Baseball Game Notes -- Week 1

The fifth season of OUAZ baseball begins this week with four games against in-state competition. The Spirit begins the season by hosting Park Gilbert on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at KC Royals 6. OUAZ will then host first-year program Embry-Riddle in Surprise Stadium on Thursday and Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

This week's four games are part of a stretch where the Spirit plays nine straight and 13 of 14 at home to start the season. They will play the first 18 games in Arizona and won't leave the state until the first week of March.

OUAZ is coming off a 2021 season that saw them win the GSAC East Division and push the GSAC Championship Series to the final out of the decisive game three. The 2022 squad returns five of its nine lineup regulars from last season and eight pitchers that threw at least 10 innings last season.

Adrian Salazar returns to anchor the lineup as the program's all-time leader in hits, doubles, home runs, and RBI. He is three hits shy of 200 for his career and three RBI away from 100. Salazar batted .329 with 13 extra-base hits and a team-leading 30 RBI last season.

Deon Reese is back behind the plate where he started 34 of the team's 40 games last season. He finished the year batting .292 with four doubles, two triples, and 11 runs batted in.

Ben Lewis enters his senior season after batting .294 with 10 doubles and 17 RBI in 2021. Lewis started 31 games last season – 20 in right field – and he had a stretch in late March where hit went 14 for 28 during a six-game hitting streak.

The pitching staff will be led by the three-headed attack of Tanner Fallon, Gage Johnson, and Anthony Quattrocchi again this season. Those three combined to go 12-4 last season, with Johnson and Quattrocchi throwing two complete games each.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Tanner Fallon: RHP; 6' 1"; Graduate Student; L/R

#4 Gage Johnson: RHP; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#7 Ben Lewis: OF; 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R

#22 Anthony Quattrocchi: RHP; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#3 Deon Reese: C; 5' 10"; Junior; B/R

#2 Adrian Salazar: INF; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Tanner Fallon
: 6' 1"; Graduate Student; L/R
: RHP

#4 Gage Johnson
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#7 Ben Lewis
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R
: OF

#22 Anthony Quattrocchi
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#3 Deon Reese
: 5' 10"; Junior; B/R
: C

#2 Adrian Salazar
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: INF