Jim Frye

Jim Frye

Jim Frye was one of the best coaches in the history of Mesa sports. Coaching baseball from 1972-82, Coach Frye amassed an outstanding overall record of 334 wins and only 172 losses. In conference play, their record was even more impressive, an astounding 174 wins to only 95 losses. Coach Frye led his teams to four conference championships, in ?72, ’73, ’80, and ’82, and perhaps most importantly, produced 44 All Conference players!

The Mesa record books have gone untouched in six categories since Coach Frye’s tenure. Those records that still stand include 12 stolen bases in a single game in a 1972 match up against Snow College. Much like this year’s Colorado Rockies, Coach Frye’s 1978 team won a record 13 straight games. In 1979, Trinidad College in Colorado had the dubious distinction of allowing 32 hits and 34 runs in one game ? both of which still stand as Mesa records. The following year, 1980, Coach Frye’s team notched four triples in one game against Monroe, New York. In 1981, the patience of Coach Frye’s hitters really showed as they walked an unheard number of 18 times in a game against Northwest Colorado.

Of all the records that still stand, perhaps the biggest achievement came in Coach Frye’s first year at the helm when he lead Mesa to the Junior College World Series Championship. That was the third consecutive championship for Mesa baseball. In 1997, Coach Frye was inducted into the Junior World Series Coaches Hall of Fame.