They came, they saw, they conquered. The AZ Toros returned from Omaha with the TCS SlumpBuster 14u Session 3 championship.

The Toros cruised through the tournament, compiling an 8-0 record and outscoring opponents 83-14. The pitching staff allowed less than two runs a game and the offense put forth more than enough support, averaging more than 10 runs a game.

Eder Erives and Alex Robles led the Toros on the mound. Both pitchers were 2-0. Erives allowed no runs in 11 innings. Robles allowed only two in 10.

Taylor Martin also pitched well, picking up the victory in the 6-3 championship-game win over the Simi Valley (CA) Devils.

“You've got to play well as a team to win a tournament like this one,” said Toros coach Jim Baldwin.

Sluggers Rigo Aguilar and Luis Gonzalez led the offensive onslaught. Aguilar batted .652 and drove in 17 runs. Gonzalez batted .560 with 13 runs scored and 14 RBI.

Ruben Bracamontes also produced for the Toros, batting .524 with nine runs and 16 RBI.

The Toros received production from every spot in the lineup throughout the tournament, evidenced by the team’s .481 batting average. The rest of the potent Toros lineup includes Austin Baldwin, Christian Bitar, Benjamin Bon, Tyler Brown, Matthew Bushman, Santiago Nieto and Ryan Ramsower.

“I’ve coached a lot of teams and gone to a lot of tournaments, and this has been the best one by far,” said coach Baldwin.

In addition to the win, the Toros had plenty of fun as spectators at the NCAA College World Series.

ATH for Tuesday:

Fourteen of Arizona’s best 18u softball players will travel to Italy at the end of the month to take part in an international tournament as members of USA Athletes International.

The roster is chock full of talented Arizona high schoolers including Jacqueline Aguilar, Bourgade Catholic; Melissa Barrett, Flagstaff; Nicole Bailey, Notre Dame; Mikali Birt, Shadow Mountain; Kylie Christman, Millennium; Kyra Clancy, Shadow Mountain; Brittany Ethridge, Apollo; Kariann Hall, Thunderbird; Mariah Jaquez, Boulder Creek; Katie Koponen, Corona Del Sol; Korey Kulpins, Shadow Mountain; Alexandra Novak, Sunnyslope; Demetria Roebuck, Apollo, and Keishah Tate, Apollo.

USA Athletes selects girls for the team through a recommendation process. Once a high school or club coach makes a recommendation, USA Athletes and the coaching staff determine which players to select.

The 14 Arizona players on this year’s team came from a crop of over 100 recommended athletes.

The girls will make their way to Italy to participate in the Grosseto Italy Invitational Tournament from July 25 to August 4. In addition to the tournament, the team will have the chance to explore Italy, visiting Rome, Florence and Pisa.

The tournament is a great experience for the girls for a number of reasons, said head coach Dale Lehnhoff. In addition to the inherent cultural and educational benefits of the trip, most of these girls will be experiencing international play for the first time.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Lehnhoff. “Most of these girls want to play at the collegiate level, and this is something to put on their resume.”

Each one of these girls earned their way onto the team through hard work on and off of the field. USA Athletes took both athletic skill and character into consideration when picking players, according to USA Athletes.

“All the girls have to show a certain sense of character and a certain skill set in order to make this team,” said Lehnhoff. “They are all leaders in their own right.”

USA Athletes is a non-profit organization that works to provide young athletes with opportunities to experience other cultures and countries through participation in international tournaments.

Lehnhoff, an assistant softball coach at Scottsdale Community College and longtime member of the Arizona softball community, will coach the team along with former University of Arizona star Autumn Champion.

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