2008 JUCO World Series
by Charlie77
on May 22, 2008 9:29 PM MDT
32 comments
This Saturday is the start of the 51st Junior College (Juco) World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado and I am looking forward to some great baseball performances all week long. JUCO has a legacy of exciting baseball in Colorado and quite a few Major League baseball players have been a part of this thrilling tournament including Kirby Puckett, Curt Schilling, Eric Gagne, Travis Hafner and Adam LaRoche. In 1982 Kirby established the JUCO World Series record for highest batting average with a mark of .688 which has since been matched by two other players.
The games are played under the shadow of majestic Grand Mesa at Sam Suplizio field. Once known as Lincoln Park the stadium was later renamed after the former Yankees right fielder in honor of his contributions as commissioner of the tournament and its success in Grand Junction. Suplizio Field holds a lot of memories for me and my family, my grandfather used to take my father to games back in the 1960’s. My father then played high school and college baseball games there and my brother has since played on the same field, I even played football on the neighboring gridiron back in the day. Now that I have a family of my own I have enjoyed watching my two sons participate in the on-field little league ceremonies and now we share the JUCO experience together.
This year’s tournament includes an exciting collection of teams from all over the country including defending national champions Chipola College of Florida. Chipola leaned on its ace Ryan Chaffee to win its state title game when Chaffee pitched 9 innings and recorded 18 strikeouts to garner the win. Chaffee was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2007 and ranked in a preseason poll as the #3 prospect in all of JUCO by pgcrosschecker.com. Joshua Spence is another player I am looking forward to watching, the Central Arizona pitcher is 14-2 on the season with an ERA of 1.40 and 151 strikeouts to only 14 walks. Walters State from Tennessee boasts 5 hitters with at least 19 HR’s, pretty amazing considering there was only 7 hitters in all of Junior College baseball that hit 20+ HR’s. But the best part of the tournament is the sun, peanuts and watching baseball played by some amazing athletes. I plan on updating this segment over the next week with pictures and stories from the tournament and I look forward to your responses.
Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).
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Suplizio Field...
Home of the JUCO World Series since 1958, this is its 50th anniversary, the stadium has a capacity of 12,000 people. Its field dimensions look like this: Left Field Line-302 ft, Left Field-365 ft, Left Center-410 ft, Center Field-400 ft, Right Center-380 ft, Right Field Line 330 ft. Left field has a mini-green monster because of how short it is. The altitude is approx. 4,600 feet which means balls fly out at an entertaining rate.
Here is a birdseye view of the field:
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 22, 2008 9:45 PM MDT
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Underneath the stands at JUCO
is one gigantic social event for all the kids that live in Grand Junction. They get together, hang out, make out, fight, everything kids do. When I was growing up, I would ditch school to go to day games and go to every night game I could with my parents. Not to do that stupid kids stuff, but to watch baseball. I have been afflicted with this baseball disease ever since I first touched a tee ball bat. And I’m proud of it too.
by Prospector on
May 23, 2008 6:00 AM MDT
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I really look forward to the updates
I had to go with Chipola for the repeat, there’s still a lot of talent on that team and they play in one of the tougher conferences, although Walters State has been steamrolling through their schedule this year.
by Rox Girl on
May 23, 2008 7:08 AM MDT
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Chipola will be tough..
But I have to vote for Walters State right now. They have been one of the top ranked teams all season long and have 4 of the 6 top homerun hitters in the country.
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by Charlie77 on
May 23, 2008 4:24 PM MDT
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I might change want to change my vote...
After Chipola’s 22-2 win and Walters 13-7 loss.
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by Charlie77 on
May 25, 2008 12:58 AM MDT
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I'll have to go
with Conners St. in lovely Warner, OK. Having spent 3 years of my child hood down the road in Eufaula, OK, I’ll go with the local boys. Coonners St, has a great history of JUCO baseball. Not that I follow JUCO or even NCAA baseball.
I do miss college baseball.
Colorado Rockies: Playing meaningless games in June yet again. What do you think about the execution of your team? In the immortal words of John Mckay, "I'm all for it."
by Redhawk on
May 23, 2008 7:45 AM MDT
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Sorry Red..
They were the second team to be eliminated in the tournament.and they probably faced the toughest two opponents available in the Series. Chipola and Walters could play each other in the Championship game.
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by Charlie77 on
May 25, 2008 11:27 PM MDT
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I went to the JUCO tourney
just about every year from the late 60’s (when Mesa was still a junior college) to late 70’s. Always enjoyable…and always hot! The guys I remember seeing were Donnie Moore, Doug Ault and Dave Collins.
I knew Sam Suplizio a little…a wonderful gentleman and great ambassador for both the tournament and Grand Junction. The stadium and tournament are first-class and a fitting tribute to his memory.
Surefire prediction: by the third day, most teams will have run out of pitching and the scores will be astronomical.
by alex colfax on
May 23, 2008 10:41 AM MDT
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Suplizio *61...
I wish I could have seen Sam Suplizio play back in his prime. From all accounts that I have read about the man he was an amazing hitter who had great range in the outfield. Supposedly the Yankees were moving Mickey Mantle to rightfield to make room for Sam in center before Suplizio injured his arm.
Not long after the injury the Yankees acquired Roger Maris who was about the same age as Sam and both players were often measured against each other in the minor leagues. In 1955 Suplizio actually hit more homeruns than Maris 24-21.
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by Charlie77 on
May 23, 2008 4:32 PM MDT
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Mud rub
This week the JUCO ball shaggers participated in the annual rubbing of the baseball, where the balls are worked over with mud to remove the shine. The tournament will go through 25 dozen balls and uses Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud, the same mud used by Major League Baseball. I always knew that Delaware mud was used on the baseballs, but had no idea where it came from. I assumed the umpires scooped up some mud from the river, apparently not. This mud can be purchased over the internet and is pricey at $28.75 for 16 ounces. Lena, who played sporadically with the Chicago White Sox between 1910-1915 discovered the secret mud and found it worked so well that baseball teams abandoned the other options of tobacco, shoe polish and dirt to use the special mud.
Lena Blackburne (center) with Eddie Collins (left) and Ty Cobb (right).
Here is a link to the website that sells the rubbing mud, and it also tells the story of former major leaguer Lena Blackburne. http://baseballrubbingmud.com/main.htm
This is a video link to the JUCO ball shaggers rubbing down the baseballs with some jivy background music.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1564583220/bctid1566424346
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by Charlie77 on
May 23, 2008 4:19 PM MDT
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Johnson County vs. Shelton State
Saturday 9 AM is the start of the Juco Tournament and I thought I should write a breakdown of the two teams since this is one of the games I will be able to attend.
This is the second straight appearance in the JUCO tournament for Shelton State. This year they were forced to fight through the losers bracket of their conference tournament and won 3 games within 24 hours to earn their spot. The team from Tuscaloosa will display a strong set of starting pitchers who combined for a record of 22-6 all with an era under 3.89. Shelton does not go to its bullpen very often. It led its conference in innings pitched per game at 8.36 and strikeouts per game at 8.84. Adam Scott is the ace of the staff (9-0 2.33) but developed a blister in the conference championship preventing him from finishing a complete game. It will be interesting to watch and see if the injury affects him during the week. Offensively as a team Shelton had a .314 avg with 49 HR’s. Their leading hitters are Clay Jones (.422-12-57) and Tyler Horne (.335-10-72).
Led by a trio of quality starting pitchers, Johnson County sports a team ERA of only 2.47 which makes it a tough draw in the tournament. The top three pitchers are Brandon Drodge (8-2 1.20), Travis Blankenship (11-3 2.59) and Dustin Holthaus (7-2 2.57). Blankenship was the winner of the conference championship game throwing a no hitter through 6 innings and striking out 4 of the first 5 batters he faced. The Cavaliers are the alma mater of former Rockies catcher Kit Pellow, but will soon be known as the former college of shortstop Doug Otto. Otto was named the conference tournament MVP and is a solid defensive shortstop who posted one of the best fielding percentages (.962) in school history. He also handles the bat well (.416-5-46) and stole 27 bases.
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by Charlie77 on
May 23, 2008 5:49 PM MDT
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By the dawns early light..
I found it ironic that today’s 9 AM game began with the lyrics from our national anthem, …by the dawn’s early light… and ended with Walters State getting pummeled …at the twilight’s last gleaming… during the 8 PM game. I was fortunate enough to catch most of both games and unfortunately watched two of the teams I was rooting for go down in flames. Both teams still have a chance in the losers bracket since the tournament is double elimination. This morning started with me practicing my duck herding techniques as I brought my three kids to the game, kids 5 and under are free so I only had to pay for one of them. Let’s just say we went through a lot of Cracker Jacks though, and to keep them busy I gave them my old digital camera to keep them busy. By the time the batteries had run out the memory card was nearly full and they had shot over 60 pics during the game! Most of the pictures were of peanut shells and clouds, but what can you expect from a 3, 5 and 7 year old?
My daughter showing off her Rockies shirt.
My sons checking out their collection of sunflower seed pics.
Johnson County CC Cavaliers 4 vs. Shelton State CC Buccaneers 8
Johnson’s leadoff hitter Francis caught an unlucky break to start the game, he slammed a long drive down the right field line that skidded just foul. The hit would have gone for extra bases and then he was caught looking on the next pitch for a backwards K. The next two batters walked and had a base hit before Mitchell settled down and retired the next two batters. What Mitchell lacked in velocity he made up for in movement, his curve was 68 with a good break. His fastball hit 84 and was rarely squared up throughout the entire game. Mitchell went 5 1/3 allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs with 4 K’s.
Droge was a little wild in the game as he tried to get across his 84 mph fastball and 71 mph curve. He went 5 innings giving up only 2 earned runs on 8 hits. Both pitchers found themselves throwing a shutout through 3 innings. It wasn’t until the 4th inning when SS Doug Otto really began to make an impression on the game. Earlier he had shown good defensive range up the middle and in the 4th he battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk. He then proceeded to take inflict his will on the game by stealing 2nd and 3rd to put himself in easy scoring position. Two batters later Freshman Nate Thomas hitting .339 on the year drove Otto home with a base hit which nearly took Mitchell’s head off. Otto has been one of my favorite players to watch because of his aggressiveness on the base path and outstanding defensive effort. 
Otto made a barehanded play in the 4th behind 3rd base displaying his gold glove potential.
Shelton was led by Sophomore 3rd baseman Tyler Horne who was clutch every at-bat. He tripled in the first run of the game, and later scored on Justin Diliberto’s double. This game was close until the 8th inning when things got out of hand and two batters were hit and to compound the situation two errors were made. Relievers Travis Blankenship and Jacob Smith both pitched in the 8th and gave up 3 runs without getting back a single out. 
Tyler Horne had a great game going 4-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI’s. He is a big kid at 6’ tall and 205 lbs.
Central Arizona College Vaqueros 4 vs. Iowa Western CC Reivers 6
This game featured pitching prospect Josh Spence who I believe is probably the best pitcher coming into the tournament. Scouts claim that the 6’1" 170 lb Spence doesn’t fit the usual mold of a prospect. The lefty’s fastball hits mid to upper 80’s but he has good command of four pitches and pitches with great awareness. Spence was the only hurler to pitch a complete game today, unfortunately it was in a losing effort as his defense gave up 2 unearned runs on 2 errors. Spence finished with 9 K’s, 1 BB, and allowed 4 earned runs on 11 hits.
Iowa’s Tyler Lundy finished with a solid 3-4 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI’s. Doug Kroll also had 2 RBI’s
Chipola College Indians 22 vs. Connors State College Cowboys 2
The defending national champions finished the 2007 JUCO World Series at 72 runs, one run shy of the all-time tournament record. They must have decided that this year they were going to smash the record and started by scoring 22 runs against Connors State. The Cowboys starter Shane Cameron gave up 7 earned runs in 3 innings, but reliever Jim Miner was victimized allowing 6 runs in 1/3 of an inning.
Six of the nine starters for Chipola had multiple hits in the game and 5 starters scored 3 runs each. Catcher Moises Montero had the most impressive day going 3-4 with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI’s.
Walters State College Senators 7 vs. Alvin CC Dolphins 13
Heavy favorites Walters nearly lost by the 8 run rule which is enforced after 6 innings in JUCO play, but were able to score 2 runs allowing the game to continue on. Alvin hitters brought their time machine with them and reinstituted the Baltimore Chop, bouncing balls off the infield high enough to beat out at first throughout the entire game. Alvin’s starter Taylor Wulf was masterful throughout the whole game with a sinking fastball that limited Walters to only 6 runs through 6 innings. Think that’s a lot? Walters had 6 players hit more than 19 homeruns this year and 50 RBI’s. Alvin had only one player with more than 50 RBI’s.
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 25, 2008 12:56 AM MDT
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Notes from Saturday's games
Top Quote from yesterday’s game:
Walters State coach Ken Campbell said. “We just got a good butt-kickin’ tonight. Give Alvin credit.”
Alvin Community College ofTexas was playing in its first Junior College World Series in only their sixth night game of the season. The Dolphins also played in front of the largest crowd (8,308) they’ve seen all year and defeated the top hitting team in the nation (Walters).
A stand at the front gate is selling official JUCO World Series trading cards
The trading cards come in stacks that contain all the members of the teams, from the head coach to the managers and trainers. The cards cost $5 for one team, $40 for all 10 teams.
Doug Otto was a Rawlings Kansas Gold Glove award winner, began at Johnson Community Colege as a walk-on and has now signed with Kansas University. He also received honors of Jayhawk tournament MVP.
How good was Chipola’s 22-2 victory yesterday? There were two grand slams hit in the 6th inning by two different players in the same spot in the batting order.
The first one was hit by designated hitter Tyler Bumgarner. He was then replaced by Brett Maxwell who hit a pinch hit grand slam the second time through the order in the same inning.
Chipola had more than 20 players bat in the 6th inning, scoring 15 runs.
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by Charlie77 on
May 25, 2008 5:01 PM MDT
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That's the type of inning the Rockies need to see
Although right now I’d be happy with five in an inning.
by Rox Girl on
May 25, 2008 6:59 PM MDT
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Two teams bow out
Grayson 18- Hagerstown 2
According to NJCAA.org the Vikings have won more games than any junior college program since 1997 and tonight I could see why. Led by their dynamite shortstop J.D. Alfaro, the team from Texas steamrolled Hagerstown 18-2.
Alfaro had a night to remember going 3-5 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 2 Runs scored and 4 RBI’s. Plus he played amazing defense showcasing a Tulo-like spin up the middle to throw out a runner at first base. Alfaro looks like the Rockies Omar Quintanilla, he’s small in stature at 5’9" and 165 lbs, but he hits with power and has a strong arm, perfectgame.org clocked his fastball at 86 mph although he did not pitch for Grayson this year. Even though he’s a small shortstop, Alfaro’s power should not be questioned as he cracked the top 20 JUCO hitters in homeruns this season with 17. Not to be overlooked in the game with all the runs scored, but Viking pitcher Conrad Flynn had the best outing of the tournament so far. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, shutting down the team from Maryland.
Hagerstown looked like a team that had just completed a 26 hour bus ride from the East Coast which is what they did. The Hawks were the lowest ranked team to enter the tournament and played a sloppy game committing 3 errors and constantly missing the cutoff man on throws from the outfield.
Central Arizona 20 – Johnson County 7
The Cavaliers gave up a 6-2 lead in a game that exposed Johnson’s bullpen, which allowed 15 runs in the last three innings and knocked the team from Kansas out of the tournament. This was a disappointing game for me, because I was really rooting for shortstop Doug Otto. The former walk-on had another great night finishing 3-4 with a double, HR, stolen base, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI’s. I will have to watch his career progress as a Kansas Jayhawk from here on out. Tyler Blankenship was just too wild and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks. He had a tough tournament after not retiring a batter the night before, 3rd baseman Drew Garwood also had a tough tournament committing 3 errors and hitting .166 with a walk and a strikeout over the weekend.
The Vaquero’s leadoff hitter Tim Steggall had a stellar game going 4-7 with a HR, SB, 3 runs scored and 2 RBI’s.
Walters State 14 – Connors State 4
Connors was outscored 36-6 in this tournament and between Chipola and Walters they faced the two strongest hitting teams in JUCO. Tyler Tuthill was one of the few gems for Connors going 4-4 with 2 runs scored.
Hawn and Miller both struck gold for Walters going deep for their 2nd and 3rd HR’s of the tournament. More power will be needed from those two because it appears that DH and JUCO HR leader Kyle Koeneman is out of the tournament with some kind of injury. I think Walters fans could breath a little easier after this game. Many people including myself expected them to crush through the tournament, but Alvin laid a buzz saw to the Senators and now Walters will be forced to play through the losers bracket if they want to win the Championship.
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by Charlie77 on
May 25, 2008 11:22 PM MDT
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Grayson's really strong...
I wouldn’t be surprised if they won this year. Tough conference, good pitcching, good defense. It’s Travis Blankenship, by the way, Tyler plays for Washburn CC, also in Kansas. I’m supposing they’re related, but don’t know for sure.
by Rox Girl on
May 26, 2008 10:58 AM MDT
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Thanks for the editing help..
Not sure if they’re related, I wonder if Andy and Adam LaRoche are related? Both played in the Juco Tournament. Andy played for Grayson in the JUCO series, currently in the Dodgers minor league system? and Adam was the 2000 MVP for Seminole State and current Pittsburgh Pirate. Adam holds the distinction of being the only player in JUCO history to be named to the all-tournament team at two different positions!!
Grayson looked strong last night, they played fundamental baseball executing on the little things like bunting and moving runners over. All three outfielders appeared to have plus arms from my perch in leftfield. The radio announcers were talking about Grayson after the game and wondered if they were that good, and how they might fare against some better competition. I hope Hagerstown plays better. Otherwise, that was a long bus ride to have to go back home after two games.
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by Charlie77 on
May 26, 2008 12:31 PM MDT
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Yes, the LaRoches are brothers...
and the sons of former lefty reliever Dave LaRoche, a 14-year major leaguer.
by alex colfax on
May 26, 2008 3:13 PM MDT
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Crotchless pants?
Thanks for the tip Alex.
BTW I found this story about Adam LaRoche while surfing the web. It comes from Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. It seems that after being traded to Pittsburgh a week before closing on a new home in Atlanta Adam was looking for a litle payback. So when the Pirates were finishing a road series in Florida and the Braves were coming into town, he saw his opportunity and grabbed it, or cut it rather. The Braves were scheduled to face the Marlins the next day and the uniforms had already been sent and hung up in the visitor’s locker room. As the Pirates were leaving, Adam grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the crotch out of all the players underpants, I assume he means the sliders. Then LaRoche left a note saying, “Let it all hang out fellas!”
Bill Acree, the Braves’ travel and equipment chief was steamed about the prank saying. "(Tell Adam), the bill is in the mail."
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by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 7:54 AM MDT
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JUCO Batting Leaders
Here is a list of the top hitters in the tournament:
Hitting minimums – 1 Games 4 AB
Pitching minimums – 1 Games 4 IP
Batting avg
—-——
1. Corbett Proctor, SHELTON… .714
2. Tyler Horne, SHELTON….... .667
Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... .667
4. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... .636
5. Clay Puckett, ALVIN…..... .625
Slugging pct
—-——-
1. JD Alfaro, GRAYSON…...... 1.600
2. Tyler Lundy, IOWAWEST…... 1.571
3. Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... 1.500
4. Chris Herrmann, ALVIN…... 1.429
5. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 1.364
On base pct
—-——
1. Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... .778
2. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... .733
3. Corbett Proctor, SHELTON… .714
4. Tyler Horne, SHELTON….... .700
5. Dylan Pratt, WALTERS….... .667
Runs scored
—-——
1. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 6
Cade Thompson, CENTRAL….. 6
Einar Atencio, CHIPOLA….. 6
4. 7 tied at…............... 5
Hits
—
1. Tim Steggall, CENTRAL…... 8
2. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 7
3. Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 6
Will Skinner, WALTERS…... 6
Tyler Horne, SHELTON….... 6
Runs batted in
—-—-—
1. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 10
2. Adam Milligan, WALTERS….. 6
3. 6 tied at…............... 5
Doubles
——-
1. Clay Puckett, ALVIN…..... 3
Cade Thompson, CENTRAL….. 3
Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 3
4. 7 tied at…............... 2
Triples
——-
1. 7 tied at…............... 1
Home runs
—-—
1. Cody Hawn, WALTERS…...... 3
2. 8 tied at…............... 2
Total bases
—-——
1. Cody Hawn, WALTERS…...... 16
2. Tim Steggall, CENTRAL…... 15
Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 15
4. Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 14
5. Adam Milligan, WALTERS….. 13
Walks
—-
1. Einar Atencio, CHIPOLA….. 5
2. Russ Tibbs, SHELTON…..... 4
Dylan Pratt, WALTERS….... 4
Brett Whitaker, SHELTON…. 4
5. 5 tied at…............... 3
Hit by pitch
—-——-
1. Dylan Pratt, WALTERS….... 2
Daniel Jones, CHIPOLA…... 2
Moises Montero, CHIPOLA…. 2
Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 2
5. 13 tied at….............. 1
Stolen bases
—-——-
1. Chris Berroa, CHIPOLA…... 3
Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... 3
3. Cal Tinsley, SHELTON….... 2
Chris Herrmann, ALVIN…... 2
5. 14 tied at….............. 1
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 3:15 PM MDT
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History being made?
Corbett Proctor has a chance to break Kirby Puckett’s batting average record that was established 26 years ago. The Sophomore Rightfielder is currently hitting .714 and still has at least 2 games remaining. I am a little wary of his chances however, since Proctor has yet to hit higher than 7th in the lineup. There must be a reason for hitting him so low, last night he was in the 8 spot.
My money would be on his teammate Tyler Horne who is currently batting .667 with a double and triple in the tournament. Horne sprays line drives all over Suplizio field and has good enough speed to stretch out a single.
Tyler Lundy is second in slugging percentage at 1.571 and last night displayed incredible power by blasting a shot over the left field stands. The ball landed in the parking lot behind us!
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by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 3:35 PM MDT
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Top Pitchers in the Tournament
Pitching minimums – 1 Games 4 IP
Earned run avg
—-—-—
1. Joe Anson, CENTRAL…...... 0.00
2. Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. 1.29
3. Drew Parker, CHIPOLA….... 1.80
4. Brett Kinsel, ALVIN…..... 2.25
5. Frank Mitchell, SHELTON…. 3.38
Opposing bat avg
—-—-——
1. Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. .130
2. Coty Woods, WALTERS…..... .188
3. Brett Kinsel, ALVIN…..... .200
4. Dustin Williams, CONNORS… .214
5. Jason Townsend, CHIPOLA…. .235
Innings pitched
—-—-—-
1. Josh Spence, CENTRAL….... 9.1
2. David Francis, WALTERS….. 8.0
3. Spencer Cromer, HAGERS….. 7.2
4. 4 tied at…............... 7.0
Batters struck out
—-—-—--
1. Josh Spence, CENTRAL….... 10
Dustin Williams, CONNORS… 10
3. Jason Townsend, CHIPOLA…. 9
4. David Francis, WALTERS….. 8
5. 2 tied at…............... 7
Batters SO out looking
—-—-—-——-
1. Brandon Droge, JOHNSON….. 4
2. Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. 3
3. 9 tied at…............... 2
Runners picked off
—-—-—--
1. 6 tied at…............... 1
Wild pitches
—-——-
1. Carlos Moncrief, CHIPOLA… 2
Guillermo Cienfuegos, ALVIN 2
3. 15 tied at….............. 1
Balks
—-
1. Spencer Cromer, HAGERS….. 2
2. 8 tied at…............... 1
Hit batters
—-——
1. Guillermo Cienfuegos, ALVIN 2
Jimber Mueses, CONNORS….. 2
Dustin Williams, CONNORS… 2
4. 15 tied at….............. 1
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 3:20 PM MDT
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5-26 Memorial Day
Shelton 10 – Iowa Western 2
The Memorial Evening game drew a large crowd of over 12,000 fans prepared to watch a couple of hot teams go at each other, but my kids were only looking forward to the fireworks after the game. Out of the three kids, only one stayed up long enough to enjoy the show.
A week after his dad passed away from skin cancer, Jerry A’Hearn was awarded the Dan Cummings Courage Award before the evening game. Photo by Christopher Tomlinson of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.
"Dad said to live life without fear… to take advantage of opportunities like playing in this tournament. I never thought it would be this hard." Jerry A’Hearn after receiving the Dan Cummings Courage Award.
This game mixed in a few scary moments and a pair of hot-hitting Tylers. Lundy hit a monster homerun in the 2nd inning giving Iowa the early lead. The ball traveled over 450 feet from home plate. Meanwhile Horne is making a move towards a possible tournament MVP award. He completed a 2 for 4 day with his second double of the tournament, 2 runs scored and 1 RBI.
The crowd gasped during the game when Iowa Western’s Jacob Wurtz and Tyler Lundy collided full speed going for a foul ball on the bullpen dirt. Lundy got to his feet fairly quickly, Wurtz was down for several minutes before being helped to his feet. He was later replaced as Joel Cardinal came into the game at 3rd base and Rob Lind moved over to 2nd base. Ironically Corbett Procter made the last out of the game with a sliding catch on the dirt of the exact same place that Lundy and Wurtz had collided earlier. Russ Tibbs veered off at the last second to avoid a similar collision. Wurtz’s flyball was a lot higher however and neither player saw each other before the collision.
Alvin 11-Chipola 8
The team from Texas, literally every player is from the Lone Star state defeated defending champs Chipola in a hard fought win. Chipola had a chance to win the game in the 8th inning with no outs and runners at first and third when freshman Michael Martin came in as a reliever and slammed the door. It was Chipola’s first loss in the tournament sending them into the losers bracket.
Central Arizona 10 – Walters State 5
Joe Anson stymied the powerful bats of Walters by mixing in mostly changeups and off-speed stuff. Walters was held up as the strongest hitting team coming into the tournament, especially with all the homerun hitters on its roster. However, the mashers from Tennessee had trouble with consistent pitching in the tournament and in both of their losses gave up at least10 runs.
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by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 10:41 PM MDT
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May 27
Central Arizona 28 – Iowa Western 19
This game broke the all time JUCO World Series record for most runs scored. The previous record was 44, it now stands at 47. This game was marred by 7 errors and 4 ejections that completely effected the outcome of the game. These two teams were facing each other for the second time in the tournament and it appeared as if the umpires wanted to prevent a brawl like the one that occurred in the regional tournament between New Mexico and Weatherford. NJCAA officials announced earlier today that both teams and every player were banned from postseason play next season. With the two events heavy on the umpires minds they were prepared to avoid any type of dustup between teams. So reliever Jacob Petricka was ejected in the 4th inning when he hit Tim Steggell after starter Tanner Lorenz hat already hit Steggell earlier in the game. Both pitches were debatable whether they were intended for Steggell. One was a slider that got away from the pitcher and the other put runners on first and third. Head coach Marc Rardin was then ejected, although it was not clear to me if it was for arguing or part of the JUCO rules. Arizona took advantage of the situation scoring 11 runs in their half of the inning. In the next inning Arizona’s Zach Cleveland was ejected for hitting Kroll on the elbow after walking the leadoff batter with 2 outs. Arizona coach Jon Wente went bezerk over the ejection and argued with umpire Don Gilmore. 
For me this was when the game became interesting. Jason Stacy was brought in with 2 outs and faced 4 batters giving up 4 runs before he was replaced by yesterday’s Courage Award winner Jerry A’Hearn. You know A’Hearn’s heart was pumping after being brought into such a pressure packed meoment, men on base and Iowa making a huge comeback. But he promptly retired the final batter of the inning squelching Iowa’s rally. The game was a long one and A’Hearn struggled in the next inning, but he gave his team a chance to win and they came through in record breaking fashion. Central Arizona now moves on to face the winner of Shelton vs. Grayson Thursday evening. Iowa Western is out of the tournament.
A’Hearn gave his team a chance to win by shutting down Iowa’s rally in the 4th.
Hagerstown 10 – Chipola 7
After coming late to the party and being virtually embarrassed by Grayson, the team from Maryland was expected to lay down for the defending national champs and then drive back home. But the Hawks had other ideas, coming back from a 5-3 deficit in the 4th they scored 7 times to take the lead and never looked back. Hagerstown was paced by homeruns from Matt Byers, Roland Thiele, and Charles Johnson. Hagerstown will face Alvin Wednesday afternoon at 3 PM.
Chipola used every weapon in its arsenal, throwing Ryan Chaffee in as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning. Chaffee was described by 1340 the Fan announcers as hobbling around on crutches before the game from an injury he sustained while pitching. Chaffee ripped a base hit scoring two runs and hobbled to first base before being replaced by a pinch runner. Chipola is out of the tournament.
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by Charlie77 on
May 27, 2008 11:32 PM MDT
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Pics from yesterday
Shot of record breaking scores on the Suplizio Field scoreboard, there was actually 11 runs scored in the 4th inning by Arizona!
On my way to the game I saw this cute little girl being given away along with some Pit Puppies in the Kmart parking lot.
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 28, 2008 8:25 AM MDT
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Four touchdowns for Central Arizona
And it looks like Iowa Western scored one with four field goals. Classic Suplizio pitchers’ duel. I’m not sure who to root for now that my horse Chipola got eliminated, but Central AZ is scoring and letting in bunches, so they might be a fun choice just for the memories of t-ball they bring back.
by Rox Girl on
May 28, 2008 12:53 PM MDT
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Hitting Leaders through 5/27
Batting avg
—-——
1. Corbett Proctor, SHELTON… .714
Eric Ross, GRAYSON…...... .714
3. Tyler Lundy, IOWAWEST…... .667
Tyler Horne, SHELTON….... .667
Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... .667
Slugging pct
—-——-
1. Tyler Lundy, IOWAWEST…... 1.583
2. Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... 1.500
3. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 1.364
4. Stuart Slakey, GRAYSON….. 1.286
Roland Thiele, HAGERS…... 1.286
On base pct
—-——
1. Eric Ross, GRAYSON…...... .800
2. Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... .778
3. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... .733
4. Corbett Proctor, SHELTON… .714
5. Tyler Horne, SHELTON….... .700
Runs scored
—-——
1. Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 10
2. Cade Thompson, CENTRAL….. 9
3. Tim Steggall, CENTRAL…... 8
4. Doug Kroll, IOWAWEST….... 7
Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 7
Hits
—
1. Xorge Carillo, CENTRAL….. 10
Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 10
3. 4 tied at…............... 9
Runs batted in
—-—-—
1. Adam Duvall, CHIPOLA….... 10
2. Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 9
Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 9
4. 4 tied at…............... 7
Doubles
——-
1. Clay Puckett, ALVIN…..... 4
Cade Thompson, CENTRAL….. 4
3. Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 3
Tyler Lundy, IOWAWEST…... 3
Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 3
Triples
——-
1. 9 tied at…............... 1
Home runs
—-—
1. Cody Hawn, WALTERS…...... 3
Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 3
3. 12 tied at….............. 2
Total bases
—-——
1. Jimmy Patterson, CENTRAL… 21
2. Tyler Lundy, IOWAWEST…... 19
Christian Johnson, CENTRAL. 19
4. Tim Steggall, CENTRAL…... 16
Cody Hawn, WALTERS…...... 16
Walks
—-
1. Einar Atencio, CHIPOLA….. 5
2. Dylan Pratt, WALTERS….... 4
Brett Whitaker, SHELTON…. 4
Bo Coffman, GRAYSON…..... 4
Russ Tibbs, SHELTON…..... 4
Hit by pitch
—-——-
1. 7 tied at…............... 2
Sac bunts
—-—
1. Jesse Husband, ALVIN….... 2
2. 7 tied at…............... 1
Sac flies
—-—
1. 9 tied at…............... 1
Stolen bases
—-——-
1. Chris Berroa, CHIPOLA…... 3
Doug Otto, JOHNSON…...... 3
Blake Lynd, ALVIN…....... 3
4. 3 tied at…............... 2
There's only one Rocktober!!
by Charlie77 on
May 28, 2008 12:11 PM MDT
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Kirby Puckett record watch
Grayson’s Eric Ross has joined Corbett Proctor on the list of possible record breakers. Both hitters stand at .714
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by Charlie77 on
May 28, 2008 12:12 PM MDT
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Pitching leaders through 5/27
Earned run avg
—-—-—
1. Joe Anson, CENTRAL…...... 0.00
2. Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. 1.29
3. Drew Parker, CHIPOLA….... 1.80
4. Brett Kinsel, ALVIN…..... 2.84
5. Frank Mitchell, SHELTON…. 3.38
Opposing bat avg
—-—-——
1. Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. .130
2. Coty Woods, WALTERS…..... .188
3. Brett Kinsel, ALVIN…..... .208
4. Dustin Williams, CONNORS… .214
5. Jason Townsend, CHIPOLA…. .235
Innings pitched
—-—-—-
1. Jason Mitchell, CENTRAL…. 9.2
2. Josh Spence, CENTRAL….... 9.1
3. David Francis, WALTERS….. 8.0
4. Spencer Cromer, HAGERS….. 7.2
5. 3 tied at…............... 7.0
Batters struck out
—-—-—--
1. Jason Mitchell, CENTRAL…. 11
2. Dustin Williams, CONNORS… 10
Josh Spence, CENTRAL….... 10
4. Jason Townsend, CHIPOLA…. 9
5. David Francis, WALTERS….. 8
Batters SO out looking
—-—-—-——-
1. Brandon Droge, JOHNSON….. 4
2. Jason Mitchell, CENTRAL…. 3
Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. 3
4. 12 tied at….............. 2
Wins
—
1. Jason Mitchell, CENTRAL…. 2
2. 11 tied at….............. 1
Saves
—-
1. 6 tied at…............... 1
Appearances
—-——
1. Jason Stacy, CENTRAL….... 3
Brett Kinsel, ALVIN…..... 3
3. 12 tied at….............. 2
Home runs allowed
—-—-——-
1. Brandon Droge, JOHNSON….. 0
Joe Anson, CENTRAL…...... 0
Lance Brown, IOWAWEST…... 0
Kyle Regnault, CHIPOLA….. 0
Jonathan Smart, SHELTON…. 0
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by Charlie77 on
May 28, 2008 12:14 PM MDT
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Ironic starter
Funny how after playing in a game that allowed 47 total runs, a pitcher from Central Arizona stands on top of the ERA leader board.
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by Charlie77 on
May 28, 2008 12:15 PM MDT
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On to the Championship game
Well it’s about time to put this blog to bed. After a week of posting and 17 games the tournament is winding down to its final game. But first let’s wrapup today’s games. I will add a new post on Saturday to summarize the past week’s most exciting events.
Grayson 9 – Central Arizona 8
It’s not very often that a pitcher strikes out 17 batters and loses the game, but that is what happened to Central Arizona’s All-American Joshua Spence. Spence was let down by his defense who allowed 5 unearned runs off of 4 errors. Arizona committed 8 errors in its final two games of the tournament.
Grayson was led by SS J.D. Alfaro who crushed his second homer of the week a three run bomb to left field. Alfaro leads the tournament with 12 RBI’s and is hitting .500. Arizona had a chance to win the game in the top of the 9th, but couldn’t get it done with the bases loaded. Grayson faces Shelton tomorrow night in a rematch of Wednesday night’s game. Grayson is undefeated in the tournament, so Shelton must win Friday and Saturday night to clinch the championship. Meanwhile Grayson clinches if it wins either day.
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by Charlie77 on
May 30, 2008 12:08 AM MDT
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Rocky Owner..
Charlie Monfort was introduced to a smattering of boos and polite applause during the 7th inning of tonight’s game. He took the microphone and talked about how important Junior College baseball was to the development of contributors of Major League Baseball from the players to the umpires (he even shook the home plate umpire’s hand).
Monfort’s final comment was, “We’ve got to get this season turned around.”
Which was greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd. It was nice to hear someone from the Rockies upper echelons acknowledge that the season was in the toilet.
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by Charlie77 on
May 30, 2008 12:18 AM MDT
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New FanPost
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