Hózhó softball team earns No. 6 seed in A/2A playoffs

By Quentin Jodie | May 5, 2025 | Sports |

By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times

GALLUP – The Hózhó Academy softball team is headed to the state playoffs in its inaugural varsity season.

The Wolves capped the regular season with a 21-5 overall record, which includes a third-place finish in District 1-A/2A behind Rehoboth Christian and Laguna Acoma. Hózhó went 7-3 in district play.

The state seedings were released on Sunday evening with Hózhó earning the No. 6 seed. The Wolves will play No. 11 Jal (12-13) on Wednesday at Lordsburg High School at 4 p.m.

The winner of that game will take on No. 3 Lordsburg (14-4) at 6 p.m. later that day

“I’m just happy to be in the state tournament,” Hózhó coach Ray Spencer said. “We like to really come in and upset some teams. That’s my goal and we can do that if we play up to our potential.”

District champ Rehoboth (17-9, 9-2 in district) earned the No. 4 seed as the Lady Lynx will play the survivor between No. 5 Laguna Acoma (19-7, 8-2 in district) and No. 12 Eunice (12-12) at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The LA and Eunice game is slated for 3 p.m. earlier that day.

This is Hózhó’s first year competing as a full varsity member of the New Mexico Activities Association. The previous two years, the Wolves played a freelance schedule under its two-year probationary period.

“I think it’s great that we’re going to state,” freshman Mia Baca said. “We’re a young team, but I think we can surprise some people. Like coach says, we just have to work on the little stuff for us to get far.”

The little stuff, Baca says, includes making the routine plays such as catching the pop flies, making the easy ground outs, and hitting the ball, too.

“We need those key hits to get on base,” Baca said.

Eighth grader Iris Albert concurred while adding that the team is still learning Spencer’s system.

“We play travel ball for him, and we’re really trying to buy into the system in what the coaches are teaching us,” Albert said. “The season was pretty great, and we’ve worked hard as team. I think making state will show how much we’ve grown the past few months.”

Under Spencer’s tutelage, the Hózhó players have received an introduction to his teaching methods. The first two years were spent on fundamentals and now they’re beginning to grasp the hitting and defensive styles he implemented when he coached at Gallup High. While at Gallup, Spencer built a prominent program as the Bengals captured two Class 4A state titles in the past four years with the players he helped developed.

“When coach Bud (Pino) and I came to the program our goal of winning a state title was already set,” Spencer said. “Coming in we talked to the girls, and we told them that we’re going to win state. It doesn’t mean we’re going to win it this year, but it’s a goal that we’re reaching for.

“Going into our third year, we’re one step ahead of reaching that goal,” he added. “We’ve got a new group of eighth graders that are coming along, and they are going to change the program.”

The Hózhó coach is going to give it a year or two before they become state contenders at the small school level.

“As a young team, we’re still going to have our growing pains,” he said. “As soon as these girls understand the game a little better, we’ll be where we need to be.

“Hopefully, we can repeat what we did at Gallup High,” he added.