Juan Diego is 3A's King of the Diamond

The 3A powerhouse known as the Juan Diego Soaring Eagles struck once again on Saturday by claiming another 3A championship. For many fans in the state, it has seemed that ever since opening its doors in 1999, Juan Diego has simply dominated on the diamond… five 2A and 3A championships later, it is hard to find anyone that will argue about the Soaring Eagles’ presence on the diamond.

The 2010 season got off to a rocky start for Juan Diego. The Soaring Eagles started the season losing two of their first three games, and to make matters worse they were without the steady influence of UHSAA coaching legend, Steve Cramblitt, who stepped down just before the season due to health reasons. Most teams would crumble in these situations, but this was Juan Diego.

After their initial struggles, the Soaring Eagles caught fire by winning 15 of their next 16 games. Although losing Cramblitt was a setback for the team, they were able to rely on their senior leadership that had been to the championship game every year for the last three years.

As Juan Diego took the field on Saturday, they did so facing a team that hit their stride at just the right time. Entering the 3A tournament as the third ranked seed in Region 9, Canyon View was the surprise of the tournament.

The Canyon View Falcons lost their first round match-up against Wasatch and had to fight and claw all the way through the losers’ bracket to reach the championship game. They advanced to the 3A title game by knocking off Desert Hills 9 to 5 earlier in the day on Saturday, and although the Falcons got on the scoreboard first against Juan Diego, it was evident that their fatigue had finally set in.

Juan Diego’s A.J. Begay, the team’s one-time ace who had been limited on the mound for the season due to Meniscus surgery, threw a complete game and kept the Falcons’ offense silent after their one run first inning. However , the game was anything but easy for the Soaring Eagles as they struggled to find their offensive groove in all but one inning, the deciding fourth.

Staring at a 1 to 1 tie, the bottom of the fourth inning saw Luke West, Austin Geurtsen, Kody Davis and Ajay Pizza all drive in runs to give Juan Diego a 5 to 1 advantage. It would prove to be all the offense that they would need as Begay dominated the Falcons hitters.

FUN FACT: As the Soaring Eagles won their fifth baseball championship, they did so with a perfect record against all 3A teams.