By many accounts, Pima College is in the middle of a stellar baseball season. The Aztecs boast a 33-17 record. They’re 23-4 at home and have a run differential of plus-154.
Pima is 20-8 since the calendar turned to March and, just two weeks ago, swept Central Arizona College — which was the No. 1-ranked team in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) at the time.
All of this together makes it more puzzling that Pima is still not guaranteed a playoff spot.The club sits is in fifth place in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC); only the top four teams make the postseason.
The main reason Pima still needs one last push to make the postseason? There’s talent everywhere in the region.
“This is probably the best junior-college baseball conference in the country,” Pima coach Ken Jacome said. “It’s a constant battle and we’re in the middle of it.”
Just eight games remain before the playoff field is finalized. The Aztecs carry a conference record of 18-14, just below Yavapai College (21-11) for fourth place.
The ACCAC structures its season using doubleheaders, primarily playing two games on one weeknight and two more Saturday. Such a schedule creates a paramount need for consistent pitching — something that has been a key to Pima’s success this year.
“I feel like we have four strong starters,” Jacome said.
That, perhaps, is a bit of an understatement as all four pitchers are signed to play at the Division I level next year.
Left-handed sophomore Bradon Zastrow is committed to the Arizona Wildcats for the 2022-23 season, as is righty Aiden May. Freshman Darius Garcia is headed to New Mexico State next fall, and Jaren Jackson is bound for New Mexico.
Each pitcher has had his fair share of standout moments during the season. Garcia threw a seven-inning complete game in an April 9 win over No. 1 Central Arizona, and has 61 strikeouts over 47 1/3 innings this season. He’s also been named the ACCAC Division I Pitcher of the Week three times.
“It’s cool knocking off a team ranked No. 1,” Garcia said. “We knew we could do it if we all just put our minds to it and play like we do. It was a joyful moment for sure.”
May, a freshman, was the ACCAC Division I Pitcher of the Week at the beginning of April for a one-hit outing over five innings of work against Scottsdale Community College.
“He’s gained a lot of confidence during the year,” Garcia said of May.
The two freshmen had a heart-to-heart conversation at the beginning of the season when May was struggling to gain his footing to begin his career at Pima.
“I just told him if he wanted to pitch at the next level you have to be able to throw strikes and throw different pitches for strikes,” Garcia recalled. “Ever since then, he’s been on fire. He’s good, he’s really good.”
Jacome credits team chemistry and veteran leadership as to why the Aztecs are on the doorstep of the playoffs.
“We have some older players, guys that have been here before,” Jacome said. “I’m hoping that down the stretch, that plays a big part in how we play.”
Pima has four home games at the West Campus Baseball Field left and four on the road. It’ll host Arizona Western College on Saturday at noon and 3 p.m., followed by Eastern Arizona College on April 30 for the regular-season finale.
