Winslow High School baseball Coach Art Griffith will field a young team with just six returning players and only three starters from last year’s squad. He said, however, that he expects the team to be a factor in the 3A North Region. Winslow opens its season today (March 4) at the Estrella Foothills Tournament. The team will play Carl Hayden High School today, and Estrella Foothills and Younker high schools on Saturday.
Starters returning from last year’s team are pitcher/shortstop Matt Smith, outfielder Vittorio Sells and first baseman Jevon Estelle. Estelle is a senior, while both Smith and Sells are juniors. Other returning lettermen are junior pitcher/third baseman Chris Garrett, senior pitcher/second baseman Johnnie Woods and senior catcher Rhett Hardy.
The Bulldogs will play Greyhills at Tuba City at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 7, at Payson at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, and entertain Valley Sanders at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. They will then travel to Chinle to play the Wildcats at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15.
The Bulldogs meet the Snowflake Lobos at Snowflake on Thursday, March 17, and host Tuba City at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 18. They will host Blue Ridge at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, and journey to Show Low on Tuesday, March 29, to meet the Cougars at 3:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs will compete in the Wolves Classic Tournament at Goodyear on Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2.
Next will come two straight home games against Holbrook at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, and Show Low at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 8. A trip to Kayenta to meet Monument Valley will occur at 12 noon on Saturday, April 9. Winslow will then host Tuba City on Tuesday, April 12, and Ganado on Thursday, April 14, with both games set for 3:30 p.m.
A game on the road will follow with Winslow at Polacca to meet the Hopi Bruins at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 15. Winslow will play Blue Ridge at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, in Lakeside. The Bulldogs will be at Holbrook at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, and at Window Rock on Thursday, April 21, for a doubleheader, with the games slated to start at 12 noon and 2 p.m.
The regional tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 26, at the home of the higher seed and continue on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at Winslow. The state tournament will be played on the next two weekends.
