South Mountain Community College’s baseball squad saw its championship dreams slip away in the final innings of the NJCAA Division II World Series, falling 4‑3 to Pearl River Community College after an extra‑inning battle.
The Cougars entered the championship game with a 52‑18 record, having secured the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Division II regular‑season title for the third straight year, a testament to the program’s consistency under head coach Todd Eastin.
Coach Eastin, reflecting on the loss, praised the team’s resilience and the way the players supported one another, emphasizing that the experience will shape their future on and off the field.
Among the standouts, shortstop Bobby Pierce Jr. batted .337 with six home runs and 66 RBIs, earning a scholarship to the University of Utah and already attending summer classes there, while freshman pitcher Cody Stoller finished the season 12‑0 with a 3.78 ERA and 79 strikeouts.
The Cougars’ offense proved potent throughout the tournament, scoring 76 runs in eight games and averaging 9.5 runs per game, but it was the late‑inning drama that defined their championship clash.
Looking Forward
As the team looks ahead, the blend of seasoned leadership and emerging talent promises to keep South Mountain at the forefront of junior college baseball, with Eastin confident that the lessons learned will translate into continued growth for his players.