SURPRISE, ARIZ. - Softball season started last Saturday for OUAZ, as they split a pair of games against Taylor University. The season will now get into full swing this week as OUAZ will host the Spirit Classic, which takes place Thursday and Friday at Willow Canyon High School.
Park-Gilbert and 19th-ranked College of Idaho will also be participating in the showcase, and it will be each team's first games this year. OUAZ's matchup against Park at 12:30pm on Thursday will be the first game in the Park program's history.
OUAZ
The Spirit split with Taylor, but were close to the sweep last weekend. OUAZ scored seven runs, but errors did them in during the final game of the afternoon. The Trojans brought ten runs across, but only three of those were charged to Spirit pitchers as earned. A total of five errors were given to Spirit fielders, thought the OUAZ benefited from the same as Taylor committed three errors of its own.
Bailey Coronado pitched 8.2 innings between both games Saturday, with six of those coming in the complete-game victory in game one. She only allowed one earned run over that time, plus holds a WHIP of 0.85 and an opponent's batting average of .219 in 32 batters faced.
At the plate, every player who appeared in both games Saturday recorded at least one hit.
Andraya Rhinehart recorded three hits and three RBIs, plus drew two walks and scored a run herself. Six different players drove in a run for the Spirit, and they were patient at the plate, taking eleven free passes.
#19 COLLEGE OF IDAHO
The Coyotes will be making its fourth trip in program history to the Valley of the Sun, and it is not hard to see why the team continues to travel South. College of Idaho is 16-5 all-time in Arizona, and went 6-0 during last season's trip.
The options are aplenty for the Coyotes in the circle, as they return three pitchers who recorded sub-3.00 ERAs. Collette Robert earned an All-American nod after a season in which she won 23 games, posted a 1.39 ERA and struck out 155 batters. It does get any easier after that, as Hannah McNerney returns following a 9-5, 2.82 ERA in 2019.
The projected left side of the infield returns a lot of production for the Coyotes as third baseman Trystin Crofts (.415, five home runs, 42 RBIs) and shortstop Haley Loffer (.370, four HRs, 32 stolen bases) look to record for another stellar season at the plate. Crofts earned all-Cascade Collegiate Conference honors for her efforts, and Loffer's 32 swiped bags is a school record.
PARK-GILBERT
While it is the Buccaneers' first season as a program, they will be bringing a lot of talent to Surprise. Dezire Garcia will be bringing college experience to the circle, as she compiled a 28-4 record over two seasons at Clarendon Community College. Gabby Vallee can log a lot of innings if needed, as she pitched 223.2 of them last season at Barry University.
Former Clarendon players can be found all over the Park roster, especially at the plate. Claudia Telles hit .500 in her two years at Clarendon, and drove in 91 runs in that span. Danae Villareal led Clarendon in batting average, RBIs, walks, slugging percentage and OPS during the 2018 season, and has the chance to replicate those numbers this year at the NAIA level.
SCHEDULE
Games of this year's Spirit Classic will take place at Willow Canyon High School on Thursday and Friday. Live video and stats of all games can be found at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ottawaaz/. The schedule for the showcase is below:
Thursday
12:30pm OUAZ vs Park-Gilbert
3:00pm Park-Gilbert vs (19) College of Idaho
5:00pm OUAZ vs (19) College of Idaho
Friday
12:30pm OUAZ vs (19) College of Idaho
3:00pm Park-Gilbert vs (19) College of Idaho
5:00pm OUAZ vs Park-Gilbert
