niza in the next round where the Eagles would have to win twice to advance to the state championship game.

Because Marcos de Niza hasn’t lost yet, it has the luxury of losing once, something O’Connor gave up in the narrow defeat.

O’Connor’s Josh Moody pitched the game of his life against Marcos de Niza, scattering seven hits and only giving up one fourth‑inning run. Additionally, he struck out 11 batters and didn’t walk anyone.

But Marcos de Niza, which already had beaten a higher seed (No. 5 Kofa) in the first round, was just a little bit better on that night.

The Eagles advanced to the game against Marcos de Niza after taking care of Peoria and San Luis in the early rounds. O’Connor roughed up No. 16‑seed Peoria 20‑1 in a first‑round game April 28 before sending eighth‑seeded San Luis to the losers’ bracket May 1 with a 9‑5 win in the next round.

O’Connor is hoping for a rematch against Marcos de Niza in the semifinals, but to do it, the Eagles needed to get past Deer Valley in the late elimination game. O’Connor has already beaten the Skyhawks, a rival of the Northwest Region, twice in the regular season.

Eagles place nine on all‑region team

NORTH VALLEY – O’Connor’s stellar season resulted in some big honors in the Northwest Region. Five Eagle players were named to the All‑Northwest Region First Team, including Moody, Brian Carr, Adrian Ramirez, Zack MacPhee and Nick Carrillo.

Moody went 8‑1 on the mound with a sterling 1.96 ERA. Carr is batting .435 and is second on the team in steals with 20. Ramirez stole 18 bases and carried a .409 average into state. MacPhee is hitting .454 and leads the team with 21 steals. Carrillo smacked five home runs, drove in a team‑high 37 runs and is carrying a .426 batting average.

Maverick Lasker, who hurled two no‑hitters this season, made the Second Team. Honorable mention picks for the Eagles were Derek Blackwell, Ryan Skube and Jacob Robinson.

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