Ashton Sanchez had three hits, including a two-run homer, to lead Chandler Arizona College Prep to an 11-3 win over Horizon and its first 5A state baseball title on Tuesday, May 19, at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Sanchez was awarded the Most Valuable Player award, given to him by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
He singled in a two-run first and smashed a two-run homer over the left-field wall in the second inning, giving the Knights a 5-0 lead.
That’s all pitchers Clayton Nachman and Grant McInturf would need, as they combined to hold Horizon to eight hits and three runs.
Nachman won his 11th game of the season.
“It was my last game and I gave it my all,” said Nachman, one of 12 seniors on the team. “It was something we worked for four years. We fought and fought and fought. Summer work. Everything. We love it.”
This was five years in the making for coach Andrew Pollak, who was leading the program when the new campus opened in 2021.
He had a vision of building a state champion. His first team reached the 3A quarterfinals. The Knights won 20 games in their first season in 4A in 2023. In 2024, they won 18 games. Last year, in their first in 5A, they went 15-12.
This was ACP’s first year reaching the state final. With a senior-loaded team, Pollak felt this team could be special.
“These guys put in the work,” Pollak said. “They worked for this for a few years. It’s great to have it culminate with a championship.”
Pollak said he felt a lot of nerves heading into the game, but those subsided in the fourth inning when the Knights put up six runs, capped by Austin Longfellow’s two-run homer.
“There is so much joy,” Sanchez said.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. Please sign up for Azcentral Preps Now newsletter. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona College Prep beats Horizon for 5A baseball title