Baseball Dominant in the '70s
In our most recent Mesa Sports Memories story we highlighted the 2014 baseball team that captured the NJCAA Division II national championship. But what about the three titles MCC secured 40 years earlier?
The baseball team, which was known as the Hokams in its earliest days, won the NJCAA Word Series three straight years beginning in 1970 under two legendary coaches, Dr. Jim Brock and Jim Frye.
Unfortunately, many of the details are lost to history, but we can let you know a few things.
In 1970, Brock, who would go on a Hall of Fame career both at Mesa and Arizona State, led the program, which he had had only begun in 1966, to the first of those championships with an 8-0 win over Mesa. No, that's not a mis-print, it was Mesa (Colorado). And, it came just a year after MCC came oh, so, close to yet another title, dropping the 1969 championship game to Panola (Texas), 8-6.
That first championship team completed the year 39-11, led by All-Americans Jim Otten, Vernon Wilkins, and Ken Reed. Otten went on to a five-year major league career with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. For Reed, it was his second consecutive All-America season.
A year later, Mesa reached the pinnacle of NJCAA baseball again by taking down the fabled program of Miami-Dade, 7-2, as the culmination of a 37-15 year.
Wilkins and Otten repeated as All-Americans and were joined by Marty Stajduhar. It would cap Brock's MCC career as he moved across town to ASU after compiling a 160-83-2 record. It was hardly the end of his championship days, leading the Sun Devils to two NCAA crowns.
Not missing a beat, Mesa Hall of Fame coach Jim Frye took the reins and MCC won a third straight national title. This time the team defeated State College of Florida, 4-2, in the final, finishing with a 41-13 record.
Three more players received All-America recognition: Jeff Oscarson, Doug Slocum and Dave Collins. Collins went on to a 16-year major league career from 1975-90, the most of the 23 former T-Birds who have reached that level.
It was all a fitting start for MCC baseball which has gone on to become one of the strongest programs in the nation.
Join the Mesa Booster Club today
Check out the MCC Online Team Shop