by 
Superior Sun
The 11th-seeded Superior baseball team shutout 22nd-seeded San Carlos in the first round of the playoffs last weekend, 10 – 0. Unfortunately, the Panthers fell in the next round with a 9 – 5 loss to 6th-seeded Ray.
Austin Navarrette, Ricky Longoria, and Jesse Lopez each had two hits for the Panthers in the win versus the Braves. Navarrette also had three RBI in the game.
Longoria, a junior, pitched a complete game shutout to earn the victory. He allowed one hit and one walk in five innings pitched. He struck out 12 Braves’ hitters.
The Panthers finished with a record of 11 – 9, including 7 – 7 in sectional play.
Senior Cesar Villalobos and Daniel Ramirez are the only players who won’t return next year. A total of 12 freshmen and sophomores could return next year. The playoffs experience of this season is certain to pay dividends in the future.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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