by 
San Manuel Miner
The San Manuel baseball team has reached the semi-finals of the State Championship tournament in each of the past two seasons. The Miners are aiming for a third straight semi-finals appearance this year so they can break the string and reach the State Championship game.
Head coach Steve Elmore enters his second season leading the Miners’ baseball program. With the roster finalized after last week’s tryouts, the Miners can begin preparations for their opener on Feb. 28, 2014.
“We have had a lot of success the past two years, reaching the final four both years,” Elmore said. “We look to continue to grow as a team and take the next step to the championship game and look to win it.”
Anthony Garcia, Richard Romo, Shane Kelly, and Bryan Valdez are among the returning players who are expected to contribute and lead the way this season.
In order the achieve success this season, Elmore says the players must check their egos at the door and play within their abilities. He wants the players to have a short memory when it comes to the success of previous teams.
“With past success comes a mindset that you don’t have to work and get better to win,” Elmore said. “We need to forget that mindset and work as hard as we can to fulfill the goals for this season.”
The Miners open their season at home versus Tohono O’odham on Feb. 28. The game is scheduled to start at 3:45 p.m.
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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