Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

A year before she continues her softball career at Grand Canyon University, Shadow Ridge senior Mickey Covarrubio still does not get what the fuss is about.

She said she is just enjoying playing the game she loves. And in talking to her, the sense is she would be as up for a game in a local park as a Division I NCAA softball showdown.

“To this day I don’t get why people make a big deal. I just go out there and do what I know I can do,” Covarrubio said. “I’m extremely humble with things everyone says. And honestly I think I can be better.”

Covarrubio cannot downplay her skills as a leadoff hitter and outfielder around coach Nadine Arias. Arias and Mickey’s mom, Cecilia, coached her in the city of Surprise youth league around age 8.

Heck, Covarrubio’s grandmother even drove the bus that took Arias to school.

The coach said Covarrubio always carried herself with a quiet confidence.

“In eighth grade I had the opportunity to volunteer coach at Countryside Elementary. We ended up winning the championship game and I will never forget the conversation we had before her at bat. I said, ‘They’re going to throw you outside, right?’ And she said. ‘I know, that’s what I’m planning on.’ She got a hit to left center to win the championship,” Arias said.

Covarrubio also tried volleyball and basketball in her youth, but just for a little while. She quickly embraced her family’s game.

Her grandfather was a ‘big-time slow pitch player,’ Covarrubio said, so she was playing the game from a young age.

A diamond was never far away, be it softball or baseball. Cecilia Covarrubio works as a recreation supervisor at the Surprise Stadium ticket office.

Despite this comfort level Mickey said her freshman year was daunting. She joined a Shadow Ridge program on the upswing, as the 2016 team made the program’s first playoff appearance in five years.

“My freshman year I was the youngest player on varsity and I was terrified. But everybody had your back and the program it was awesome,” Covarrubio said.

Batting .442 as a freshman leadoff hitter, stealing six bases and posting a team-high .534 on base percentage tends to break the ice.

This was coach Vicki Bejarano’s third season rebuilding the Stallions program. Arias was the junior varsity coach, and said she remembers Mickey’s first high school inside the park home run as a freshman during the preseason Sunrise Mountain tournament.

“She runs the bases in less than 12 seconds. It’s amazing to see what she has done,” Arias said.Despite that speed, Arias said.

Covarrubio does not slap or bunt the ball and run that much. She is more of a contact hitter, batting .489 as a junior, with enough power — 10 career home runs — to make pitchers wary.

And Covarrubio causes havoc once she gets on base.

Her sophomore year was a struggle individually. But the team’s arrival as a force in 5A made 2017 a happy memory.

Shadow Ridge jumped to 27-7 and the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Stallions made it to the final eight at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex for the first time.

“It was such an awesome experience, starting from being underdogs to becoming threatening. Everybody knew who we were. Especially hearing it from teams from Tucson and Mesa, that was awesome,” Covarrubio said.

Shadow Ridge's Mickaela Covarrubio scores off a hit by teammate Aris Carroll against Centennial on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at Centennial High School in Peoria. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]Vicki Bejarano stepped down in fall 2017, and Arias was hired after Thanksgiving. The varsity could not put together a fall camp last year.

Covarrubio said the transition to Arias was not dramatic.

“We’ve both known each other for so long. But especially with coach Vicki, the way she trained us, we knew what to expect,” Covarrubio said.

But the team entered the season a bit behind. Shadow Ridge righted itself in 2018 and finished the regular season at 18-8.

After sweeping rival Willow Canyon in the regular season, the Stallions were stunned by the Wildcats in an 11-5 first round upset.

Shadow Ridge moved up to 6A this year but continued the neighborhood tussle with Willow Canyon to start this season. Given her “love of the game” approach to softball, it is not too surprising to hear Covarrubio declare this 10-7 loss before a packed crowd her favorite game so far this season.

It also helps that the team is 11-4 since, knocking off Chandler Basha and splitting with Mesa Red Mountain. Shadow Ridge is ranked No. 8 in 6A as of April 3.

“Last year it was a little weird because there was so much going on so fast. This year, we’ve had so many more opportunities to get to know each other,” Covarrubio said. “Being a senior made me realize it is so short. You have a limited amount of time. Winning is great, but having fun means so much more. Being able to play with these girls has been an awesome experience.”

A fixture in center field for three years, Covarrubio filled in at short until junior Sophia Carroll was healthy.

“You actually can see that there’s a different chemistry this year. I told Mickey, ‘We might need you some at shortstop.’ Hands down she owned center field. But she said, ‘Coach, whatever you need me to do,’” Arias said. “I also felt like bringing her leadership qualities into the infield, the other players saw she was being a team player. Once our shortstop was fine, she went back to center field. And the other players knew they might be switching in and out.”

Arias said this group also is very resilient, pushing then nationally-ranked Chicago Marist for six innings before falling 6-1 in the seventh in the Desert Mountain Invitational. Shadow Ridge also knocked off 5A contender and former region foe Centennial 4-3.

After beating Red Mountain 12-5 in the tournament, they nearly did it again three days later in Mesa, before No. 7 Red Mountain scored in the bottom of the seventh to win 4-3.

Games like this have Covarrubio wanting to see how far the program can go in the big school division.

While the other seniors — Riley Holmberg, Natalie Moody, Casadei Price and Paiton Tonberg — are catalysts, there is no doubt which Stallion sets the tone.

Covarrubio was unanimously voted a team captain as a junior. Arias said she sets an upbeat example on and off the field, sporting the highest GPA of the seniors.

“Every time they start getting negative or in a bad place, she’ll say, ‘Let it go. You have another play coming,’” Arias said. “Her enthusiasm when talking to them separately ... that stuff is huge. She says it in a positive way.”

Her skills as a leadoff hitter caught the attention of Grand Canyon University early and she verbally committed to play for the ‘Lopes late in her freshman year. Covarrubio said she wants to study sports management at GCU. She has a head start, having worked at the USA Baseball ticket office in the summer.

Once again, she will join a program on the ascent.

“We went on a couple of visits there and I fell in love with the school right away. I fell in love with the coaching program and coach Ann is great,” Covarrubio said. “Just watching the way they have progressed, especially this year beating Florida State and all these other schools, it’s huge.”

[caption id="attachment_423953" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Shadow Ridge senior leadoff hitter Mickey Covarrubio flies out during a game against Tolleson on March 28. Covarrubio will play at Grand Canyon University next year. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]