San Jac Baseball Finishes 2010 Season As National Runner Up

Sophomore Riley Hornback swings for a double in the second inning of the 2010 Alpine Bank National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) JUCO World Series championship game Saturday. Photo courtesy of Amanda L. Booren, San Jacinto College marketing department.

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO (June 6, 2010) The top-ranked San Jacinto College (SJC) baseball team held on to a 4-3 lead late in the national championship game before No. 5 Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) scored two runs in the eighth inning to clinch the title Saturday night at the 2010 Alpine Bank National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) JUCO World Series at Suplizio Field.

Iowa Western got on the board early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning off San Jac starter Chris McKenzie (Framingham, Mass. / Marian HS). San Jac bounced back in the second, when Sweeny’s Riley Hornback doubled to left field and advanced to third on an error. Hornback scored on the next play to get San Jac on the board.

SJC scored three more runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. Freshman Jarrett Higgins (Bellaire / Bellaire HS) tripled to third, his fourth triple of the season, and designated hitter Will Fontnow (Vidor / Vidor HS) followed with a single, bringing Higgins home. Ryan Hornback walked on the next at bat, advancing Fontnow to second, and Deric Hawkins would single in both runs.

Heading in to the eighth inning, San Jac held its 4-3 lead, but a triple by Iowa Western allowed put the tying run in scoring position. IWCC tied the game on a fielder’s choice, and added the go-ahead run off a wild pitch for the final 5-4 score.

“I’m really proud of this group,” said San Jac Head Coach Tom Arrington. “They worked hard all year, and gave it everything they had.”

San Jac scored its four runs on 10 hits with two errors. Riley Hornback went 3-of-4, scoring one run, and Fontnow went 2-of-5 with one RBI, also scoring one run.

Iowa Western got its 5 runs on 9 hits, also committing two errors.

San Jacinto College (52-12) finishes the 2010 season as the national runner up, the third second-place finish for San Jac under Arrington (2003, 2004, 2010), who completes his 10th year with the program. Riley and Ryan Hornback were named to the all-tournament team, as were pitchers Sean Nolin (Seaford, New York / Seaford HS) and Miguel Peña (La Joya / La Joya HS). Nolin also earned the outstanding pitcher of the tournament award.

This was the 21st trip to the JUCO World Series for San Jacinto College, the 12th national championship game, and the seventh national runner-up.