Starting with a 7-0 shutout against one of the nation's strongest JUCO pitchers, and yearly Division I combatant in College of Southern Nevada, is what you could call a good start.

Let's upgrade that to a great start.

"I'm happy" said head coach Anthony Gilich, "we played four pretty good teams and only gave up five runs."

Game one against a perennial rival in Southern Nevada saw a very crowded house.

"There were a lot of scouts there" said Gilich

It was a matchup of two of the best Division I pitching prospects in Mat Olsen of Central and Chase Silseth of Southern.

"Yes their guy was really good" continued Gilich, "but we nicked him here and there and getting off to a first inning 2-0 lead was good."

Mat Olsen threw five innings for Central while striking out eight batters and giving up only three singles in picking up his second win in the Vaqueros 6-0 start. To beat the band, Vaquero pitchers Johnny Rice and Cody Brooks threw a hitless final four innings and Central took game 1 with a 7-0 score.

Right fielder Kiko Romero doubled and tripled, driving in three runs, second baseman Matt Aribal added two more hits, as did speedy lead-off Coby Boulware. Central had nine hits on the evening.

In game two, Central took an early 6-0 lead behind starter Calvin Schapira and won 6-3. Schapira sruck out six in giving up only two hits in four innings and Central deployed "basepath mayhem" in stealing six bases on the day. Jacob McKeon and Ryan Grabosch doubled. The final was 6-3 against 2019 JUCO World Series participant New Mexico Junior College.

Game three saw Vaquero starter Ky Bush strike out nine batters in five innings and he left leading 9-1 with the one run allowed being unearned. The game was a run-ruled 12-1 win against Utah State Eastern.

Logan Valencia doubled and singled twice and the Vaqueros drew 11 walks in the win. Catcher Jake Vesecky walked four times and Boulware three. 

In Saturday's championship game against Arizona Western, both teams came in undefeated and with doubles from Romero and Valencia, a Preston Godfrey triple, and nine more base hits, Liam Evans held Western to one unearned run in five innings and the Central relievers did the rest, shutting out the Matadors with one hit in the final four innings and an 8-1 win for the tournament championship.

Central Arizona College continues it's defense of the JUCO 2019 National Championship in the Zinger Baseball Tournament held this week at Cubs Riverview Park in Mesa.