Members

Black and back-to-back:Tiger baseball better than the restHead baseball Coach Dave Burroughs said something that will make the restof the National Junior College Athletic Association's baseball schools shudder."We (the coaches) really felt like we were grooming this team to get toGrand Junction next year," Burroughs said with a sheepish grin.So Cowley's second consecutive NJCAA World Series title, capped on theevening of May 30 with a 15-11 victory over San Jacinto North of Texas, isgravy. That's especially true when you consider the Tigers:• Lost 15 sophomores to graduation, including the Florida Marlins' top draftpick in pitcher Aaron Akin, and power-hitting Travis Hafner, the Most ValuablePlayer of the1997 World Series.• Lost their top six pitchers, including 49 of the team's 53 victories in 1997.• Lost the bulk of their offense, including 400 hits, 325 runs, 85 doubles, 11triples, and 41 of the team's 61 home runs.Based on those numbers alone, there was no way Cowley should even bethinking of returning to Grand Junction to defend its title. And after a 4-6 start, arespectable finish in the Jayhawk Conference East Division seemed an attainablegoal.But sophomore leadership took over. Led by left fielder Josh McMillenDaveBurroughsfrom Clearwater, Sam Scott from Stilwell, Lucas Hocker from Arkansas City, and Casey Eckstein fromEnid, Okla., the transfer sophomores and first-year freshmen, a talented bunch indeed, began to cometogether as a team.The 1998 Tigers finished 54-9 and captured their fourth consecutive Jayhawk East title and third consecutiveRegion VI crown. Among the accomplishments of this year's team:play.• Amassed a 29-game winning streak in mid-season.• Went 34-0 to win the Jayhawk East, the first time any team has ever gone unbeaten in conference• Won 50 of its last 53 games.• Set a school record for victories in a single season with 54.• Earned Burroughs his 400th career victory at Cowley in a 14-11 win over Brevard, N.C., in the thirdgame of the World Series, and his second consecutive National Coach of the Year honor.• Most runs batted in during a single season, 83 by first baseman Steve Goodson, surpassing the 82 byHafner set last season.• Most home runs in a single season, 16 by Scott, surpassing the 15 by Hafner set last season.• Third consecutive 50-win season. The Tigers are158-33 in the last three seasons, a winning percentageof .827.These Tigers, the ones being groomed for 1999, were impressive."It was just incredible," said Cowley President Dr. Pat McAtee. "Overall I don't think our pitchingwas as strong as last year, but our bats were better top to bottom."Cowley broke the World Series record for runs scored in a five-game series with 68, breaking the oldmark of 66. The Tigers averaged nearly 14 runs a game.The Tigers opened defense of its title with a 14-4 drubbing of San Jacinto on May 24. They followedthat up with a five-inning,18-4 pounding of Maple Woods, Mo., the team that ended the Tigers' 29-gamewinning streak on May 1. Cowley survived Brevard, N.C., 14-11 in Game Three, and what followed was adisastrous outing against Indian Hills, Iowa, a team Cowley split with in last year's World Series. Indian#Hills beat Cowley 17-7 in five innings, leaving three teams in the tournament, each with one loss.A coin flip was held to determine who would play May 29 and who would receive a bye into thechampionship game. After two tie coin flips, Cowley Assistant Coach Darren Burroughs won the flip andthe Tigers landed in the championship game.more on page 31