4A STATE: Comeback flair lands Gators in final four

No other team in this week’s Class 4A state baseball tournament has lost twice in the postseason.

But none of the other teams has benefited from playoff comebacks the way Green Valley has.

The Gators (32-7) trailed in the sixth inning or later of three games in the Sunrise Region tournament and state play-in game and won another game in the eighth inning.

Green Valley opens the state tournament against five-time defending champion Bishop Gorman (32-4) at 6 p.m. Thursday at the College of Southern Nevada. Sunrise champion Rancho (31-5) plays Northern champ Spanish Springs (26-9) in the first game at 3 p.m.

“They just believe that it’s never over until it’s over,” Green Valley coach Matt Stoner said.

The Gators trailed Sierra Vista 5-0 entering the bottom of the fifth in Saturday’s state play-in game before rallying to take control with an eight-run sixth inning that featured four consecutive home runs.

“I don’t know how they did it,” Stoner said. “Down five runs to a team like Sierra Vista, that’s hard, especially against a pitcher like (Blair) Goldsack, one of the best guys in town.

“They just don’t stop fighting.”

Senior shortstop Matt Harrison, who started the four-homer barrage Saturday with a grand slam, said the team has matured since the start of the season and now has confidence, even when it falls behind.

“It’s not new to us anymore,” Harrison said of staging comebacks. “From the beginning of the season until now, we’re almost a completely different team being able to battle back and not give up. It’s the best Green Valley team I’ve ever played on.”

Harrison said the team has bonded and is closer than in past seasons.

“In past years, it’s been almost divided at the end of the season just because of personal egos,” Harrison said. “This year, no one has an ego. It’s a full family. It’s incredible.”

The Gators must find the energy to get up for the state tournament after playing eight games last week, including five from Thursday to Saturday.

Facing the five-time champs makes things even tougher.

“We’re playing the best team in the state opening night. That’s a big challenge,” Stoner said. “It’s definitely not going to be easy.”

First-year Gorman coach Nick Day doesn’t expect it to be easy for the Gaels to repeat again.

“This is going to be the best state tournament that we’ve had in a long time as far as the teams that are going to be there and how competitive it’s going to be,” Day said.

Day thinks the high level of competition will bring out the best in all the teams.

“This is what we play all year for,” Day said. “We start working early in the winter, and this is why. This is the most fun it gets.”