Senators begin title quest Saturday at JUCO World Series
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Walters State is on the hunt for a second baseball national championship, and the Senators will begin that journey Saturday morning when they take on 12th-ranked Cowley College of Kansas in the opening game of the 62nd annual Alpine Bank JUCO World Series.
The Senators, ranked No. 1 in the nation by The JUCO Baseball Blog and Perfect Game USA and third by the NJCAA, enter this year's tournament as the highest-ranked team in the event for the second consecutive season. This time, Walters State wants to win one more game than it did in 2018, when the Senators fell to two-time defending national champion Chipola in the title game, 10-7, after being ranked No. 1 in every major poll entering the tournament.
Walters State will not only open play Saturday morning in the World Series, but they will open the tournament in the first game of the eight-day event by taking on the Tigers in the 9 a.m. (MT) game at Sam Suplizio Field.
Cowley is making its ninth trip to Grand Junction, just like Walters State, and Tigers coach Dave Burroughs, a 2018 Junior College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member, is one win away from his 1,300th career victory. Walters State coach Dave Shelton just recently won his 300th career game in the NJCAA Region VII Tournament. Cowley won the NJCAA Central District title with a 14-1 victory over Hutchinson, outscoring its four opponents in the tournament, 42-4.
Tigers sophomore catcher Cody Milligan is hitting .449 with 56 RBIs and has stolen 27 bases on 28 attempts. He's also top 20 in the nation in triples with six. Daniel DeSimone co-leads the team in RBIs with 56. He hit 10 home runs and has a .341 batting average. Cade Stephens is hitting .297 with 52 RBIs.
Cole Larsen has a 9-2 record and 83 strikeouts. Teammate Brannon Jordan is also 9-2 and has a 1.43 earned run average. He also struck out 76 this year. Ryan Westerhoff has a 3.03 ERA with a 2-1 record and five saves. Miguel Obeso has a perfect 5-0 mark with 67 strikeouts in 37 innings of action.
Walters State is making back-to-back trips to Grand Junction after losing in the national championship last season to Chipola. The Senators battled No. 2 Gordon State in the East Central District Championship Series. In game two, leading the series 1-0, Walters State trailed 4-0 after five innings. The Senators scored four in the sixth inning, capped off by a three-run home run by Jerry Hammons. In the eighth, Jacob Jennings hit an RBI pinch hit, go-ahead single that eventually won the championship.
Jennings, a sophomore infielder, hit .433 in 36 games. Bryce Hodge has 12 home runs and 65 RBIs while hitting .419. He also has 12 stolen bases on the season. Hammons is a perfect 11-of-11 on the bases with 12 home runs. As a team, Walters State ranks in the top 10 in home runs (8th, 74), batting average (9th, .347), and RBIs (2nd, 527). Brayden Combs leads the team in home runs (13) and RBIs (76).
Alex Haynes ranks in the top 25 in the nation in earned run average and strikeouts. He is 19th in ERA at 1.94 and 21st in strikeouts with 101. He has a 9-2 record and six complete games. Gage Gillian has five saves in 15 appearances. Corey Stone, a sophomore transfer from South Carolina, is 9-2 with 66 strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA. Zebulon Matthews has been on fire of late, winning his last three outings in dominant fashion and earning the NJCAA Region VII Tournament Most Valuable Player award. He is 8-2 with a 2.43 ERA this season. The team ranks second in the country in ERA (2.36) and fifth in strikeouts (556). Eight of the hurlers for WSCC have at least 40 strikeouts.
The 2019 Alpine Bank JUCO World Series field is set with many familiar faces returning to the western slope. Here is a quick look at the 10 teams in the national championship crowning event at Sam Suplizio Field, who have combined for 70 appearances in the JUCO World Series.
No. 3 Walters State (52-9)
East Central District Champion
Walters State is making back-to-back trips to Grand Junction. The Senators lost in the national championship last season to Chipola. They took down No. 2 Gordon State in the East Central District Championship Series, sweeping the Highlanders in the best-of-three series. This will be the ninth trip to Grand Junction for the Senators, tied with Cowley for second most of this year's teams. WSCC won the national championship in 2006.
No. 9 Iowa Western (48-9)
Northern District Champion
The Reivers are back for the second straight year and fifth time in six years. They battled No. 1 Wabash Valley in a winner-take all game for the Northern District Championship. This is the 19th trip to the World Series for Iowa Western, the most of any team in the field, winning three times in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
No. 12 Cowley (45-12)
Central District Champion
The Cowley Tigers are making their ninth trip to Grand Junction. Cowley won the Central District Championship with a 14-1 win over Hutchinson. Cowley won its games by a combined score of 42-4. The Tigers have won two championships back in 1997 and 1998.
No. 14 New Mexico (42-15)
Southwestern District Champion
New Mexico is making its first trip back to Grand Junction since the 2007 season. That year, the Thunderbirds lost to Chipola in the championship game. In the Thunderbirds two prior trips, they played in the title game both times, winning their first trip vs. St. Petersburg in 2005.
No. 15 Navarro (38-16)
Southern District Champion
Navarro is making its first trip back to Grand Junction since 2013. The Bulldogs topped Blinn in the Southern District Championship game 14-7. This is the Bulldogs fourth trip to the World Series, winning the title back in 2011.
No. 16 Chipola (38-18)
Gulf District Champion
The defending back-to-back champion is back. Chipola topped Northwest Florida State in the district championship game 14-6. It was the ninth time the two teams had played this season, the district game being the rubber match, 5-4 Indians. Chipola is making its sixth trip to Grand Junction, winning the national championship in 2007, 2017 and 2018 over Walters State.
No. 19 Connors State (48-11)
South Central District Champion
Connors State is making its first appearance in Grand Junction in six years. The Cowboys took out Delgado in a dogfight, 16-14, at South Central Championship. The two teams combined for 35 hits and 30 runs. Between both teams, only one player with a plate appearance failed to pick up a hit. This is the Cowboys seventh trip to the World Series.
Central Arizona (45-19)
Western District Champion
Central Arizona is making its first trip to the World Series since 2011. The Vaqueros won the Western District championship with a 16-7 win over Southern Nevada. Central Arizona has won two national championships (1976, 2002). This is its sixth trip.
Chattahoochee Valley (35-18)
Southeastern District Champion
The Pirates of Chattahoochee Valley are back for the fifth time in six years. They arrive back in one of the most exciting ways. After trailing by five, they rallied back for the win in the ninth inning. The Pirates are making their fifth appearance.
Monroe (32-17)
Eastern District Champion
The Monroe Mustangs are back in Grand Junction for the second straight year. They earned their World Series trip by sweeping the Eastern District Championship, run-ruling host Harford and beating Spartanburg Methodist in the championship game, 8-3. They have only lost a pair of games dating back to the beginning of April.
2019 Alpine Bank JUCO World Series
All games played on Sam Suplizio Field at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado
All Times Mountain
Saturday, May 25
Game 1 — Walters State (52-9) vs. Cowley (45-12), 9 a.m.
Game 2 — Navarro (38-16) vs. Chipola (38-18), Noon
Game 3 — Chattahoochee Valley (35-18) vs. New Mexico (42-15), 3 p.m.
Game 4 — Monroe (32-17) vs. Central Arizona (45-19), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 26
Game 5 — Iowa Western (48-9) vs. Connors State (48-11), 10 a.m.
Game 6 — Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 2 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 7 — Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 7:30 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Monday, May 27
Game 8 — Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 10 a.m.
Game 9 — Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 2 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 10 — Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 28
Game 11 — Game 5 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser, 11 a.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 12 — Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser, 3 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 13 — Game 5 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 29
Game 14 — Game 11 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser, 3 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 15 — Game 10 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 30
Game 16 — Game 14 Winner vs. Game 15 Loser, 3 p.m. — Loser Eliminated
Game 17 — Game 12 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner, 7:30 p.m. — Game 12 Winner Eliminated with loss
Friday, May 31
Game 18 — (National Championship) Game 16 Winner vs. Game 17 Winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
Game 19 — (If Necessary National Championship) Game 18 Winner vs. Game 18 Loser, 7 p.m.