Grossmont College’s baseball team led an exciting campaign this season. From winning after scoring 30 runs to coming back to win in 10 innings after being down by six runs, the team knew how to play small ball and score runs against its opponents.
The Griffins finished with an overall record of 27-17, placing second in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference standings with a 17-8 record in conference play. In the final game of the season, Grossmont lost 15-1 to Palomar College.
In their last series of the season against Palomar, the Griffins won one out of the three-game series. They went on a roll in their last home game, hitting four home runs from Druw Frost, Logan Aguilar, Owen Rodgers and Anthony Thomas.
Altogether, the Griffins scored 404 runs compared to the 390 runs they scored the previous season.
The Griffins also clinched a spot in the round-robin tournament, where they beat the Cuesta Cougars 8-7 in their first game to advance to a three-game series against the Allan Hancock Bulldogs.
In their first game against the Cougars, Rodgers hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. Against the Bulldogs, however, the Griffins lost two games out of three.
Outfielder Justin Heffler, who is in his first year playing with Grossmont after playing a season at St. Mary’s College, said he has enjoyed his time playing for the Griffins. “My experience was really fun, it’s pretty close to home, so it felt like I was playing with friends,” he said.
Heffler added that he’s planning to continue his career at the University of San Diego Toreros.
Aguilar said he was grateful for the opportunity Grossmont gave him.
“In high school, I only had 70 at-bats in two years, and I’ve been very grateful that I was able to have this second opportunity with the Griffins.”
He said he’s planning to continue his baseball life at Penn State University with the Nittany Lions.
Heffler said time spent on the road bonding with his teammates left him with lasting memories.
“The bus trips after a win were my favorite moments of this season,” he said. “We were always in a good mood and playing ‘Mafia’ on the PlayStation.”
Head Coach Randy Abshier also serves as third base coach when the Griffins are up to bat. His assistant coach, Robert Aguirre, helps ensure the team stays focused on the path to winning.
While Grossmont’s baseball team had an eventful season, the goal remains to win the conference title for the first time since 2017.
