This Day In Sports History: Central Alabama Wins Their First JUCO World Series National Title

By Jordan Long

The COVID 19 pandemic wiped out the Junior College World Series (JUCO) for the first time in its’ history.  The tournament starts  Memorial Day weekend and lasts for a week.   This is for 2 year junior colleges.  The best 10 JUCO baseball teams in the nation, except for California, battle it out.  It is a double elimination tournament held in Grand Junction, Colorado.  On this date back in 2013, Palm Beach State and Central Alabama faced each other in the National Championship Game.

                For Palm Beach State, it was their first and only appearance in school history.  Central Alabama Community College made it before in 2001.  In 2001, Central Alabama won their first three games beating North Central Texas 12-11 in 10 innings, Dixie State 9-3, and Eastern Oklahoma to stay in the winner’s bracket.  In game 15, they fell to Cowley College 9-8, meaning they were in the losers bracket. They needed to keep winning to keep their season alive.  Unfortunately, Dixie State ended Central Alabama’s  season in game 16 by the score of 14-0 in 6 innings.  It was a “run rule” game. 

                Both of these teams battled hard to advance to the title game in 2013.  Palm Beach lost to Central Alabama in game 1, 6-4.  It is very rare to see a school lose in the 1^st game and advance all the way to the Championship Game.  Central Alabama knocked off Navarro 15-9 in ten innings, Midland 11-4, and Spartanburg Methodist 10-5.  In a rematch with Palm Beach State in game 17, Palm Beach drummed them 13-4 in 8 innings.  The loss meant that Central Alabama was in the loser’s bracket.  They beat Cochise in the semi-final 14-13 in 11 innings.  That was their road to the Championship Game

                For Palm Beach State, after the loss to Central Alabama, they kept their season alive with wins over Kaskaskia, Navarro, Midland, and Central Alabama.  On May 31^st, 2013, there were three teams left.  Palm Beach State received a bye into the Championship Game because they had played the most games.  Palm Beach State waited for their opponent which was Central Alabama.

                In the Championship Game, Palm Beach State took the lead in the 1^st inning on a sacrifice fly.   Central Alabama responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the 2^nd.  It looked like it was going to be a back and forth type of game which is what a national title game should be.  Palm Beach tied it up in the third inning with 2 runs but after that, it was all Central Alabama.  Central Alabama added a run in the 3^rd, 2 runs in the 6^th and 7^th innings to take the game 7-3.   This was their first and only JUCO Baseball National Title.

                Both of these schools have yet to make the journey back to Grand Junction.  Hopefully, in 2021 that will end the streak for both schools.  For now, we remember today as the day Central Alabama won the JUCO World Series for the 1^st time in school history.