Hancock named player of the year, Macias coach of the year

Ty Hancock - Winslow; and Larry Macias, Jr. - Miyamura.

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Ty Hancock of Winslow is the 2009 Navajo Times baseball player of the year and Larry Macias Jr. of Miyamura is the baseball coach of the year.

Hancock led the Bulldogs to the 3A North Region championship and a berth to the state baseball tournament.

For Macias and the Miyamura baseball team, it was a surprise season when they qualified for the school's first-ever Class 3A state tournament despite their 9-15 record.

After a solid junior season, Hancock will be back for his senior season and hopes to get the Bulldogs back to the state playoffs.

Winslow head baseball coach Art Griffith said, "Ty is a very solid player on our team. He plays third base and pitches and hit cleanup for us all year."

Hancock batted .500 with 48 hits, scored 35 runs, had 42 RBIs and 12 doubles, six homers, four bases on balls and seven strikeouts.

With seven appearances on the mound, Hancock had a 1-1 record with a 2.10 earned run average in 20 innings. He gave up six earned runs on 23 hits allowed and had 14 strikeouts and 11 walks.

Hancock was the co-offensive player of the year in 3A North with teammate Anthony Huerta. He was also named first team All-State; to the Arizona Republic's second team for 1A-3A; and to the Arizona Baseball Coaches Association's first team All-State.

Macies said credit goes to his team.

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"It's an awesome feeling. It's a total surprise to me and it's a good feeling," Macias said of the award. "I have to give all the credit to my boys. They're actually the ones that have to go out there and play the game.

"I must thank my assistant coach, Chris Scaggari," Macias added. "Being born and raised in Gallup, it is a tremendous honor to be recognized for working with the youth of Gallup."

Miyamura's baseball team featured mostly eighth graders and freshmen.

"This first year was very exciting," Macias said. "With a team of eighth and ninth graders, we were able to accomplish some good things. Being the first varsity coach at the school was an honor. It's a great feeling to have been a part of history at the school.

"I think we surprised a lot of people because we played very well against top competition while being so young," he said. 'We were rewarded for our hard work with a state berth.

At state, however, Miyamura was ousted in the first round by top-ranked Cobre.

Prior to coaching at Miyamura, Macias was head baseball coach for Gallup High in 2002 and an assistant from 1998 to 2001.

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