Last year’s Yavapai Community College (AZ) Roughriders has some similarities to this year’s team. However, this year’s team (45-19, 1-0 JUCO) finally got a win in Grand Junction.
After all the individual hype from last year, the Roughriders’ and head coach Ryan Cougill have a complete team this year. They did it against the Delgado (LA) Dolphins (36-15, 0-1 JUCO) by scoring nine total runs scattered throughout the game, beating Delgado, 9-5.
When the Yavapai bats got going they were hard to stop, and in the top of the second inning they got their motors turning as if they were back in the Arizona desert. Rashaan Kuhaulua was the key to that motor, blasting a three-run homer to center field, letting the rest of the batting order for the Roughriders’ know it was ok to let the bats fly up here in Colorado.
As a team Yavapai scattered 14 hits throughout the game and starting pitcher Joseph Romero went five innings, striking out six.
Kuhaulua’s home run wasn’t the only long ball in the game for the Roughriders; they hit two more, solo home runs by Nate Easley and Ramsey Romano.
“It’s a team. Not saying or knocking anything from last year; you had a lot of hype and a lot of spotlight on certain individuals. I don’t know who you shine it on this year. It’s a team and we’ve learned how to play together as a team,” Cougill said.