In what many people considered the most talented team in school history, the baseball team finished a record-breaking 2015 campaign on a sour note.

The Pumas (20-8, 13-5) were able to host their first-ever playoff game after winning a school-best 20 regular season games and earning a first round bye in the division-I playoffs.

The seventh-ranked Pumas’ bats were silenced by arguably the most potent pitching staff in Arizona – No. 10 Centennial – and PHS fell by a score of 4-0. But that game does not define their season, according to several players and coaches.

The 2015 season saw Perry continue its tradition of solid defense and pitching. The defense was the best it has ever been, with a .945 fielding percentage; and the pitching recorded the third lowest earned-run average in school history (2.96).

Defensively, seniors Marcus Ybarra (.980), Austin Bull (.926) and Jeremy McCuin (.940) were the core of the strongest infield in school history.

Seniors Tyler Watson and Bull had phenomenal seasons as they both set several records for the school and will both represent PHS at the senior All Star game. Watson had the most ever strikeouts (68) and Bull broke the record for most stolen bases with 25.

“[Watson’s] pitching is as good as anyone we’ve ever had here,” head coach Shane Hilstrom said. “He has six records and I think he is one of the best.”

The play of the year came in the 12-2 win over Corona del Sol when Aztek designated hitter Kyle Coggins ripped a comebacker to Watson. The southpaw calmly fielded the ball – behind his back – flipped to McCuin at second base who tossed it to first base to complete the double play. And with that, the Pumas jogged off the field as if it were just another one of their 21 double plays.

“It’s been an amazing, fun,and  wild ride and I’ve learned a lot, all while I got to play with a lot of cool people,” Ybarra said.

Watson went from being a freshman who got little playing time on varsity to being the role model for the team his senior year.

His catcher, Ybarra, noted: “[Watson] definitely helped us win a lot of tough games and he always kept the mood light.”

Bull was the young kid on the varsity team four years ago.

“I was the  butt of a lot of jokes, and nothing has changed,” Bull said, noting that the team is a family and makes baseball an even better experience.

Senior pitcher Zach Kingdeski played a huge role in the team’s success, as he won six games including beating nationally-ranked teams Horizon and Liberty.

The 2015 Pumas will graduate 12 seniors next week, and will go down in history as one of the best teams in the program’s history.