PHOENIX -- The Kellis High School baseball team had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Tuesday.
The Cougars from Glendale, Ariz., who captured the Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A state championship in May, were presented with their championship rings at Chase Field prior to the D-backs' matchup with the Braves.
Presenting the rings to the players was D-backs outfielder David Peralta, who worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation to raise funds to cover the cost of the rings.
"This is really important for those kids," Peralta said. "For them to get some hardware really means a lot, so I think this was something that was just really cool to see."
Each member of the team was given a custom ring, and the six Cougars seniors will be featured on the inside cover of the next edition of D-backs Insider magazine.
The Cougars defeated Campo Verde High School (Gilbert, Ariz.) at Tempe Diablo Stadium on May 16, 10-5, to clinch the first baseball state title in school history.
While addressing a crowd of players and parents in the Diamond Lounge at Chase Field, Kellis head coach Michael Deardorff emphasized that the title was a product of hard work and determination, rather than a "magical run."
"I didn't want our team to believe anything that we were doing was magical at all," Deardorff said. "I knew that all the hard work that they put in over the course of the year, and all of the close games, had forged our team into a mentally tough team that was ready for anything. They were battle-tested, and far from magical."