Batter up: Rams baseball season underway

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The Maricopa High School baseball season got underway Tuesday with a scrimmage against Valley Christian.

“You don’t keep score in a scrimmage game,” said coach Daron Connelly, “but it gave us a chance to practice against somebody other than ourselves, and let us get a look at some young players who might be with us this year. It also gave me a chance to look at some arms and see what kind of shape our pitching is in. Overall, I was encouraged.”

Connelly, entering his second year as baseball coach, wants his Maricopa Rams to be known as a hard-nosed, hard-working baseball team.

“My philosophy has always been that we want teams to fear us, but only from a standpoint that we know how to play ball, that we’re going to play good fundamental baseball. We might not be the most physically talented team, but we are going to be a team that will give you a fight every time. When people see that Maricopa is on their schedule, they know that they better bring their A game, because we’re going to.”

The Rams are aiming to improve upon last season’s 11-17 record, with the objective of qualifying for the 16-team Class 4A-II state tournament.

“Our goal always is to make sure we’re in the postseason, and then when we get there that we go as deep as we can,” Connelly said. “Once you’re in, it’s 16 teams and anybody can win it.”

Maricopa will be led by 10 returning seniors, all of whom gained varsity experience last season.

“I think that with the group that is returning this year, we’re going to be pretty solid,” Connelly said. “We’re going to be pretty stacked.”

Scenes from the scrimmage