Salpointe’s Tricia Sztan is in her first season as head coach at her alma mater (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Traditionally strong softball programs at Salpointe, Sabino, Sahuaro and Tucson underwent a changing of the guard before the season with each playing for a new head coach in 2022.
By no coincidence, each of them won their opening game Thursday in the Dorado Classic at Lincoln Regional Park.
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Three-time defending state champion Salpointe with former Lancer standout Tricia Sztan as coach beat Flowing Wells 21-0 in five innings. Sztan replaced Amy Baray-Rocha, who resigned in December after leading the Lancers for seven seasons.
Sabino, the champs in the last two 3A state tournaments, beat the Lady Caballeros 14-2 in an earlier game under new coach Cyndi Cubillas (a teammate of Sztan’s when they played at Salpointe). Kyle Howell, who coached the Sabercats to a 3A state title last year with Cubillas his assistant, left to become an athletic administrator at Mica Mountain.
Sabino first-year coach Cyndi Cubillas (right) with assistant Ena Madrid (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Tucson defeated Marana 16-4 in five innings in coach Chacho Morales’ debut. Morales took over the program after the legendary Bert Otero, a Pima County Sports Hall of Famer, resigned to spend more time with his wife, who is undergoing physical therapy for a foot condition.
Sahuaro’s coach Amy Pacheco is not new to the program. Pacheco is a former Cougar standout who graduated only seven years ago. She played only two seasons ago at Morgan State after a successful two years at Pima College. She replaces Jeff Fowler, who resigned to spend more time developing and scouting young players at the club level.
Pacheco won her coaching debut, a 5-3 victory over Benson.
Tucson first-year coach Chacho Morales has experience coaching in previous years with the Badgers under Bert Otero (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
The assistant coaching ranks are also intriguing among the teams involved in the Dorado Classic.
Former Arizona ace Taylor McQuillin is the pitching coach for Ironwood Ridge coach David Martinez and former Wildcat baseball and MLB player …….