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Hayden’s baseball field is dedicated to David O. Lagunas.
Hayden’s softball field is dedicated to Ysidro ‘Chito’ Guzman.
Copper Basin News
Hayden High School Athletic Director Lydia Martinez announced the dedication and naming of the baseball and softball fields at the school in honor of two Lobos’ coaching legends. Former baseball coach David O. Lagunas and former softball coach Ysidro “Chito” Guzman had the respective fields named in their honor.
Hayden’s new David O. Lagunas Baseball Field was dedicated to honor the coaching legend with 5 State Championships during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Lagunas led the Lobos baseball program for 15 years and reached the state playoffs 11 times. The Lobos reached the Championship game in 8 of the 11 trips to the playoffs and won 5 state titles. He was twice named the Arizona Republic Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Arizona Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001.
The newly dedicated Ysidro “Chito” Guzman Softball Field honors the man who began his Lobos’ head coaching career in 1982. He led the Lobos to the State Championship at the end of that first year and followed it with 7 more state titles. He led the Lobos’ to 4 straight State Championships in the years 1986-89. The Lobos reached the championship game 12 times with “Chito” as their head coach. In what could be the greatest testament to his success, Guzman’s Lobos won state titles in three different decades – five in the 1980s, two in the 1990s and another in 2000. He finished with a career record of 450 wins and 172 losses.
Future Lobos’ players will have the privilege of playing at the fields dedicated to these two coaching legends.
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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