2020-21 SMCC Baseball News
Gillum Celebrates Championship Summer with the Savannah Bananas
August 19, 2021
Tyler Gillum, a South Mountain Community College baseball assistant coach and the school's health and wellness program director, led the Savannah Bananas to the Coastal Plain League 2021 Petitt Cup Championship after defeating the Morehead City Marlins 13-3 in game three of a best-of-three-game series. The Bananas finished with a 40-10 overall record en route to the CPL title.
Thirty-Seven Cougars Named to 2021 NJCAA All-Academic Teams
July 19, 2021
Thirty-seven South Mountain Community College student-athletes received 2021 NJCAA All-Academic Team honors for their performance in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year. Additionally, four SMCC programs received 2021 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year awards for their team GPA and the four programs tied for the lead or outright led all schools in the NJCAA Region I.
Pair of Former Cougars Selected in 2021 MLB Draft
July 15, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team had a pair of former Cougars selected in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, which was held July 11-13. The Minnesota Twins selected Cade Povich, a left-handed pitcher who played for SMCC in 2019, in the third round with the 98th overall pick, and the Los Angeles Dodgers selected Ronan Kopp, a left-handed pitcher who played for SMCC in 2021, in the 12th round with the 372nd pick.
SMCC Baseball Announces Four-Year Transfers
July 01, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team announced a host of four-year transfers from the 2021 squad that finished 32-16 in its return to the diamond after the coronavirus pandemic. Although these student-athletes are headed to new schools to continue their careers, they will be Cougars forever: Brice Martinez (Wofford University), McKay Barney (University of Washington), Brodie Marino (Oregon Institute of Technology), Trent Adams (Campbell University), Shawn Triplett (Grand Canyon University), Matt Bohnert (Lipscomb University), Mason Skaugrud (Oregon Institute of Technology), Dustin Bermudez (Ouachita Baptist University), Justin Quinn (Oral Roberts University), Andrew Lucas (Arizona State University) and Derek Decolati (University of Nevada, Reno).
2021 SMCC Baseball Year-in-Review
June 01, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team enjoyed an outstanding 2021 season as the Cougars safely returned to the diamond amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. SMCC finished 32-16 overall and 25-13 in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference to finish fourth in the Division I standings.
SMCC Baseball Open Tryouts Scheduled for June 11
May 25, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team will hold open tryouts on Friday, June 11 starting at 8 a.m. at the SMCC Baseball Field. Participants must bring their own gloves, bats and equipment; there is no equipment sharing. Participants must also provide a sports physical that has been completed within the last 13 months and complete a Maricopa County Community College District Assumption of Risk Form, which will be provided at the field on the day of the tryouts. There will also be a complete COVID screening and temperature check prior to participation in the event.
SMCC Baseball Splits Final Two Games of 2021
May 11, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (32-16) defeated Cochise College 8-3 before falling to Central Arizona 7-2 as part of the NJCAA Baseball Region I Division I semifinals at Central Arizona on May 7-8. In the win over the Apaches on May 7, sophomore Justin Quinn hit for the cycle, and Brice Martinez added his second home run of the year as the Cougars avoided elimination and advanced to face the host Vaqueros. Against Central Arizona on May 8, Holden Breeze hit a home run, and Esteban Hernandez collected a pair of hits, but the Vaqueros scored four runs in the fifth inning to seal the victory and advance to the regional finals.
Cougars Fall to Cochise College in Regional Semifinal
May 07, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (31-15) lost 10-2 to Cochise College in an NJCAA Region I Division I semifinal contest at Central Arizona on May 6. Holden Breeze had a triple and run scored, Justin Quinn had a double, an RBI and a stolen base and Esteban Hernandez scored a run and stole a base, but the Apaches struck early and put the game away with a six-run eighth inning.
Trio of Cougars Earn All-ACCAC Honors
May 04, 2021
South Mountain Community College baseball sophomores Shawn Triplett and Justin Quinn, and freshman Brice Martinez earned All-ACCAC honors, as voted upon by the league's coaches, for their work during the 2021 season. Triplett earned First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Region honors, Quinn received First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region honors and Martinez received a Second Team All-Conference award.
Cougars Post Pair of Walk-Off Wins against Pima CC
May 03, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (31-14, 25-13 ACCAC) defeated Pima Community College 3-2 (8) and 10-9 (8) in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference home doubleheader on Saturday, May 1. In the first game, SMCC rallied from a 2-0 deficit and Andrew Lucas hit a walk-off RBI single in the eighth to score Holden Breeze to win 3-2. In the second game, Lucas hit a two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game, and Brice Martinez hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the eighth to defeat the Aztecs 10-9 in the 2021 home finale.
SMCC Baseball Battles Yavapai College to Doubleheader Split
April 28, 2021
The South Mountain Community college baseball team (29-14, 23-13 ACCAC) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader with Yavapai College on April 27, with the Cougars winning the first game 4-3 (7) before falling 11-7 in the second contest. In the first game, Justin Quinn went 2-for-3 with a double, Carter Krosky tossed five to earn the win and Shawn Triplett recorded a two-inning save in the win. In the second game, Dustin Bermudez had a pair of RBIs and Andrew Lucas scored two runs, but the Roughriders scored six runs over the final two innings to split the twinbill.
SMCC Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Mesa CC
April 26, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (28-13, 22-12) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader with Mesa Community College on April 24, winning game one 4-2 before falling 5-4 in the second game. In the first game, a four-run first, highlighted by a Mason Skaugrud two-run home run, served as enough offense as Trent Adams and Ronan Kopp limited the Thunderbirds to two hits and four walks over seven innings. In the second game, Holden Breeze and Dustin Bermudez hit solo home runs, but the Cougars could not overcome an early deficit.
Cougar Baseball Splits Doubleheader with No. 3 Central Arizona
April 21, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (27-12, 20-10 ACCAC) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader with No. 3 Central Arizona on Tuesday, April 20, falling 8-2 (7) in game one before winning 18-11 in the second game. Four Cougars had multiple hits and four had multiple RBIs as the Cougars snapped a three-game losing streak overall, and a three-game skid against the Vaqueros.
SMCC Baseball Falls Twice at Arizona Western
April 19, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (26-11, 20-10 ACCAC) lost 7-6 and 6-3 to Arizona Western in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader in Yuma, Ariz., on April 17. In the first game, the teams traded leads and needed extra innings before the Matadors pushed across an unearned run in the eighth to record the victory. In the second game, the Cougars could not hold on to a 3-1 lead in the fourth and fell in both ends of a doubleheader for only the second time this season.
Cougar Baseball Wins Pair of One-Run Games with Cochise College
April 14, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (26-9, 20-8 ACCAC) defeated Cochise College 2-1 and 4-3 on Tuesday, April 13, in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader. In the first game, SMCC scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth, Justin Quinn and Dustin Bermudez had two hits and Shawn Triplett recorded his conference-leading 10th save of the season. In the second game, the Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, and Ryan Figueroa tossed the final 2.2 innings to earn his first win of the season and give the Cougars the sweep over the Apaches to finish 7-1 on their homestand.
Offense Leads SMCC Baseball to Sweep of Eastern Arizona
April 12, 2021
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (24-9, 18-8 ACCAC) defeated Eastern Arizona 13-3 (5) and 22-0 (7) in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader on April 10. In the first game, SMCC scored six runs in the first inning, and four Cougars finished with two RBIs to down the Gila Monsters in five innings. In the second contest, Andrew Lucas smashed a grand slam, and Mason Skaugrud blasted a two-run home run as the Cougars defeated Eastern Arizona 22-0 in seven innings to complete the doubleheader sweep.