The San Jac Gator with friends

Polk State (Fla.) College pitcher Alex Asher delivers Saturday during a complete game win over Western Nevada College in Game 3 of the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series at Suplizio Field. Asher pitched well and also had four RBI at the plate.

#12, Dillon Ness from Western Nevada College gets high-fives after hitting a home run in the second inning VS Polk State College in game #3.

Exchanging a foul ball for a JUCO ball.

Jefferson (Mo.) College’s Sage Boehner dives safely back safe into first base on a pick off attempt by Cisco (Texas) College’s Alvaro Moreno during the first inning of the Vikings’ 11-3 victory Saturday night in Game 4 of the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series at Suplizio Field.

Jefferson (Mo.) College pitcher Sage Boehner delivers Saturday night during the Vikings’ victory at Suplizio Field.

Daniel Stumpf the starting pitcher for San Jacinto College from Houston, Texas with the first pitch of the 2012 Alpine Bank JUCO World Series Saturday morning at Suplizio Field.

#10, Jordan Miller from Neosho County putts down a bunt for a RBI single in the 5th inning VS Spartanburg in game #2.

Outfielder Robbie Dodds, left, of the Spartanberg Methodist College Pioneers uses a young admirer’s back to sign the boy’s new clinic T-shirt as several members of the South Carolina team stay late after the JUCO Kids Clinic to sign autographs.

Don Meyer talks about the necessity of character for players as he gives the keynote speech at Friday’s JUCO banquet held at Two Rivers Convention Center.

Players from Shelton State Community College’s bseball team check out the JUCO display in a case at Two Rivers Convention Center during a few free moments at Friday’s JUCO banquet.

Baseball player Robert Baker with the Cisco College team hands back an autographed baseball to Layton Hansen, 6, of Grand Junction that had been signed by all the players at the table while Dylan Roahrig, 10, waits with his own autographed baseball for his friend to move to the next group of players.

Cory Carson, right, of Grand Junction holds up his helmet in triumph after scoring as his “buddy” Kyle Chaskin of San Jacinto College, Tex., picks up a loose bat near the plate during Thursday’s Challenger baseball game for special needs kids at Columbine Field.

Playing for the Elite Black All Star team, Jenna Lucas of Palisade High School connects with the ball for a two-run double in the top of the second inning of Wednesday’s Western Slope All Star softball game against the Crimson Select at Bergman Field

Brett LaBonte, right, Dillon Fante, center, and Owen Taylor of the Grand Junction baseball team rub a special mud Wednesday into the leather of the 40 dozen baseballs that will be used during the Junior College World Series at Suplizio Field.

With his fingers and hand coated with a veil of watery mud, Brett LaBonte works the special mud into the surface of one of the 40 dozen baseballs that will be used during the Junior College World Series starting Saturday. The mud is used to take the sheen off of the baseball, according to Robert Thomason.

Jamie Hamilton hands a signed ball to Pat Hutchinson.  Home Run Heros for the year were from left, Pat Hutchinson, Tom Worster and Lynne Sorlye

Linda and Wayne Ash survey the view from the Lincoln Park Tower overlooking Suplizio Field. The stadium is ready for the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series, which begins Saturday. Pat Hutchinson, field supervisor of the Lincoln Park Tower project, will throw out the first pitch Saturday night.

This sign on the BLM land east of C Road shows regulated shooting and non-shooting areas. Local residents say the increase in shooting has forced other public-land users to abandon the area.

One of the residents living in the 34 and C Road area points to where the noise of target shooting comes from the BLM land bordering his house. Photo Special to the Sentinel

A shot-up TV, abandoned targets and loads of trash mark the BLM shooting area near 34 and C roads on East Orchard Mesa. More education is needed, say local residents and the BLM, to teach users how to take care of public lands.

Grand Junction High School coach Kyle Rush, pointing to the sky, celebrates with his players after the Tigers beat Cherry Creek 7-6 to win the state baseball championship in Denver in this 2005 file photo.

Grand Junction High School head baseball coach Kyle Rush, left, shakes hands with Tyler Gastineau as the player trots down the third base line toward the plate after hitting a home run during a game against Central High School this season at Suplizio Field.

Ashley Brown from Grand Junction hits one of the mud boggs during the running of the 2-mile mud run called The Gauntlet at the Grand Junction Motor Speedway Saturday morning.

Hikers pause along the Navajo Loop Trail’s Wall Street switchbacks below Sunset Point to take photos or admire the majestic giant hoodoos, which are eroded limestone formations, in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Grand Junction City Park and Recreation crew members hang a JUCO banner on the side of the new sports tower at Suplizio Field.

River runners this year should find flows moderate and very family friendly, according to the Colorado River Outfitters Association. However, the season might be bit shorter than in years past when high flows allowed rafting well into the late fall.

Four-year-old Braden Flores of Delta takes his fishing seriously and enjoys every opportunity to do so. Here, he’s fishing Crawford Reservoir with his grandfather, Henry Flores, a retired school teacher from Delta.

Paonia angler Darrell Green inspects his fishing tackle after a morning catching northern pike at Crawford Reservoir. Green said his morning total included 22-, 25- and 29-pound northern pike.