Sunnyside moves one step closer (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
STATE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Sunnyside beat Cactus Foothills South 5-1 Thursday night to go up 1-0 in the best-of-three series used to decide the Arizona Little League state championship taking place in Scottsdale.
The two teams will play again Friday night at 7 p.m. The third game (if needed) is scheduled for Saturday night. Sunnyside is now 11-0 in postseason play.
The Little League West Regional is set for San Bernardino starting on Aug. 5. Rincon was the last team from Southern Arizona to make it to the West Regional and the team from Vail finished 3-1 in 2012, losing 6-5 to Hawaii in the semifinal round.
Six teams from Arizona have made it all the way to the Little League World Series since South Mountain broke through in 1965. Of the six, only two teams have made it to the championship game and both were from Tucson: Cactus (1973) and Tucson International (1986).
2012 Rincon Little League (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
2012 RINCON ROSTER
Terrell Huggins
Izzy Carrillo
Nick Gonzales
Ryon Craig
Dakota Martin
Josh Repavich
Luke Morrison
Devin Garrett
Gabe Elias
Elijah Hart
Ryan Grabosch
Tyler Gray
(Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONS
2012: Rincon
2011: Rio Rico
2001: San Xavier
2000: CDO
1997: Tucson American
1996: Santa Rita
1992: Western
1991: Sunnyside
1988: Nogales
1987: Nogales
1986: Tucson International (LLWS Runner-up))
1985: Nogales
1984: Sunnyside
1983: Tucson American
1981: Western
1980: Nogales
1979: Sunnyside
1978: Nogales
1975: Douglas
1974: Cactus
1973: Cactus (LLWS Runner-up)
1971: Pantano
JUNIOR BASEBALL WEST REGION
Nogales is headed to San Jose after winning the state Junior Baseball Tournament in Tempe. The West Region is slated to start on Saturday, July 28 and Nogales will take on Oregon on Sunday morning.
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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