Online Extra: Baseball displays offensive power, continues winning

By James Sargent
Photo by James Kelley

The Pima Community College baseball team finally got its offense going in the past three games against the University of Arizona Club team and Tucson Nationals baseball club. The Aztecs’ overall record has now blossomed to 4-6 on the season.

The doubleheader scheduled for Feb. 20 against the Gila Monsters of Eastern Arizona College was postponed due to rain. Pima’s double-header against Yavapai was moved to Feb. 25.

The Aztecs had a six-day layoff between their doubleheader sweep against the UA Club team and then a single game on Feb. 15 against the Wildcats. Pima pounded out 21 hits in a 19-0 win for its third win over the Cats this season.

“This win helped with the confidence of our hitters,” head coach Edgar Soto said. “Hitting is such a mental thing.  Sometimes you just need some success to get you going.”

The Aztec pitching also dominated, as the four-man staff allowed just one hit in the shutout.  Sophomore pitcher Richie Sandoval earned the win, striking out six and not surrendering a hit through four innings of work.

Freshmen Robert Ravago and Matt Pavelich pitched the middle innings. Freshman Ryan Retz threw the final three hitless innings, where he also struck out six.

Six Aztecs registered multi-hit games, with four batters picking up three hits each. Freshmen Abel Chavez and Leo Durazo, and sophomores Alex Ferguson and Pepito Moreno all had three knocks. Moreno also had three RBIs, while the other three batters knocked in a pair of RBIs each.

Pima split a double-header with the Tucson Nationals. The Aztecs lost the first game 8-7 but won the second 13-6.

Ryan Retz

The PCC baseball team hosted its annual Alumni Baseball Camp on Feb. 13.

The two-hour camp, run by former Aztecs who have played in the Big Leagues, featured players who are currently playing professionally in the minors.

Alumni who worked at the camp and provided drills to the children who attended included Arizona Diamondbacks’ hitting coach Jack Howell, St. Louis Cardinals’ outfield coordinator Tom Spencer, Cincinnati Reds’ scouting supervisor Clark Crist, former Major League players Gil Heredia and George Arias, Kansas City Royals’ Gilbert De La Vara, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Donald Veal, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jesus Castillo and current Mexico professional baseball player Jesus Cota.

“Jack Howell, who is currently the Big League hitting coach for the AZ D-Backs, gave us a lot of inspiration because he started off here at Pima,” Soto said.

Following the camp, a home run derby took place. To close out the day, the Aztec baseball team took on the alumni team in a nine-inning game. The current team trounced the alumni by a score of 8-0.

Pima also retired Rich Alday’s jersey, No. 26, placing it on the outfield wall at the Aztecs’ ballpark. Alday held the first head coaching job in PCC baseball history.