2021 SMCC Baseball Year-in-Review

PHOENIX ---

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 opened the season with 27-straight games on the road, finishing 19-8 overall and 13-7 in conference games during the stretch. Once at home, the Cougars defended their field successfully and went 12-4 against conference foes. SMCC posted a season-best six-game winning streak in February and early March and also had a pair of five-game winning streaks.

The Cougars finished 11-4 in one-run games, including a doubleheader sweep of Pima CC (3-2, 10-9) in the home finale on May 1. They were also 5-0 in games decided by two runs.

The offense produced all season and finished with an impressive slash line in 48 games: .287 batting average, .393 on-base and .434 slugging percentage. The Cougars scored 311 runs and collected 69 doubles, 20 triples, 33 home runs and 269 RBIs.

On the mound, the Cougar pitching staff recorded a 4.30 ERA and 389 strikeouts in 358 innings. In addition, SMCC pitchers issued 196 walks to finish at a nearly 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season.

SMCC finished 3-1 against conference rivals Yavapai College and Pima CC during the year, including a road doubleheader sweep of the Roughriders on Feb. 27.

The Cougars finished 4-2 against Cochise College, sweeping a home doubleheader with a pair of one-run victories. The two teams also met up in the postseason, and although SMCC lost the opening game of the regional, it came back to eliminate the Apaches from the event the next day.

Offense

In his sophomore season, Justin Quinn earned First Team All-ACCAC and Second Team Region I Division I honors after a sensational season patrolling the outfield. He batted .339 with 36 runs, 13 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 36 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He led the team in doubles and triples and tied for the team lead in home runs and RBIs. In addition, Quinn scored a season-high four runs in a win over Scottsdale CC, had a season-high four RBIs in a win over Central Arizona and hit for the cycle in a postseason win over Cochise College.

Freshman Brice Martinez received a Second Team All-ACCAC award after leading the team with a .339 batting average, 39 runs and 19 stolen bases. Martinez hit a game-winning, walk-off home run and had a season-high three RBIs in a 10-9 win over Pima CC in the 2021 home finale and scored a season-high three runs three times. In addition, he had a season-high four hits in a win over GateWay CC and produced a season-high three stolen bases in a win over Arizona Western.

Freshman Holden Breeze appeared in 47 games and batted .296 with six home runs, 10 doubles, three triples and 30 RBIs. He produced a season-high four RBIs twice, scored a season-high three runs in a win over Scottsdale CC and smacked a season-high four hits in a win over Central Arizona. He homered in a postseason loss at Central Arizona and had two doubles in a win against Scottsdale CC.

Freshman McKay Barney patrolled centerfield for most of the year and finished with a .325 batting average, 34 runs, six doubles, four triples, two home runs and 18 stolen bases. He scored a season-high two runs eight times, had a season-high three hits in a win over Mesa CC, drove in a season-high four RBIs in a win at Yavapai College, and stole a season-high three stolen bases in a win over Gateway CC.

Sophomore Andrew Lucas appeared in 38 games and batted .284 with six home runs, four triples, three doubles, 26 runs and 32 RBIs. He scored a season-high three runs and had four RBIs in a win over Eastern Arizona, and had a season-high three hits in a win over Glendale CC.

Freshman Esteban Hernandez appeared in 40 games for the Cougars and posted a .298 batting average with 24 runs, two doubles, three triples, a home run, 13 RBIs and five stolen bases. He scored a season-high three runs in a win over Central Arizona, had a season-high three hits twice and had three games with a season-high two RBIs.

Freshman Dustin Bermudez appeared in 41 games for SMCC in 2021 and batted .248 for the year. He produced nine doubles, 17 runs, a triple, two home runs and 29 RBIs and scored a season-high two runs twice. He also had a pair of doubles in a road win at Yavapai College and had a season-high four RBIs in a win over Scottsdale CC.

Freshman Michael Quinones appeared in 42 games and batted .263 with four doubles, 13 runs and 18 RBIs on the season. He drew a team-high 35 walks to raise his on-base percentage to .446 for the season. Quinones had a season-high three RBIs in a win at Glendale CC and had a season-high four hits in a game at Cochise College.

Sophomore Brodie Marino appeared in 31 games at catcher for the Cougars in 2021 and batted .227 with four doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs. He had a season-high four RBIs in a win over Arizona Western and had a season-high two hits twice.

Freshman Braden Campbell appeared in 21 games and batted .250 with three doubles, eight runs and eight RBIs. He had a season-high two RBIs twice and a season-high three hits in a win at Glendale CC.

Freshman Clayton Kempski appeared in 23 games and batted .275 with a double, a home run and nine RBIs. He had a season-high three hits in a win at Gateway CC, drove in a season-high three RBIs in a home win over Eastern Arizona and homered in a contest at Arizona Western.

Freshman Paul Sachen appeared in 31 games and scored 27 runs to go with a .275 batting average. He added a double and eight stolen bases, including a season-high three steals in a win at Gateway CC.

Freshman Mason Skaugrud appeared in 22 games and batted .289 with three home runs, three doubles, 11 runs and 12 RBIs. He homered in victories against Phoenix College, Eastern Arizona and Mesa CC. He recorded a season-high four runs and four RBIs in a win over Eastern Arizona.

Freshman Dylan Fesperman appeared in 15 games and batted .143 with a double, four RBIs and three runs. Freshman Gillis Champagne appeared in 27 games and scored 25 runs to go with a double and five stolen bases.

Freshman Griffen Chewning appeared in 12 games and scored three runs, and freshman Noah Bachman scored four runs and had an RBI in 10 games.

Pitching

Sophomore Shawn Triplett earned First Team All-ACCAC and First Team Region I Division I honors for his work as the Cougars' closer. He led the conference with 11 saves and went 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work. He walked eight batters and did not allow an earned run until the final day of the regular season. He recorded two saves against Yavapai College, Paradise Valley CC and Eastern Arizona and closed out wins over Phoenix College, Eastern Arizona, Glendale CC, Scottsdale CC and Arizona Western.

Freshman Trent Adams led the Cougars with seven wins and finished 7-0 in 23 innings and 18 appearances. He had 28 strikeouts and finished with a 3.91 ERA. He recorded two wins over Glendale CC and earned the win in victories against Gateway CC, Yavapai College, Phoenix College, Arizona Western and Mesa CC. He had a season-high five strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief work in a win against the Gauchos.

Freshman Carter Krosky started a team-high 10 games for SMCC in 2021 and finished 6-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 56 innings of work. He posted 43 K's and 12 walks over the season and tossed a complete game shutout at Eastern Arizona, where he fanned a season-high six Gila Monsters. Krosky also recorded wins against Glendale CC, Paradise Valley CC, Scottsdale CC, Cochise College and Yavapai College.

Freshman Ryan Figueroa made 10 appearances in relief and finished 3-0 with one save and a 1.84 ERA in 14.2 innings of work. He finished with 18 strikeouts to just two walks and picked up wins against Cochise College twice and Pima CC. He earned a save against Scottsdale CC and had a season-high five strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief against Mesa CC.

Freshman Nolan Livsey started six games and appeared in 10 contests during the 2021 season. He finished 3-1 with a 4.97 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 29 innings of work. He tossed five innings of shutout baseball with a season-high six strikeouts to earn the win in a 1-0 victory at Paradise Valley CC.

Sophomore Derek Decolati started seven games and made 10 appearances in 2021, finishing 2-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 35.1 innings. He recorded wins over Pima CC and Eastern Arizona, in which he recorded a season-high five strikeouts during the year.

Freshman Alec Stanfield appeared in 13 games and made five starts, finishing 2-2 with 31 K's and a 7.80 ERA in 30 innings of work. He recorded wins over Eastern Arizona and Central Arizona and had a season-high six strikeouts in a contest against Cochise College.

Freshman Matt Bohnert went 2-4 with a 6.16 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 30.2 innings and 11 appearances. He made six starts and picked up wins against Cochise College and Scottsdale CC. Bohnert fanned a season-high 12 batters in five innings of work against Central Arizona.

Freshman TJ Czyz appeared in 11 games in relief and had 18 K's in 15 innings of work. He had a season-high three strikeouts in three games.

Freshman Ben Meyerson also appeared in 11 games in relief in 2021 and finished with a save, a 2.08 ERA and 17 K's in 13 innings of work. He threw the final three innings and had three strikeouts to pick up the save in a win over Glendale CC.

Freshman Drew Woody finished 2-1 in three starts and 11 appearances, posting 22 strikeouts and a 5.71 ERA in 17.1 innings of work. He earned a win at Eastern Arizona with three innings of relief work and earned a win against Pima CC.

Freshman Ronan Kopp made six starts and appeared in 10 games in 2021, posting a save, 38 strikeouts and a 2.84 ERA in 25.1 innings of work. He tossed the final three innings of a 4-2 win over Mesa CC with 4 K's to earn a save.

Freshman Charlie Deeds appeared in three games and started one, sophomore Trey Goodrich appeared in three games and tossed four innings of relief work, and freshman Kyle Ponzo made three appearances and had 6 K's in 4.2 innings.

Lucas pitched in five games and recorded a pair of saves and a 4.50 ERA in 8.0 innings of work. He tossed the final two innings in wins at Yavapai College at Glendale CC to earn the saves.

Bermudez made three starts and appeared in four games on the mound. He was 1-0 with a 5.02 ErA and nine K's in 14.1 innings of work, earning a win at Glendale CC.