Bruins plan to emphasize defense on the diamond<br>

POLACCA — The Hopi High School baseball Coach Mark Hall wants to rebuild the baseball program starting by improving defense.

Last year, the Bruins didn’t win any conference games.

Coach Hall said the Bruin pitchers will throw strikes.

“Last year, our pitching wasn’t bad but our defense couldn’t back them up,” he said.

He admitted the Bruins pitching isn’t the strongest in the league, but Coach Hall said that they will not give up a lot of walks.

“We teach our pitchers to throw strikes and we work on backing them up,” he said.

Jaynas Saufkie, Stet Lomayestewa, Lindsey Wise and Matt and Mike Kelley will be in the pitching rotation.

Stet Lomayestewa will roam centerfield, Matt Kelly will be in rightfield and the starter for leftfield has not yet been selected.

Jarod Lomayestewa and Jaynas Saufkie will sharing the catching duties.

Coach Hall said offensively Hopi High will play small ball.

“We don’t have a lot of power, so we’ll work at making contact with the ball. We’ll play old fashioned baseball where we move the runner along and get key hits when we can,” he said.

Coach Hall said Hopi High will have plenty of speed. He added that the team is looking for a leader.

“We’re just trying to reestablish the baseball program. We were good in the 2A and our first year in the 3A, but the talent level dropped off and we’re trying to build it back up,” he said.

Coach Hall noted that Tuba City and other surrounding programs have little league and other feeder programs, but Hopi doesn’t have anything like that.

“So, we have to do the best we can. We only have one player out from last year’s junior high team. I would like to see them all come out,” he said. “In high school, you teach fundamentals and you coach the kids you’re dealt. The goal is to be competitive.”

Seventeen players have joined the baseball team so far including five returners and seven seniors.

The starting lineup has Edgar Tootsie at first base, Lindsey Wise and Jaynas Saufkie sharing the duties at second base and Lahrs Crothers at third base. The starter at second base has not been selected yet.

Doug Winterbauer and John Lomavaya serve as the assistant coaches. Winterbauer handles the outfielders, Lomavaya teaches the pitchers and catchers and Hall works with the infielders and catchers.

(Stan Bindell, former Observer editor, is journalism and radio teacher at Hopi High School.)