By Jim Richards

The Cougars' baseball team hasn't given up on obtaining the No.2 playoff spot for the upcoming NJCAA Region I Division II tournament, but they are shooting for a team accomplishment no other SMCC team has managed.

"No team in our history has won 40 games in a season," SMCC coach Todd Eastin said.

After Wednesday's wild 5-4, 10-inning victory over No.4 Central Arizona, the Cougars have a 36-14 record with six games remaining. Even the 2005 World Series team managed a total of 39 wins.

The Cougars' 36th win of the season Wednesday was a memorable one. Despite hitting six batters and having four runners picked off base, the Cougars managed to remain three games within Central in the ACCAC standings.

The top two teams will host playoff games and Yavapai is a shoe-in to capture the regular-season title.
All eyes will be on Saturday's battle in Prescott featuring No.4 Central against No.3 Yavapai in a double-header, that, should Yavapai sweep and the Cougars sweep against cellar-dwelling Eastern Arizona at home Saturday, would pull the Cougars to within one game of hosting the tournament's first round.

"(Wednesday's win) was a confidence booster for our club," Eastin said.

"Those wins just don't happen. We just kept getting on base and our defense was better than their's over the final innings."

Pitcher Mark Guest, running for Bub Delos (who opened the tenth with a single) scored the winning run on a wild pitch to end Wednesday's game that went more than 3 1/2 hours.

The victory meant the Cougars gained a season split with Central and offset Tuesday's 19-2 drubbing at Central.

After Saturday's double-header with Eastern Arizona, the Cougars will host Yavapai for a double-header Tuesday before closing the season with a double-header at Cochise the following Saturday.

"It's still kind of a long shot," Eastin said of passing Central. "I try not to look too far ahead."