SPORTS
JUNE 28, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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Ahwatukee Beast wins state PONY championship, heading to playoffs AFN NEWS STAFF
A
n Ahwatukee PONY League in only its second year of competitive play has won a state title and a ticket to the playoffs later next month. The 10-and-under players on the Ahwatukee Beast will head to California July 27-30 to play in the Western Zone tournament, starting with a team from the state of Washington and facing possible games with teams from Hawaii, Utah and California. “This could include up to six games over four days,” said Beast assistant coach Ron Ensley, who also is president of the Ahwatukee Foothills PONY Baseball Association. “Should we advance to the PONY World Series, this age group would play in Youngsville, Louisiana, over Aug. 3-6.” With head coach Cody Brassfield, Ensley and assistant coach Joe Inch at the helm, the team includes: Brooks Inch, Miles McCarthy, Clayton Brassfield, Kyle Ensley, Austin Brandon, Brody Ruane, Sammy Skinner, Seth Skinner, Sean Selzer, Reese Chamberlain, Storm
Herrera and Jamison Weick. Greg Selzer is team manager. The team of boys, all from Ahwatukee, has been together since their Pony Pinto All-Star team won the state tournament in July 2015. Brassfield calls the Beast a “semicompetitive team” because “we don’t play the volume of games that a lot of club teams play.” “We played about 30-40 games per year from about September to July to allow them to play multiple sport/ extracurricular activities,” he said, adding that the team has amassed a 3825-1 record over two years. The Beast won the Mustang Division State Pony title two weeks ago by overcoming a 10-run rule defeat in pool play, going 3-1 in pool play and outscoring its first three opponents 43-4 combined. Though the Beast lost its final poolplay game, “we still made the second seed overall out of pool play” among seven teams, Brassfield said. Then, the Beast on Father’s Day came up against the Warriors, the only team that beat it in pool play.
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee Beast members include, from left (kneeling), Brooks Inch, Miles McCarthy, Clayton Brassfield, Kyle Ensley; second row: Austin Brandon, Brody Ruane, Sammy Skinner, Seth Skinner, Sean Selzer, Reese Chamberlain, Storm Herrera, Jamison Weick; third row: head coach Cody Brassfield and assistant coaches Joe Inch and Ron Ensley. Not pictured: team manager Greg Selzer.
“The Ahwatukee Beast and Warriors had their offenses going, but Ahwatukee Beast eventually prevailed 13-8,” Brassfield said. “The Warriors captured the lead in the first inning, scoring two runs to put them on top, but that was
the last time that they would hold this lead.” Ahwatukee Beast took the lead for good with six runs in the second inning See
PONY on page 47
Desert Vista High School grads drafted by MLB E
very baseball player dreams of playing in the major leagues one day and during the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, but Desert Vista High School graduates Garrison Schwartz and Keenan Bartlett have achieved it. Bartlett was picked up in the 31st round by the San Francisco Giants and became the 39th Richmond Spider to
be drafted into the major leagues since 1995. He’s not sure where his professional career will start with the Giants, but it’s something he’s been looking forward to since he was young. “I’ve been playing baseball pretty much my whole life and I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to be a professional baseball player,” Bartlett said. Schwartz was drafted in the 16th round by the Atlanta Braves, becoming the highest-picked outfielder from
I’VE MISSED MY OPPORTUNITY
Grand Canyon University drafted since 2004. After signing his contract, Schwartz started his professional career in Virginia with the Danville Braves in an advanced rookie league. “It is a great feeling to know that the work that I have put in my whole life has taken me to a professional level,” Schwartz said. “I have always desired and worked towards being drafted and to see it happen and get the call from the Braves is very exciting and I cannot wait to get my career started at this level.”
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The 6-foot-1 outfielder finished his career at Grand Canyon University with a batting average of .322, driving in 126 runs while belting 14 home runs in three years. In his final season, Schwartz was named the WAC preseason player of the year and the player of the year after hitting for a .303 average and a career-high .530 slugging percentage. Although Schwartz had one more year See
GRADS on page 46
EnrollatRio.com or 480-384-9937 *For Maricopa County residents. Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attend this program is available at www.riosalado.edu/geprograms. The Maricopa Community Colleges are EEO/AA Institutions.
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BY GREG MACAFEE AFN Sports Editor