Panther State Championship Gallery
1999 State Champions
The 1999 baseball team became the first Panther team since the 1982 football team to repeat as state champions. First year coach Andy McKay guided the Panthers after Coach Weinstein resigned his coaching position to take a job with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. After sweeping through the play-offs, the team found itself needing to win the final 2 games on the final day to win the championship. The Panthers won the first and then found themselves trailing in the bottom of the ninth inning of the final. After telling McKay that he was going to win a championship, shortstop Joe Thurston delivered a 2 run double with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Panthers were able to dogpile for the second straight year.
1998 State and National Champions
The 1998 Panther baseball team posted a dominating record of 44-2 in winning the second state championship under Jerry Weinstein and the fourth in school history. The leam lost the second game of the season and didn't lose again until the second game of the play-offs--a streak of 37 straight wins. They swept through the rest of the play-offs, defeating Saddleback in the final game. Pitcher Mike Neu posted a record of 15-0, the most wins in school history without a defeat. Matt Riley, a freshman who posted an 8-1 record, signed after the season with the Baltimore Orioles for a junior college record signing bonus of $790,000.
1988 State Champions "Win the last game"
Weinstein's Panthers captured the third state championship after going through the loser's bracket at the state tournament and defeating top-ranked Rancho Santiago twice to win the title. The Panthers finished 46-10 and were led by CNC Player of the Year F.P. Santangelo, who led the state with 45 stolen bases. Santangelo currently plays for the San Francisco Giants. On April 28, 1988, the Panthers won the first game played in partially completed Union Stadium, clinching their eighth straight CNC championship. Weinstein was named National Community College Coach of the Year.
1953 State Champions
Jack Woerner led the Panthers to their second championship in 3 years as the team posted a 25-5 record. J.C. Masters pitched the Panthers to a play-off victory for the league title to advance to the state play-offs. Grant Tech (now American River) fell to the Panthers 15-0 and 5-2 as SJC captured the Nor Cal championship, as Masters pitched a 2-hitter and hit a home run in the opener and the team stole 13 bases. After losing the opener of the state championship, the Panthers came from behind twice to defeat Long Beach City College in a doubleheader to win the final series. Center fielder Norman Coons led the team in RBI, runs scored, hits, home runs, triples, and stolen bases in being named the team MVP. Masters was 11-1 with 79 strikeouts in 78 innings.
1951 State Champions
The Panthers of 1951 won the first baseball state championship in SJC history with a season record of 29-3. The team, which was coached by Jack Woerner, had a 19-game winning streak that included a 14-1 defeat of the University of California. "Pete Vartanian was named team MVP; Jerry Kaeser was named the team's outstanding player; and catcher John McNamara was the team captain. McNamara became a major league manager for 16 years, his career highlighted a World Series appearance in 1986 as manager of the Boston Red Sox. Pitcher Tony Stathos had a 12-0 record and won the title-clinching game by a score of 7-5 over El Camino Junior College.