With spring sports coming to a conclusion, it has been an action-packed season for Sedona Red Rock athletics.

Although it has been a rough year for Sedona Red Rock softball, the regular season is almost over.

The Scorpions are currently 0-14 this season and 0-9 in conference play. Sedona is currently sixth in the 2A Central region.

The Scorpions offense has accumulated 61 runs this season, good for 4.3 runs per game.

In the last match on Saturday, April 13, they fell 17-3 to Joseph City.

Last season, Scorpions softball was canceled due to lack of participation.

Sedona coach John Madrid is in his first year with the team and spoke about the season.
 

How has the season been?
It has been the worst season I have ever had in my life as far as wins as losses. The last two teams I had coached in California include Clairemont, where I had the winningest record in school history.
At Julian High School, we advanced to the semifinals before losing to the eventual champions. We started out with five girls who had never played in their life. Last year’s team folded after five or six games, but we will complete the season.
However, the attitude and culture has changed and the girls’ improvement has been remarkable. These girls are excited to play softball.
 

Where have the girls improved the most?
They have made tremendous strides at hitting. Even in losses, I have had several other schools comment on their ability to make contact with the ball. Our problems are due to the players’ inexperience. We commit far too many errors.
 

 How good can the team be next season?
Next season, an eighth-grade shortstop is joining the varsity team, so she could give the team a boost. She is playing club ball in Phoenix right now and there is another eighth grade pitcher coming up. If she was on the team this season, she would have been our ace without a doubt. She can already pitch at a high school level so she should play fairly well next season.

 What is key to finishing this season strong?
The girls have greatly improved their attitudes since the season began. They have improved so much on their fundamentals that they recognize their growth. Every team that we have faced so far has commented on how much the players have improved.

 What has the team emphasized in practice?
I cover the fundamentals of hitting from a kinesiology background. I have also played at the high school, college and professional level. One of the things I learned there was that you cannot spend enough time on the fundamentals. These girls have been working hard on the fundamentals everyday at practice.
We have been focusing on hitting, and the girls have been swinging the bats 100 times a day. We typically do 40 bunts, 40 soft tosses and then we also do light pitching and the batting machine. I try to get in 30-40 swings there.

 This late into the season, how healthy is the team?
Ironically, we are the healthiest that we have been all season. We have 11 players and we have dealt with a depleted roster all season. We have played with only nine players for half of our games because one player was out for one reason or another.
 

Are you returning to the team next season?
Actually no, I am not returning next season, as the district decided not to renew my contract. Whoever inherits the program will not have a folded team unlike myself from this season. Each of these girls plans on returning, so we will have nine returners in 2020. There are also a few girls on campus that are interested. They previously played in 2018 and are willing to return.

Sedona returns to the field on Thursday, April 18, when the Scorpions face Valley Lutheran.
Valley Lutheran defeated the Scorpions 15-3 when these two teams last met on Thursday, March 28.
Last season, the Scorpions went 2-5 in the regular season under coach Terry