by 
San Manuel Miner
For the third consecutive season, the San Manuel baseball team has reached the semi-finals of the State Championship playoffs. After losing in their two previous trips to the semi-finals, the 3rd-seeded Miners are hoping the third time is a charm.
Senior Anthony Garcia threw a no-hitter in last Friday night’s 18 – 0 win over St. Johns. Garcia allowed three walks and struck out five in the complete game shutout.
Junior Bryan Valdez led the Miners’ offensive attack versus St. Johns, going 2-for-2, including a double, and driving in three runs. Shane Kelly and Francisco Medina each had two hits in the game. Kelly, Effren Haro, and Armando Sierra each drove in two runs against the Redskins.
The Miners survived in Saturday’s quarterfinal game, winning in extra innings (8) versus 6th-seeded Ray, 4 – 3.
The Miners will look to end their two-game, semi-finals losing streak against 2nd-seeded Pusch Ridge Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Friday at Goodyear Baseball Park in Goodyear.
With a win, the Miners will face the winner between Scottsdale Prep and top-seeded Desert Christian. The top four seeds in the Division IV Playoff have reached the semis. The Championship Game will be played at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at Goodyear Baseball Park.
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.
by by