“Our starting nine are athletes to watch, most having played comp ball in the summer and fall,” said head coach Andrew Sedillo, who is in his second year. “They have played many games getting ready for the high school season.” 

Senior infielder Avie Hernandez, senior pitcher Sienna Wood, senior second baseman/utility player Madyson Cruz, senior outfielder Gigi Garcia, junior second baseman/outfielder Olivia Sedillo, junior centerfielder/first baseman Olivia Jewkes, junior catcher/utility player Sarah Fiore, junior first baseman/pitcher Ellie Palmer and sophomore catcher/utility player Mattie Montoya are back to lead the team this spring. Impact transfers in junior shortstop/utility player Oaklee Thomas and senior third baseman/utility player Sarah Scott are also among the team’s leaders hoping to win an outright region championship this season and make a deep run in the state tournament. 

So far this season, Juan Diego is 8-6 with three of its losses to 4A, 5A and 6A teams and four of those by just one or two runs. They have defeated South Summit 12-11, Millard 13-1, Dixie 10-5, Union 7-3, Corner Canyon 21-6, Judge Memorial 15-0, Richfield 9-7 and Carbon 15-0 while losing to Cedar Valley 9-7, Beaver 9-7, Sky View 6-5, Providence Hall 18-17, Westlake 15-0 and Emery 16-1. 

“I feel that we are just about where I thought we would be at this point in the season,” Sedillo said. “I scheduled some good teams at the front end of our schedule to gauge where we were early on. We won a couple of games that I thought we might win – South Summit and Union – and lost a couple that I thought would be tough in Cedar Valley and Westlake.” 

Fiore leads the team with 21 RBIs while Palmer and Montoya have both brought in 17 runs. Other significant offense has come from Jewkes (16 RBIs), Thomas (13 RBIs) and Hernandez (12 RBIs). In the circle, Palmer has a 3-0 record and Wood is 2-1. 

Also on the JDCHS team this season are seniors Abby Harvison, Fatima Hernandez and Mimi Suarez; juniors Sophia Lentz, Malena Modtland, Jonesie Palmer and Leini Tui; sophomores Taelah Dick and Zoe Perez-Ventura; and freshmen Riley Brown, Sophie Hernandez and Lilly McKray. 

Juan Diego will continue play this season against Summit Academy (twice), American Leadership (twice), Providence Hall, Judge Memorial, Granger and West before the 3A state tournament May 3-10. 

“All in all, we have a chance to play deep into the state tournament," Sedillo said. “We cannot take anyone for granted, but we have a chance to win some games at the end of the season.”