-Blade-Vaquero Baseball Beat

Well, that's it.

It's an incredibly difficult emotional trip for us fans and for the team also, because when you've been to the top, in our heads, there's no particular reason why you can't get there again. Everything seemed the same this year as both of the last two National Championships!

It's not expectations. It's impossible to say anyone expected to win another JUCO World Series.

We just really, really wanted to win another JUCO World Series.

I don't think we as fans, were looking past Arizona Western. It's a 1000% fact the team wasn't.

It was high hopes, not expectations.

"It's death by a thousand cuts" said the head coach.

"We can't look back with any regret at all in our preparation, or in our work. This whole staff and team gave it everything they have the whole year. In the end it was just these little cuts that got us. I hope the guys know that there is no failure this year. Disappointment, absolutely. There's a big difference between the two."

Gilich said "we have our top four hitters coming back next year and lots of pitching", and in a twinge of a moment, I got all fired up for next year.

Let's do this again!

Nonetheless, Western gritted this one out, what an amazing comeback.

I just happened to be at the fence where catcher Lou Albrecht and first baseman Blake Avila collided on a foul pop up in no-mans land near the Western dugout in the top of the ninth and Albrecht couldn't get up.

Western had just rallied for a 5-4 lead and everyone was already stunned enough.

I swear the kid's whole season flashed in front of my eyes.

This brave player was toughing it out, trying to get into a position on the ground where he could rest for a moment painlessly, Blake could just look on in obvious worry, there was not one sound in the Big House.

Nothing.

The loudest silence I've ever heard.

Nobody knew what to do.

The look in Western catcher Tyler Leroy eyes was touching. Somehow, there's a catcher bond between them all, catchers are different than anyone else on the team. They are separate for some reason.

Does anyone know of any brotherhood between first basemen?

"I just know the guy is a great player and a great dude, I've watched him all year" Leroy said afterwards.

There was a moment with a Western player starting the "Let's go!" rah-rah cheering during all this and Leroy hushed him in a quarter of a second.

"Yeah I think he'll be ok, I saw him walking around pretty good afterwards" said Gilich.

"He's got a great future."

Whew!

Matt Wilkinson's family said to me, "I know you wanted to keep writing longer than this."

"Heartbreaker" was all one of the fathers could say in the seats.

The inconsolable Josh Aribal just kept on dabbing his eyes.

When Gilich had to pull him in the ninth, Aribal patted his infielders on the shoulders and left with handshakes and a "go get 'em", all class.

Because everyone knows how he felt.

Hey we're all one team here. From the athletic director, to the entire coaching staff, to every player, to every parent, friend, to every fan, and to every Central Arizona College student and teacher.

We all feel the exact same way.

I just can't think of the right words.

Just very sad I guess.