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By Nolberto Waddell
The Hayden High School baseball Lobos were hoping that a win in the final game of the season against their rivals would give them enough power points to finish in the top eight in Division IV. The Lobos took care of their business but the win did not get them the points they needed, finishing just shy of the eighth seed in the state baseball tournament. A top eight finish would have given them a bye in the first round.
The game against the Bearcats turned out to be a nail biter for the Lobo fans. The game was close but going into the sixth inning the Lobos were on the wrong side of the score trailing 6 to 6. The Lobo bats came alive in the top of the sixth inning scoring eight runs to take a 14 to 6 and held the Bearcats scoreless the rest of the way to take the win. No stats or score sheet were turned in so the details of the game can not be printed.
The win over the Bearcats did not give them enough power points to climb into the top eight seeds, finishing in the number nine spot and forcing them to play yesterday in a park that will bring back many memories to past Lobo baseball players. The State baseball tournament will return to Diablo Stadium in Tempe, the stadium dubbed “Lobo Stadium” because the Lobo baseball teams of past made a lot of history winning a majority of their state championships on the Diablo Stadium diamond. Another reason for the name was that the stadium would be flooded with Lobo fans every game they played.
The Lobos will have played their first round game by the time this article appears. The Lobos are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, taking on the team from Joy Christian Academy. A win against Joy Christian will send the Lobos to a meeting with the Arizona Lutheran Coyotes baseball team on Friday, May 4, with a first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Lobos will play both games on the Diablo Stadium northwest field. A win against the Coyotes will put the Lobos in a battle with the number one ranked team in the state tournament, the Phoenix Christian High School Cougars. The game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Good luck to the Lobo baseball team, their coaches and the graduating seniors. The Lobo baseball program has a great history on these fields and here’s hoping that this year’s team can add to the history of this storied program; the Hayden Lobo Baseball team.
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