Arizona College Prep captures first 5A baseball championship

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.