Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College heads into the postseason in the same spot it’s been the past six weeks — atop the final RINGOR NJCAA regular-season baseball poll.
The Pirates (41-6) received 113 total points and six first-place votes. The Panhandle Conference champions go into the Region 8 Gulf District tournament next weekend with four pitchers who have thrown 291 innings and combined for 31 victories this season. Miguel Mejia leads the team with a 9-1 record, 5.01 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 88 innings. Blaine Howell (63 innings, 78 strikeouts, 3.85 ERA) and Chris Sorce (71.1 innings, 64 strikeouts, 3.91 ERA) each have eight wins.
Pensacola, which qualified for the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series in 2004, will have to get past No. 8 Miami-Dade (Fla.) College, defending national champion Chipola (Fla.) College and No. 19 St. Petersburg (Fla.) College to return to the 51st JUCO World Series from May 24-31 at Suplizio Field.
Walters State (Tenn.) Community College, which won the 2006 national title, is second in the poll. The Senators (47-7), who have the other four first-place votes, won the Region 7 regular-season title and play in the Region 7 tournament, which starts Friday.
Howard (Texas) College (44-8) remained third. Navarro (Texas) College (45-8) moved up one spot to fourth and Young Harris (Ga.) College dropped one spot to fifth.
San Jacinto (Texas) College-North (42-12) switched places with New Mexico Junior College (39-9) for sixth and seventh in the country. Miami-Dade (42-10), Iowa Western Community College (38-9) and Seward County (Kan.) Community College remained eighth, ninth and 10th in the poll.
Yavapai (Ariz.) College (40-15-1), Arkansas-Fort Smith (39-15), Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) College (42-12) and Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College (36-10) are ranked 11th through 14th respectively. Eastern Oklahoma State (37-15) and Wallace State (Ala.) Community College-Hanceville (34-10) are tied for 15th.
Chipola (39-12-1) is 17th and Northwest-Shoals (Ala.) Community College (39-14) is 18th.
Dyersburg State (Tenn.) Community College (32-13), College of Southern Nevada (37-14), St. Petersburg (36-17) and Louisburg (N.C.) College (40-11) are tied for 19th.
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E-mail Allen Gemaehlich at agemaehlich@gjds.com.
