Central Arizona poised to defend JUCO national title with plenty of DI talent
COOLIDGE, Ariz. (BVM) – Entering his 14th season with Central Arizona College, and seventh as a head coach, Anthony Gilich has coached his fair share of elite talent.
In his six years at the helm, Gilich has coached 28 All-ACCAC players, one ACCAC Player of the Year (Caleb Henderson), one NJCAA All-American (Grant Townsend), one NJCAA Rawlings Gold Glove (Pikai Winchester) while 15 players have been drafted and another 85 have committed to four-year universities. Gilich’s remarkable 238-98-2 record as the Vaqueros’ head coach came full circle in 2019 as Central Arizona finished 50-20 on the way to a NJCAA World Series National Championship.
After the 2020 season was stolen by Covid-19, the Vaqueros enter 2021 as the defending champions and the No. 1 team on Prep Baseball Report’s season-opening Top 50.
“It’s kind of rare to be old in junior college but we are this year,” Gilich said. “On top of that, we have some guys who are back from the 2019 team that had a taste of a championship and know the grind it takes to win it. We’re really fortunate.”
Gilich said he hasn’t spent much time re-teaching drills and fundamentals leading up to Wednesday’s season opener. That’s because Central Arizona has somehow gotten even better following its third ever national title.
First and foremost, Arizona State recruit Mat Olson (PBR No. 36 prospect) – who was second in the nation in strikeouts to start last spring – returns as the Vaqs’ No. 1 starter. Oregon State recruit DJ Carpenter (No. 19 prospect) who stands at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds is also back after being used as the team’s closer last year and has seen his fastball reach up to 98 MPH in the fall.
A deep pitching rotation coupled with a lineup of productive hitters who can run and play multiple positions makes for one of the best collections of talents Gilich has had.
“Our deepest strength is our pitching, for sure,” Gilich said. “But on the offensive side, we’re really athletic. Going into my 14th year here, as far as talent goes, we’re right up there with some of the better teams we’ve had.”
Nine Vaqueros are ranked in Perfect Game’s Top 300 JUCO Prospects List – including excellent hitters in Kiko Romero (No. 88 prospect) and JD McLaughlin (No. 174 prospect) – but perhaps the biggest reason for excitement at Central Arizona is the Vaqs’ highest-rated prospect and newcomer.
Dayton Dooney (No. 9 prospect) is a switch-hitting Tennessee recruit who PBR says “could end up being the top hitter in JUCO baseball.” Dooney comes to Central Arizona from the University of Arizona where he was nominated as a Freshman All-American after hitting .323 with 43 runs scored, 10 home runs and 53 RBI in his first year with the Wildcats.
Gilich has coached players of the year and multiple MLB draft picks, yet the reigning Western District Coach of the Year said that Dooney is “equal to or more talented than all of them.”
“He’s just a special kid who has an advanced approach to hitting,” Gilich said. “He’s a switch-hitter who doesn’t lag on one side and is just mature in his approach leading up to his at-bats. I’m talking about the cages, batting practice and drill work. He’s really focused and cerebral when it comes to his hitting.
“He’s an excellent hitter who can hit in the middle of a lot of Division I lineups so we’re lucky to have him, for sure.”
Gilich wasn’t allowed to have any contact with his team in the fall which cut out pivotal time used in the past to lay a foundation for the season. Practice started up on Jan. 4, just a day short of exactly one month removed from Wednesday’s season opener against Colorado Northwestern Community College.
“The guys are chomping at the bit of the chance just to compete,” Gilich said. “It’s been a long time since March when the season got shut down last year so our guys are definitely anxious to get back on the field and try to compete.”
