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Volume 38 Issue 12
April 10, 2001

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T-Bird baseball has sight set on making a playoff run

BY JENIFER CALLAHAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted April 10, 2001

As the temperature rises in the Valley of the Sun, and with Regional Playoffs less than a month away, the MCC Thunderbirds baseball team is preparing to heat things up for a strong finish down the stretch.

Sarah Code/MESA LEGEND

Freshman infielder, Bob Diliberto, swings through a pitch in a conference game at MCC against Cochise College. The T-Birds have 12 conference games remaining on their schedule.

The T-Birds stand alone at second place in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, with a conference record of 12–-12. They have a 26–16 overall record.

MCC is led by sophomore pitcher Cory Hennessey, who has the best ERA on the team, 3.91.

Hennessey, who graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, is a strong right-handed pitcher, who, according to Head Coach Tony Cirelli, throws with a submarine style.

The team has been strongly helped with the efforts of some standout freshmen.

One rookie who has stepped up in a major way is shortstop Robert Sedillo, form Sinagua High School in Northern Arizona.

Coach Cirelli thinks that Sedillo has done a great job this season taking over for injured shortstop Mike Kazell.

Sedillo has made the most of this opportunity this year, both in the field, and behind the plate.

This season, he has produced a batting average of .360, and has proven a great ability to play defense.

Another freshman in the midst of an impressive season is centerfielder Derrik Lytle.

Lytle leads the conference in stolen bases.

Brad Helm, who also is a freshman outfielder, is batting .380 and doing an outstanding job this season as well.

"I think we are going to have a strong second half of the season," said relief pitcher Scott Walker, a freshman from Corona Del Sol High School. "We need to continue working hard until the end of the season."

If the T-Birds can continue their great season with such a young team, Coach Cirelli will have his sixth winning season in seven year’s as head coach at MCC.

If the Thunderbirds can finish out the season as well as they have performed so far, they are guaranteed a spot in the Regional Playoffs, which begins May 3.

The ultimate goal for Cirelli and his players is the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series, held in late May.

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