Throwing strikes
2022 Yuma Sun/Yuma Rotary Club Boys Baseball Player of the Year araiza earns two playoff wins in final season at yuma Catholic
Issac Araiza blossomed into a tremendous difference maker this past season for the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks baseball team.
As a senior starting pitcher, Araiza ended the regular season with a 9-1 record and totaled 101 strikeouts against just 17 walks for the Shamrocks. One of those wins came in a perfect game against Parker on April 8.
In the Arizona Interscholastic Association 3A State Tournament, he helped the Shamrocks clinch a berth in the state semifinal round with a 5-2 complete-game victory over No. 11 seed Chandler-Arizona College Prep.
Then in a state semifinal elimination game, Araiza came up with another big performance. He tossed five and twothirds innings of shutout baseball to help the Shamrocks win Game 2 over American Leadership Academy- Gilbert North 1-0.
As Araiza explains, his success on the mound can be attributed to his arsenal of pitches. The YC upperclassman has three pitches: the fastball, the slider and the changeup. By having this many
effective pitches, it usually leaves opposing batters searching for answers on their way back to the dugout.
“I like to establish the fastball early, then I mix in the slider that I can throw on any count,” Araiza tells The Yuma Sun. “The slider can be a waste pitch or I can throw it for strikes. Then my changeup is pretty good, but honestly, it can use a little more work before its as good as my other two pitches.”
Relatively new to the Yuma Catholic program, Araiza began playing for the Shamrocks only two years ago. Prior to that, he was playing varsity baseball for the Cibola Raiders. Araiza reveals he began thinking about transferring to YC during 2020 when the spring season was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That summer, he began practicing with Yuma Catholic players and came away very impressed with the work ethic of the entire program.
“The players at YC used that down time to practice hard and it seems like they really wanted to get better and improve. I wanted to get to the next level as well, so being around more teammates like that definitely made me a better player,” Araiza states.
It is easy to see why the powerful righthander is so passionate about the sport. He has played travel ball since about the age of seven, and even had the unique opportunity to play for the Mexican National Team at the age of 11. While Araiza was born in the United States, his father is of Mexican descent. As a result, Araiza had an interest in representing his father’s home country when the opportunity arose.
“I have dual citizenship for the U.S. and Mexico, so I think it’s pretty cool to represent both countries as a baseball player. I am very proud of my heritage.”
A young man of Christian faith, Araiza also shares it is his faith in God that gives him structure in his life on and off the field. An avid church goer and reader of the Bible, the standout pitcher keeps a picture of Jesus in his left back pocket as well as a small cross every time he steps out onto the field.
“It’s like a part of my uniform. I pray to God before every game and I give all the glory to Him,” the YC senior continues. “I talk to God during the game and it calms me down when things get hard out there.”
With his high school eligibility over, Araiza has already signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his baseball career at Division 1 San Diego State. However, depending on the outcome of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft which takes place in July, the Yuma Catholic standout may decide to begin his professional career early.
“Ever since I was about six or seven years old,
I’ve wanted to become a player in the MLB. So if I was drafted early enough and a team offered me a really good deal, I’d have to seriously consider it,” Araiza adds.