It’s been nine years since Canyon del Oro competed at the 5A/Division II level and the Dorados have started this year off just like they left it with a 12-3 record overall and 5-0 in power ranking games in their new placement from the 4A Conference. The Dorados picked up the eighth championship in program history in 2015 and the program followed that up with a semifinal finish in 2016. Then, almost a decade at the 4A level followed and that era produced a state championship in 2022 and another in 2023. Only four high schools have won more than the ten the Dorados have celebrated.

The initial AIA rankings for this spring are set to be released on April 1 for baseball and softball and the Dorados figure to be highly ranked heading into the meat of the 5A Sonoran Region. Canyon del Oro beat Marana 7-2 on Thursday in one of a few “freedom” games remaining on the schedule. Marana (5-9, 1-4) competes in the 6A South Region after moving up from the 5A Conference in 2022.

Peyton Carson. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Jude Luckow doubled with one out and then scored on a single from Jaden Villareal one out later. The Dorados came back and loaded the bases with no out in the bottom half of the inning. Adrian Encinas knocked in Gatlin Geile and Tarrell Reid to put the Dorados up 2-1 and then David Adams doubled in Francisco Rivero to make it 3-1.

Maximus Hendrix scored Encinas and then Adams scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 5-1. Marana cut the lead down to 5-2 in the third inning on a double from Preston Robbins that scored Luckow. The Dorados closed out the scoring with a two-run home run from Rivero in the bottom of the fifth.

Junior Peyton Carson (2-1) picked up the complete-game victory for Canyon del Oro with nine strikeouts. Rivero went 3-4 with a home run and two RBI, Encinas went 3-2 with two RBI, and Adamas and Reid hit doubles for the Dorados.

Wyatt Meza (1-2) got the start for Marana and Luckow closed the game out in the sixth. Luckow and Robbins collected doubles for the Tigers.

Former Salpointe standout Wrigley McGuire (2017) is in his first year as the head coach for Marana after spending last year as an assistant coach and longtime high school and college coach Jason Hisey is in his seventh year with the Dorados.

The Dorados will host Maricopa (4-9, 1-4) on Friday and Marana travels to Chandler (6-6, 3-3) next Monday.

Wyatt Meza. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)