Sahuarita High athletic director Chip Stratton has a strong interest in the ongoing Arizona-McNeese State baseball series at Hi Corbett Field.
After playing for Arizona’s 1986 national championship team, prepared to replace standout Todd Trafton at first base for his two final seasons, Stratton learned that the Wildcats had recruited future MLB standout J.T. Snow, also a first baseman.
In the summer of ’86, while playing in a collegiate league in Virginia, Stratton became acquainted with the McNeese State coaching staff. He then transferred to the Louisiana school and set the school’s single-season home run record, 17, in 1987, and hit .397.
A year later he was the Southland Conference Player of the Year.
Finally, in 2016, Stratton returned to McNeese State to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. Stratton, who has also been athletic director at Rincon/University High, is part of the answer to one of UA baseball’s top trivia questions: Who were the three players named Chip on Arizona’s 1984 baseball team? Future MLB manager Chip Hale, pitcher Chip Dill and of course Chip Stratton.
