April 28, 2008
5 Cougars Named All-Conference
By Jim Richards
Congratulations are in order to five Cougars, Daniel Romero, Adam Bailey, Jordan Whatcott, Josh Garcia and Shane Dyer, for being named to the ACCAC's All-Conference team.
Romero, a pitcher, Bailey and outfielder and Whatcott both a pitcher and infielder, were named to the 1st team while corner infielder Garcia and Dyer, a pitcher, were named to the 2nd team.
April 27, 2008
SMCC Baseball Update
By Jim Richards
FINAL FOUR ON THE FINAL DAY
Friday’s home loss to Chandler-Gilbert along with a victory by Central Arizona, brought the post-season fates of four ACCAC Division I teams all the way into Saturday’s final day of the regular season.
And with no postseason a possibility the SMCC Cougars pulled out not only a spot in the four-team NJCAA Region I Tournament, but second place in the ACCAC and home-field advantage in the opening round. More 
April 23, 2008
Baseball Update
By Jim Richards
There was enough elbow grease left in Daniel Romero’s throwing (right) elbow Tuesday afternoon and the Cougars elbowed their way back into second place with a critical double-header sweep of Cochise College. But with only two games remaining, a spot in four-team NJCAA Region I Division I Tournament is not yet a certainty. More
April 21, 2008
Baseball Update
By Jim Richards
SMCC baseball coach Todd Eastin is looking for a few good arms and he knows exactly where they are.
But he doesn’t know if he can use them in what is heading up on the most important week of the season.
Eastin is hoping to use aces Daniel Romero (5-2, 1.81 ERA) and Jordan Roualdes (5-0, 2.29) in this critical final week of play, but Romero has not been used because of a sore elbow and Roualdes is still recovering from the effects of strep throat. More
April 3, 2008
SMCC Baseball Update
By Jim Richards
Both No.17 Yavapai College (29-10-1) and honorable mention Cochise Community College (30-8-1) have drawn recognition in the most recent (April 2) NJCAA Top 20 rankings as SMCC (29-12) let a couple of good opportunites slip away over the past two weeks of ACCAC play that could have also brought the Cougars into the rankings for the first time this year.
But the Cougars can move up in more ways than one this Saturday when they’ll host Yavapai in a critical double-header beginning with a seven-inning game at noon followed by a nine-inning night-cap.
“We’re going to approach is just like any other series,” SMCC coach Todd Eastin said. “If we continue to pitch well, we’re going to win. If we kick the ball around, we won’t.”
More
Nov. 20, 2007
Four Cougar baseball student-athletes sign Division 1 commitments for 2008-2009 season
Four members of the 2007-2008 South Mountain CC baseball team have signed National Letters of Intent to play for Division 1 universities next year. These student-athletes will begin attending their respective institutions in the Fall of 2008. Jordan Whatcott (RHP/INF), the Cougars top pitcher in 2007, signed with the University of Utah. Adam Prange (RHP) has signed with Santa Clara University in California. Shane Dyer (RHP), drafted in the 20th round by the Colorado Rockies in the 2006 amateur draft, has signed with the University of Nebraska. Garrett Hanselman (OF/1B) has signed with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Congratulations to these student-athletes for their outstanding work in the classroom, as well as on the baseball field.
June 28, 2007
2007 Cougar baseball team named NJCAA All-Academic
June 28, 2007- The 2007 Cougar baseball team has been named an All-Academic Team by the NJCAA. The baseball team finished the 2007-2008 academic year with the 17th best team GPA (3.16) in all of Junior College baseball. This marks the third time in the last four years that the Cougar baseball team has reached such achievements. Due to this success, nine of the ten sophomores (one professional signee) will be continuing their education and athletic careers at four-year universities this Fall.
June 23, 2007
Two former Cougars sign professional baseball contracts
Former Cougars Scott Mueller and CJ Retherford signed professional baseball contracts with the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox, respectively. Both had the opportunity to play at the College World Series in Omaha, NE (along with Cougar teammate Dustin Brader) for the Arizona State Sun Devils during the past week.
Scott Mueller, drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Amateur draft, pitched for South Mountain CC in 2005 and 2006, prior to playing at Arizona State this season. He finished the 2007 season with a 2.65 ERA in 14 appearances for the Sun Devils. Mueller is the all-time leader in SMCC baseball history with 17 wins, while recording 156 strikeouts in 210 innings, and a 2.32 ERA. During his collegiate career, Mueller pitched in both the JUCO World Series and the NCAA College World Series. He will be reporting to Sarasota, FL this weekend.
CJ Retherford signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox after the completion of his senior year with Arizona State University. He graduated several weeks ago with his Bachelors degree from Arizona State. Retherford finished the 2007 season with a .298 batting average, 4 home runs, and 23 runs batted in. He had a tremendous finish to his collegiate career, hitting home runs in the regional, super-regional, and College World Series for the Sun Devils. As a Cougar, Retherford helped lead SMCC to the 2005 JUCO World Series, while compiling two-year totals of 126 hits, 22 doubles, 4 home runs, 85 runs, a .329 batting average, and a 15-7 mark on the mound. He will report to Great Falls, MT this week, joining former Cougar pitcher Tyson Corley.
Ka’aihue named Carolina League Player of the Week
June 16, 2007- Former Cougar first baseman, Kala Ka’aihue, was named the Carolina League Player of the week, after posting a .500 batting average and continuing a 10-game hitting streak for Myrtle Beach, the Class-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Ka’aihue hit 3 home runs, 4 doubles, and 11 runs batted in. He has become the franchise’s career home run leader in a short two-year stint. For more information, see http://myrtlebeachpelicans.com/news/?id=6222.
Andrew Conklin signs with Baltimore Orioles
May 16, 2007- Cougars sophomore pitcher Andrew Conklin signed a professional baseball contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Conklin was selected as a draft-and-follow in the 33rd round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He was a two-year starter in the pitching rotation at SMCC, finishing with a combined record of 9-7, 94 strikeouts, and a 3.14 ERA. Earlier this month, Conklin, a resident of Federal Way, WA, completed his Associate of Arts degree at SMCC. He will report to Sarasota, Fl in the next week.
Resources
For previous stories, go to Sports New!