Three former Mingus Union Marauders who have played together since Little League, are staying together and taking their softball talents to Yavapai College.
Torey Gillies, Bailey Mabery and Angelina Saucedo all signed their letters of intent to play for the community college in Prescott earlier this month.
“To say I’m proud to have Mingus kids go to a program I helped with in the past is an understatement,” said Jim Brown, the head coach of MUHS Softball and the Verde Valley Heat. “These girls will represent Mingus, the Verde Valley Heat and our community with a passion for the game and a strong work ethic. I am very excited to see them play next year and beyond.”
Brown played the chief role in getting the girls exposure to the Yavapai College softball program. His daughter and former Marauder, Miranda Tapia, played for the Yavapai softball team, so Brown was able to get the girls an introduction and tryout spots.
“They [Yavapai] never saw us play, so we went out to show them in the tryout,” Saucedo said. “And I guess they liked me.”
The closeness of the school to home and the success of the softball program were the two main factors in the girls choosing Yavapai, and the school was on the top of all three girls’ lists before playing softball for the Roughriders was even an option.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 10 issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
