Former CCCAA Student-Athletes In the 2015 MLB Playoffs
The CCCAA is proud to recognize its former student-athletes participating in the 2015 Major League Baseball playoffs.
In the Chicago Cubs front office, currently serving as a special assistant to the President/GM, is former Fresno City College standout Ted Lilly. Lilly attended FCC in 1994 and was named first team All-Conference. He led the Rams in pitching and strikeouts in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He had 177 k's his freshman year and 120 his sophomore season. Lilly left FCC with an earned run average of 3.18. Lilly was drafted out of FCC by the LA Dodgers and made his major league debut in 1999 with the Montreal Expos.
The LA Dodger's third base coach, Ron Roenicke, is another CCCAA baseball alum. Roenicke played for Mt. San Antonio College from 1975-76 before spending 11 seasons in the MLB. He managed the Brewers for 4+ seasons before making his way into LA this year.
Houston Astros' pitchers Chad Qualls and Scott Feldman are two more former CCCAA student-athletes. Qualls attended LA Harbor in 1997 & '98 where he was an All-Conference pitcher and voted the teams MVP. He's had a long career in the MLB and now serves as a late inning pitcher for
Houston out of the bullpen.
Feldman serves as a starting pitcher for the Astros carrying a 3.90 ERA this season. He was a
former College of San Mateo player during the 2002 and '03 seasons. Feldman had a remarkable 25-2 cumulative record, with his only two losses coming in the State Championship tournament. Feldman had a 1.30 ERA over the two years and a 8:1 strikeout to walk ratio. These numbers earned him the Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year award both years, as well as All-American honors both years.
The Kansas City Royals manager, Ned Yost, is another amongst the group of former CCCAA players. Yost walked on to the Chabot College baseball team after high school and receiving no offers to play for other schools. He eventually played in the MLB with the Brewers, Rangers and Expos. He then became a coach with Atlanta for before being hired as a manager for the Brewers from 2003-08. He's been the Kansas City Royals Manager since the 2010 season, and is the longest tenured manager in team history. Yost earned World Series titles as a player in 1982 with Milwaukee and as a coach in 1995 with the Braves.
Another CCCAA alum with the Royals is first base coach, Rusty Kuntz. Kuntz played for Cuesta College hitting .402 and .442 in his two seasons there. He was drafted by the White Sox in 1977 and earned a World Series Ring in 1984 with the Tigers, now in his fourth season with KC.
Outfielder for the Royals, who is a former CCCAA student-athlete, is veteran Jonny Gomes. Gomes attended Santa Rosa Junior College where he played baseball for two years, from 2000-2001. He helped lead his team to the regionals both years, batting .356 with nine home runs in 35 games his sophomore year.
Also on the Royals is former El Camino College and Santa Ana College pitcher/infielder Kris Medlen. At ECC in 2004 he hit .296 with 18 RBI's as an infielder. As a pitcher he posted a 2.84 ERA with 17 K's in 19 innings. After transferring to Santa Ana Medlen played shortstop and hit .332 with 10 HR's and 42 RBI's. He also served as the team's closer posting a 2.23 ERAS with 16 saves, striking out 57 in 44.1 innings pitched. He now pitches out of the bullpen for Kansas City in his sixth season in the majors.
Having a long tenured career as a player for the Texas Rangers is Colby Lewis, former Bakersfield
College student-athlete. Lewis played for BC in 1999 where he earned 1st team WSC honors with 108 strikeouts, a 2.86 ERA and a 4-5 record. Lewis holds a 17-9 record with the Rangers in his 10th MLB season and eighth with Texas.
Jason Wood, former infielder at FCC in 1989 & '90 & two time All-American, now is the manager of the Round Rock Express, the Texas Rangers AAA Team.
Marco Estrada, former Glendale Community College standout, is a starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays in his 8th major league season. Estrada attended GCC in 2003 where he was an All-WSC first-team pitcher. He was 7-3 on the year with a 2.79 ERA.
The LA Dodgers Director of Player Development, Gabe Kapler, played baseball at Moorpark College from 1995-96. Kapler was an All-Conference student-athlete while with the Raiders, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2008. He eventually went on to play 13 years in the MLB before entering the Dodgers front office.
About the CCCAA
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is the governing body providing oversight of intercollegiate athletics within the California Community College System. The single largest educational system in the world, with attendance in excess of over 2.6 million students annually, the California Community College system serves one-third of all community college students in the United States. The CCCAA establishes the rules and regulations to administer the intercollegiate athletic activities of the nearly 27,000 student athletes attending California's community colleges. To view the latest news, information, and updates of all 24 CCCAA-sanctioned sports visit www.cccaasports.org.
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