(Phoenix, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team closed out the 2026 season on Saturday at South Mountain Community College (39-15, 30-9).
The Aztecs upset the No. 10 ranked Cougars 10-7 but fell short of reaching the Region I, Division II Playoffs after Glendale Community College topped Phoenix College 11-4. The Aztecs finished one game behind the Gauchos and Chandler-Gilbert Community College for the final playoff spots. Pima had reached the postseason the previous three straight seasons.
Freshman Adriel Figueroa-Brito put the Aztecs on the scoreboard in the 1st inning after he hit a two-run homer to left field that scored sophomore Leon Cereceres. Freshman Cooper Kruk (Catalina Foothills HS) and sophomore Mike Jones (Canyon del Oro HS) hit RBI singles in the inning and freshman Aciel Guillen (Salpointe Catholic HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in sophomore Matt MacDonald as the Aztecs took a 5-0 lead.
The Cougars responded with five runs of their own in the bottom-half of the 1st inning, but Pima came right back with two runs in the 2nd inning. Kruk drove in Cereceres and Figueroa-Brito with his sac-fly RBI to make it 7-5.
The Cougars scored one in the 3rd inning, but the Aztecs came back again in the 5th. Jones hit an RBI single with two outs to score MacDonald to put the score at 8-6.
The Aztecs added to the lead in the 7th inning. Freshman Damian Lorta (Desert View HS) went yard with a solo homer over the center field wall. MacDonald singled and was driven in by Jones’ RBI double to make it 10-6.
Kruk finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored while Jones went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Lorta was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Figueroa-Brito closed it out, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. MacDonald went 2-for-4 with three runs. Cereceres scored two runs and drew three walks.
Sophomore Quintin Hennesy (Horizon HS) got the win after he pitched five innings, giving up one run (one earned) on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks on 72 pitches. Freshman Hayden Green (Sabino HS) started the game and pitched four innings, giving up six runs (one earned) on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks on 89 pitches.
W – Hennesy (5-1). 2B: Jones 2, Kruk. HR: Figueroa-Brito, Lorta. SB: MacDonald 2, Figueroa-Brito, Glueck, Cereceres, Jones.
The Aztecs finished the season at 28-25 overall and 20-20 in ACCAC conference play. They won three straight and six of their final eight games. The Aztecs won at least 20 ACCAC conference games for the seventh straight season. Head Coach Ken Jacome closed out his eighth season as head coach and has a record of 293-133.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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