Ramiro Fernandez didn’t witness first-hand how his advice assisted his son, Aldo. 

That's because Fernandez’s immigration case is pending as he sits in a detention facility. Aldo hasn’t really seen his father since January, but he constantly hears his father’s voice. 

That voice in his head was likely screaming with joy Saturday when Aldo left the mound as a state championship pitcher.   

Aldo wasn’t the only one hooting and hollering after Alhambra finally won its first state baseball championship in 54 years. After pitching an inning and earning a save in Friday’s Division III state semifinals, Aldo tossed a complete game Saturday in Alhambra’s 3-2 championship triumph over San Luis at Surprise Stadium. 

Aldo showed a lot of poise in tough situations during the game, but that pales in comparison to not having his father around. 

“My dad is my best friend,” said Aldo as his teammates celebrated around him on the field. 

There’s no telling when Aldo’s father might return home. 

But Ramiro will be proud when he hears about how his son performed Saturday against a strong San Luis team and throughout this season. Aldo matched Sun Luis’ starter Gabriel Ponce pitch for pitch during the first three scoreless innings, but Aldo ran into trouble in the fourth, when San Luis hit an RBI double and then loaded the bases with two outs. 

But Aldo got out of the jam when Danny Orozco grounded out. In the bottom of the fourth, Ponce (11 K’s, 1 earned run in five innings) also ran into trouble in the fourth, but not by his own making. Two, two base errors proved costly in the game and helped Alhambra score its three runs.

But San Luis and Ponce kept fighting. Ponce cut Alhambra’s lead to one run, 3-2, after his solo blast to left travelled about 360 feet, one of six hits Aldo gave up. 

(Aldo Fernandez)

Ponce pounced on a fastball that was supposed to go inside.  

In the top of the seventh, San Luis put two men on with one out, but Aldo got San Luis’ leadoff hitter to fly out to right and the No. 2 hitter to ground out for the final outs of the game. 

Aldo’s defense didn’t commit an error in the biggest game of Alhambra’s long baseball history. Aldo stuck with his fastball, which was clocked at 88 MPH in the seventh inning, and his curve for most of the game. 

“(Aldo) struggled when he lost his father, but his teammates rallied around him,” Alhambra coach Christopher Hoth said.

The senior repaid his team with an outstanding season (8-2 record, 1.40 ERA in 60 innings).   

Up next is for Aldo is pitching for Cochise College next season, but first he’ll have to shave. He grew a beard throughout the year and promised to shave it after the season. 

What he’ll still carry with him is his father's words of wisdom. 

“I can always hear my dad’s voice,” Aldo said. 

(Alhambra)