55th NJCAA DI JUCO World Series Set for Play May 26 - June 2
May 23, 2012
Download the Official Bracket
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 55th edition of the NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series is set for play with 10 talented teams competing for a national championship May 28 – June 4. For the 54th consecutive year this premier NJCAA event will take place at Sam Suplizio Field in the great city of Grand Junction, Colo.
This year’s tournament will mark the grand reopening of Lincoln Park and Sam Suplizio Field, which has hosted the NJCAA’s premier baseball championship since 1959. The complex will reopen on May 26th after an $8.3 million renovation that includes a new press box, renovated dugouts, reserved chair-back seating and more.
Fans can watch all the action LIVE from Grand Junction as the NJCAA, through its broadcasting partner iHigh.com, will broadcast all 19 games on NJCAA TV. Fans will be able to view the games for FREE thanks to support from the Grand Junction JUCO Baseball Committee. Grand Junction sports radio station The Team 1300 will provide play-by-play of all 19 games.
The 10-team field for this year’s World Series has some familiar teams like Iowa Western Community College, Jefferson College (Mo.), San Jacinto College – North (Texas), Spartanburg Methodist College (S.C.), Shelton State Community College (Ala.) and Western Nevada College. Meanwhile, Cisco College (Texas), Gordon College (Ga.) and Polk State College (Fla.) are each making their first appearance in Grand Junction.
Neosho County Community College (Kan.) is making its second appearance in the tournament.
For decades the NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series has served as a stepping stone to the professional ranks for over 100 players. In recent memory players like Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett (1982 - Triton College, Ill.), Curt Shilling (1986 -Yavapai College, Ariz.), Travis Hafner (1997 - Cowley College, Kan.), John Lackey (1999 – Grayson CC, Texas), Adam LaRoche (2000 – Seminole CC, Okla.), Brandon Lyon (2000 – Dixie St. College, Utah) and Bryce Harper (2010 – College of Southern Nevada) have participated in Grand Junction and moved on to successful MLB careers.
This year’s tournament field is once again loaded with MLB Draft prospects. A total of 14 players featured in the most recent Top 100 JC Draft Prospect Rankings by Perfect Game USA will compete in this year's World Series. (See listing below....rankings used with permission from Perfect Game USA)
|
RK
|
Player
|
POS.
|
YR
|
B-T
|
NJCAA College
|
Last Drafted
|
Commitment
|
|
1
|
Dylan Baker
|
RHP
|
SO
|
R-R
|
Western Nevada
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
13
|
Alec Asher
|
RHP
|
SO
|
R-R
|
Polk State (Fla.)
|
Giants '10 (23)
|
Tampa
|
|
15
|
Dalton Friend
|
LHP
|
SO
|
L-L
|
Jefferson (Mo.)
|
Never drafted
|
Texas Tech
|
|
18
|
Tanner Krietemeier
|
OF/RHP
|
SO
|
R-R
|
Iowa Western
|
Never drafted
|
Oklahoma State
|
|
27
|
Matt Strahm
|
LHP
|
SO
|
R-L
|
Neosho County (Kan.)
|
Never drafted
|
Nebraska
|
|
33
|
Daniel Stumpf
|
LHP
|
SO
|
L-L
|
San Jacinto (Texas)
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
36
|
Jonathan Pulley
|
RHP
|
FR
|
R-R
|
Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.)
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
39
|
Tyler Spencer
|
RHP
|
SO
|
L-R
|
Western Nevada
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
41
|
Damek Tomscha
|
3B/RHP
|
SO
|
R-R
|
Iowa Western
|
Marlins '11 (36)
|
Auburn
|
|
43
|
Darren Whatley
|
RHP/3B
|
FR
|
R-R
|
Shelton State (Ala.)
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
44
|
Brett Wiley
|
SS
|
SO
|
L-R
|
Jefferson (Mo.)
|
Never drafted
|
Missouri State
|
|
47
|
Bruce Caldwell
|
SS/3B
|
FR
|
L-R
|
Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.)
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
80
|
Derrick Pitts
|
OF/LHP
|
SO
|
L-L
|
Western Nevada
|
Never drafted
|
|
|
83
|
Dane Gronewald
|
LHP
|
SO
|
L-L
|
Jefferson (Mo.)
|
Braves '11 (47)
|
Missouri
|
For more information on the 2012 NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series, including ticket information, links to live stats, tournament history and this year's opening ceremonies banquet featuring legendary college basketball coach and motivational speaker Don Meyer visit www.jucogj.org.
Below is a quick glance at this year's 10 team tournament field. Rankings for each team are from the final NJCAA Division Baseball I Poll. A complete tournament schedule is also available below.
WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE; Carson City, Nev.
Mascot: Wildcats
Record: 47-15
Region 1 & Western District Champions
National Ranking: 6
Last DI World Series appearance: 2009
Number of DI World Series appearances: 2 (2007, ’09)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
CISCO COLLEGE; Cisco, Texas
Mascot: Wranglers
Record: 48-13
Region 5 & Southwest District Champions
National Ranking: 4
Last DI World Series appearance: NA
Number of DI World Series appearances: 0
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
JEFFERSON COLLEGE; Hillsboro, Mo.
Mascot: Vikings
Record: 51-10
Region 16 & South Central District Champions
National Ranking: 2
Last DI World Series appearance: 2011
Number of DI World Series appearances: 2 (2002, ’11)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
NEOSHO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Chanute, Kan.
Mascot: Panthers
Record: 48-14
Region 6 & Central District Champions
National Ranking: 5
Last DI World Series appearance: 2003
Number of DI World Series appearances: 1 (2003)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
IOWA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Council Bluffs, Iowa
Mascot: Reivers
Record: 57-5
Region 11 & Northern District Champions
National Ranking: 1
Last DI World Series appearance: 2011
Number of DI World Series appearances: 13 (1975, ’77, ’78, ’80, ’89, ’91, ’01, ’05, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ‘11)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 1 (2010)
GORDON COLLEGE; Barnesville, Ga.
Mascot: Highlanders
Record: 36-23
Region 17 & East Central District Champions
National Ranking: 10
Last DI World Series appearance: NA
Number of DI World Series appearances: 0
Number of DI World Series Championships:
SPARTANBURG METHODIST COLLEGE; Spartanburg, S.C.
Mascot: Pioneers
Record: 45-16
Region 10 & Eastern District Champions
National Ranking: 7
Last DI World Series appearance: 2009
Number of DI World Series appearances: 6 (1983, ’86, ’01, ’03, ’07, ’09)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Mascot: Buccaneers
Record: 38-21
Region 22 & Southeastern District Champions
National Ranking: 9
Last DI World Series appearance: 2009
Number of DI World Series appearances: 3 (2007, ’08, ‘09)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
POLK STATE COLLEGE; Winter Haven, Fla.
Mascot: Eagles
Record: 45-10
Region 8 & Gulf District Champions
National Ranking: 3
Last DI World Series appearance: NA
Number of DI World Series appearances: 0
Number of DI World Series Championships: 0
SAN JACINTO COLLEGE - NORTH; Houston, Texas
Mascot: Gators
Record: 37-23
Region 14 & Southern District Champions
National Ranking: 8
Last DI World Series appearance: 2010
Number of DI World Series appearances: 18 (1984, ’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’07, ’09, ’10)
Number of DI World Series Championships: 5 (1985, ’86, ’87, ’89, ’90)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 26th
Game 1: Iowa Western vs. San Jacinto - 9 a.m.
Game 2: Neosho County vs. Spartanburg Methodist - 12 p.m.
Game 3: Polk State vs. Western Nevada - 3 p.m.
Game 4: Cisco vs. Jefferson - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 27th
Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser - 10 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser - 2 p.m.
Game 7: Shelton State vs. Gordan - 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May 28th
Game 8: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner - 10 a.m.
Game 9: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner - 2 p.m.
Game 10: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 29th
Game 11: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 9 Loser - 11 a.m.
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser - 3 p.m.
Game 13: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 30th
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser - 3 p.m.
Game 15: Game 10 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 31st
Game 16: Game 14 Winner vs. Game 15 Loser - 3 p.m.
Game 17: Game 12 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner - 7 p.m.
Friday, June 1st
Game 18: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME* - 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 2nd
Game 19: IF NECESSARY* - 7:30 p.m.
*NOTE: If there are three teams remaining at Game 18, the team with the most games played shall receive a bye to Game 19. If there is a tie for the most games played, a coin toss will be used to determine the bye. All games except Championship Games (possibly Game 18 if just two teams remain and Game 19) will have the run rule. 10 runs after 5 complete innings, 8 runs after 7 complete innings. All games are scheduled for 9 innings.
