Heritage Academy Varsity baseball — Heritage Academy Varsity Baseball team celebrates their second state title. [submitted]

Heritage Academy back-to-back baseball champs

May 27, 2023

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After an impressive 15-1 season, the Heritage Academy baseball team clinched the Arizona Canyon Athletic Division II State Title for the second year in a row.

Despite ranking as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds most of the year, the team jumped to the top spot in the final week of the season.

The journey to the championship began at Red Mountain Baseball Park in Mesa, where Heritage Academy faced Mission Heights from Casa Grande.

The team’s 11-6 win over Mission Heights propelled them into the championship game at the Peoria Stadium on May 8.

Trailing 3-1 as they entered the sixth inning of their final game, the team refocused and won 7-4.

Varsity baseball coach Tanner Carpenter said the team’s youth did not limit its success.

“We have a really good group; this young group is solid,” Coach Carpenter said. “There weren’t any seniors on the team this year.”

Several standout players shone throughout the season.

Cristian Morgan, the team’s leading hitter, delivered an outstanding performance at the plate, significantly bolstering Heritage Academy’s offense, Carpenter said. Defensively, Conrad Reichard played a pivotal role as catcher and contributed on the pitching mound. And Matthew Martin proved to be a versatile player, adapting to third base, shortstop or whatever Carpenter needed.

Aside from their technical skills, Carpenter emphasized the team’s camaraderie on and off the diamond.

“This group has a special bond,” he said. “We had some talented young players who made valuable contributions.”

Carpenter, who has coached Heritage Academy Baseball since the school’s opening in 2019, is excited with how the program is trending.

Their first year, the school was navigating through the COVID pandemic. In 2021, Heritage baseball made it into the playoffs, but lost in the first round. And in 2022 and 2023, the team won state titles.

“The kids have bought into what we’re doing and how we run things,” he added. “It makes my life easy when they are willing to listen and apply what you tell them.”