Preview: Chipola Baseball host San Jacinto College for 3-game series

In a matchup between two national rivals, the #3 Chipola Indians (15-2) take on the San Jacinto Gators (11-4) in a double-header on Saturday at 1 PM central followed by a single game Sunday at 11 AM. Unbeaten in their last 11 games at home, Chipola will battle the NJCAA preseason twelfth ranked Gators.

Combined between the two programs there is a history of excellence. With 29 JUCO World Series appearances and 8 National Championship combined, most of the history between the two programs has been created in the spotlight of the national championship in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Gators most recent championship was in 1990 while the Indians brought home titles in 2007, 2017, and 2018. 

In 2017, Chipola lost to San Jacinto in the second round of the JUCO World Series, 13-8. The Indians came back through the loser's bracket to meet the Gators who were undefeated in the tournament. The Indians defeated the Gators twice to win the World Series and claim their second championship under Coach Jeff Johnson. In 2018, the Indians eliminated San Jacinto, 11-0 and went on to claim their third title and back-to-back National Championships.

San Jacinto:

The Gators enter the weekend with a 4.34 ERA and hitting .293 through 15 games. 

Chipola:

The Indians pitching staff ranks in the top 5 in the NJCAA in strikeouts (198).

The Indians have hit the second most home runs (20) in NJCAA Division I and have a batting average of .323 on the year. 

Cameron Gray leads Chipola with 24 hits, and a .358 batting average. 

Matthew Garcia follow ups with 19 hits, and a .322 batting average. 

Dylan Goldstein leads the team with 3 HRs, and tied with Gray with 14 RBIs.