Mikey Boler’s 14 Young Guns have formed the new top gun in the Camp Verde Parks and Recreation Department’s Coed Adult Softball League.
“Honestly, this year’s been awesome,” said Boler, head coach of the league’s only undefeated team after a 13-1 win July 20 over the Boozer’s. “There’s been no drama, no fighting … no B.S. at all. It’s been so nice.”
Boler was referring to a stormy last summer in which the league championship ended after the fourth inning, with Harris Garage Doors being declared winner by forfeit over Cemex.
While some players have returned from that title game, which ended prematurely after Cemex walked off the field, neither team has returned, and Boler and Shelly’s Salon head coach Rochelle Parker have both noticed a difference.
“Last year, there were so many problems,” Parker said. “This year, it’s a blast. We have a lot of teams having a good time, and no one’s fighting.”
With their eighth straight win Monday, July 25, over Melodee’s Grooming, the Young Guns will wrap up the top seed of the league’s six teams and enjoy a bye through the first round of the league playoffs, which begin Monday, Aug. 1, at Butler Park.
“The more teams, the better, you know?” said Boler, who split off from league stalwart Mahan Mafia to form his own team this summer. “I’ve got a bunch of guys, so let’s just make another team. That was the goal, and it worked out. It’s been smooth.”
Infielders Crystal Drake, John Frisch, Brenda Hollowell and Taylor Matthews have provided the defense, while left fielder Marlin Parker has provided the spark in the outfield for the Young Guns.
Supplying the inspiration has been Matthews’ sister, Tori, at catcher.
“She just had a kid,” Boler said. “She’s been here every game. I’m so impressed with her.”
Shelly’s Salon, under head coach Rochelle Beeler, is not worried about hanging onto a second seed in the two-week, double-elimination playoffs, despite the promise of having one less game to play.
“We don’t care, because we just want to play,” said Beeler after her team’s third loss July 20, 8-7, to the Village Idiots. “All the other teams have friends on them, so we make it a big deal to try to beat them, but we’re out here to have fun. We’ve been playing a lot of girls.”
Like Brie Murdock, who with her husband, Brian, and two home runs from July 18 winning pitcher Nick Dubs, have helped power Shelly’s to its five wins.
“He plays all over — outfield, third [base],” Beeler said. “He’s never pitched, but he pitched awesome.
“Usually my husband, Austin, pitches, so all these guys were thrown off because none of them usually pitch.”
Not so happy has been the Mahan Mafia, which had already lost Boler, Crystal Drake and her father, Frank, to the Young Guns prior to the start of the season June 20.
“We’re either second to last or all the way at the bottom,” long-time head coach Steve Mahan said July 20 after dropping to 2-6 with its loss to Melodee’s Grooming. “We’ve recycled a lot of our players.”
Outfielder Jeremy Brady has been a force in the Mafia’s two wins despite pulling his hamstring in a game July 18.
So has enigmatic shortstop Logan Conrad, who has no plans to play beyond Aug. 10 despite being named Division I, Section IV Co-Player of the Year as a Camp Verde High School pitcher in May.
For more photos and the Camp Verde Coed Adult Softball playoff schedule, please see the Wednesday, July 27, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
