Coronado High was once an established baseball powerhouse in Arizona, but in recent years the Dons have faced some adversity.

Coach Ryan Dyer, entering his third season at the helm, is focused on bringing a championship tradition back to Scottsdale for the Dons.

“I came two years ago to try and restore the glory days in the program,” Dyer said.

The Dons rode a 50-game losing streak into the 2017 season when Dyer was approached about trying to revitalize baseball in the community.

“Since then we have seen tremendous growth as a program,” Dyer said.

Dyer is used to winning championships as he led Scottsdale Saguaro to back-to-back state titles in 2010 and ’11.

Flipping the program around hasn’t been a walk in the park, but Dyer is welcoming the challenge of growing inexperienced players.

“We have about six kids coming out today who have never touched a glove before,” Dyer said before a practice last week.

The Dons are returning only eight players for the 2019 season and lost star pitcher Dylan Pfeiffer, who is now playing for Scottsdale Community College.

Coronado finished 5-13 last season in the 4A Black Canyon Conference but have been moved to the 3A Metro East Conference where the Dons have high hopes.

“We set a goal to be a playoff contending team in this conference and now it’s just a matter of staying healthy and staying eligible in the classroom,” Dyer said.

The Dons have the potential to be potent on the bump, returning pitchers Francisco Porras, Junior Castro and Drake Pfeiffer, brother of Dylan.

Behind the plate, the Dons return senior Alexis Ochoa, who hit .345 last season.

“Ochoa has been working hard and will be able to give these pitchers a good backstop,” Dyer said.

The Dons will also be solid up the middle as Porras and Pablo Castillo will split time at shortstop, and Manny Leas will be a solid glove at second base, Dyer said.

Pitcher Drake Pfeiffer is looking to stay composed on the mound and be a leader to the new guys who have no background in baseball.

“If they make a mistake I will keep good body language and tell them to forget about it and worry about the next play,” Drake Pfeiffer said.

Succeeding in the classroom is going to be a big part of the Dons success and Porras is willing to do whatever it takes to help his teammates stay eligible.

“All these guys know they can come and ask me for help,” Porras said. “I’ll be hard on guys and their grades and even communicate with their teachers if I have to.”

The 2019 Dons have talented returning players and a young core that will be able to contribute right away, making the Dons a contender in the 3A Metro East Conference.

Coronado High begins the 2019 season on Feb. 20 against Wickenburg in Wickenburg, Ariz. The Dons open their home schedule on Feb. 21against ASU Preparatory Academy.