Eliminating a pitch and learning a different one three quarters into a season seems unconventional.

But on Monday, Cason Hagerman punched conventional wisdom out.

With Hagerman’s splitter misfiring, World Series champ Bret Prinz, Canyon View’s pitching coach, offered some valuable advice last week. Make the switch to a changeup, Prinz recommended.

The new pitch made its debut with great success in Hagerman's 7-0 complete-game home victory over highly ranked 4A Yuma. The junior also frequently threw a first pitch strike, allowing him to fan nine Yuma batters and scatter just four hits.

“Like (Hagerman) had thrown it (changeup) his whole life,” Canyon View coach Nick Swanson said. “The arm speed is there. The movement is there. He already has command of it. So it’s exciting to add a pitch on such a short notice in the spring.”

Prior to adding the changeup to his repertoire, Hagerman had already established himself as Canyon View’s No. 2 on a pitching staff that boasts Gonzaga commit Landon Hood.

Hagerman solidified his role Monday for one of the favorites (19-4 record) in 5A this season.

“I feel like we are all a family,” said Hagerman about his team. “All of our families know each other. We’ve been around each other for four years.”

Despite suffering the loss, Yuma’s starting pitcher, Kevin Garcia, and his teammates also are success stories. Yuma is one of this season’s biggest surprises and has a good chance to reach a state tournament for the first time in 14 years.

Known for its mascot, the Criminals, Yuma (12-5-1) is handcuffing its baseball opponents for the most part this season. It’s led by an alum, coach Nicholas Johnson.

Yuma coach Nicholas Johnson (far right) and his Yuma Criminals have a good chance to snap a long playoff drought. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)

Garcia held Canyon View’s potent lineup to just one run through five innings before a couple of pass balls, a two-run throwing error and a hit batsman helped Canyon View score six runs in the final two innings.

Senior No. 8 hitter Rolando Valles hit two doubles for Canyon View. Valles and the batters that precede him, Ethan Santoyo and Rece Landis, went a combined 4-for-8 with three RBI’s.

“They have exceeded all of the expectations,” Johnson said of his Yuma squad. “I have the greatest kids who don’t have an ounce of quit in them. They play fearless baseball.”

Garcia, Yuma’s ace and leading hitter, and six other teammates will play for Big Bend Community College in Washington next season.

During a regular season tournament in California that honors a baseball player who died in his sleep, Austin Gorrell, Garcia was awarded a $10,000 scholarship. The senior will be the first one in his family to attend college.

Yuma's Kevin Garcia/Photo Jose Garcia/AZPreps365