Later today, Mountain Ridge baseball starts play in the loaded top half of the 6A playoff bracket.
The #4 Mountain Lions host #13 Phoenix Alhambra at 11 a.m., kicking off a double-elimination tournament where one team has to survive among: defending champion and #1 Chandler Hamilton, 2022 runner-up and #12 Chandler, perennial power #5 Tempe Corona del Sol and Mountain Ridge's rival, #8 O'Connor.
A 6-4 loss to the Eagles Monday sent Mountain Ridge from #3 to #4. In junior ace Smith Bailey and senior Liberty transfer Traig Oughton, the team has the starting pitching to help lead them out of this bracket.
