GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Cochise College baseball team isn’t focusing on who it’s up against this afternoon.
The Apaches are just thinking about playing the same game they’ve been playing this postseason.
The NJCAA Division I Junior College World Series kicks off today at Suplizio Field with Cochise, representing the Western District, facing Blinn College of Texas, representing the Southern District, at 2 p.m. Arizona time (3 p.m. MST).
The two teams had similar seasons. Blinn’s overall record heading into the World Series is a modest 34-26 and Cochise’s is 37-27. To secure the district title, both teams won their first three games in a double-elimination bracket, then lost the championship matchup before coming back to win the “if-necessary” title game and punch their tickets to Grand Junction.
“They have good pitching, some power arms, and things I would expect from a Texas team,” said Cochise head coach Todd Inglehart. “We’re definitely ready to play. I’m excited to watch our team and always eager to see a setting and stage get bigger. This is the final stage, and they’ve responded as each postseason game has progressed. They’ve turned it up a notch as we’ve gone, and I’d be surprised if we didn’t play well.”
This week, the Apaches left the Douglas Campus on Tuesday and pulled into Colorado on Wednesday. They’ve enjoyed participating in pre-tournament activities like a kids’ clinic, picnic, and banquet, which featured former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa as the keynote speaker.
“I like the things he touched on about family,” said Cochise sophomore Austin Nelson, who was part of last season’s third-place finish by the Apaches. “That’s one thing we go on about. We always get a family break before we play because that’s how we’ve come to know each other. That’s what we live by.”
The Apaches ditched last season’s staple pre-game huddle routine early this year as their record hovered around .500. About halfway through the season, they adopted a simple huddle break with unison yell of “Family.”
That’s the routine they’ll stick with through the World Series, and the Apaches hope the offensive production they’ve managed this postseason will continue as well.
“Something we’ve been doing lately is something we didn’t have early in the season: hitting,” Nelson said. “We’ve lit it up really nicely since we got metal (bats) in our hands. Our pitchers go out and do what we do, and we’ll take care of the rest. Whatever team is on the other side doesn’t matter. It’s about representing ourselves.”
La Russa also reminded all of the players in the room that they’re already champions for making it to the World Series.
“Anybody can take it from here,” Nelson said. “There’s not just one powerhouse team. We’re one of the top 10 teams in the nation and anyone has a chance to come away with it.”
If Cochise beats Blinn today, the Apaches advance in the winners’ bracket to play Monday afternoon against the winner of Chattahoochee-Delgado. If the Apaches lose today, they face elimination at 2 p.m. MST on Sunday against the Chattahoochee-Delgado loser.
Fans can keep up with the Apaches through the tournament online and on the radio.
Find Cochise College on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CochiseCollege. The team provides in-game stats at cochise.edu/athletics/baseball/live-stats. Fans at home can follow and fans at the games can contribute to the Apaches’ World Series Tumblr site at apachesatjuco2014.tumblr.com.
The official Junior College World Series website at jucogj.org offers live audio, video and stats. In Douglas, all of Cochise’s games will be broadcast on KDAP FM 96.5.