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Traveling to SJRCC for a game?

Mention SJRCC Athletics and stay at the Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront for a discounted rate.


Contact Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront for details.
201 N. 1st Street
Palatka, FL 32177
Phone: (386) 328-3481



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Palatka Campus

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CONTACTS:

Athletic Director/
Baseball Coach
Ross Jones
(386) 312-4162



SJRCC Athletic Department
5001 St. Johns Avenue
Palatka, FL 32177


Buster Harvey
Basketball Coach
(386) 312-4174

Scott Conkling
Volleyball Coach
(386) 312-4237

Rebecca Bennett
Softball Coach
(386) 312-4163








Friends of the Program


Beef O' Brady's
Bradley's
CP Deli
Golden Corral
Jerry's Drive-In
Medex Medical Express
Niko's
PaPa Johns
Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront
Quiznos
Sonny's Bar-B-Q
St. Johns Super Automotive Store
Style America Family Hair Salon
Woody's BBQ

FSU signees Wil Breton and Connor Nolan in the locker room of Dick Howser stadium with their Seminole jerseys on.



















Four Vikings sign baseball scholarships

Four St. Johns River Community College baseball players have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play baseball as they continue their educations at the university level. MORE >>

Photo:

From left: SJRCC players Jarrell Rodgers, Ryan Crawford and Austin Leary sign NCAA National Letters of Intent to play baseball at the university level in the presence of SJRCC President Joe Pickens and Athletic Director/Head Baseball Coach Ross Jones.





Flores signs baseball scholarship with Nicholls State University

St. Johns River Community College shortstop Austin Flores has signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent to play baseball for Nicholls State University. A native of Fort Myers, Flores will enroll at NSU later this summer. MORE >>







SJRCC athletes commit to play NCAA Division 1 baseball
St. Johns River Community College catcher Jesse Piccolo, left, and pitcher Connor Nolan, right, recently signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play for Georgia Southern and Florida State universities. Pictured here with Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach Ross Jones and SJRCC President Joe Pickens, J.D., both athletes plan to enroll at their respective universities in August 2010.





Traxler to play for
Palm Beach Atlantic University

SJRCC center fielder Kimberly Traxler recently signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent to play softball for Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Traxler is pictured with SJRCC Athletic Director Ross Jones and SJRCC Head Softball Coach Rebecca Bennett.




Two Vikings Named to 2010 FCCAA All-State Baseball Team

Two SJRCC baseball players were recently named to the 2010 All-State baseball team by the Florida Community College Athletic Association. Both Jesse Piccolo and Jake Schrader were named to the second team in a vote by head coaches from across the state. It marks the third year in a row that an SJRCC player has been named to the All-State baseball team. MORE >>


Seven Vikings named to 2010 All Mid-Florida Conference Baseball Team

Seven SJRCC baseball players were recently named to the 2010 All Mid-Florida Conference team by a vote of the conference coaches. The Vikings, who finished second in the Mid-Florida Conference, placed three players each on the first and second teams, as well as one on the honorable mention list. MORE >>


SJRCC names student athletes of the year
St. Johns River Community College Athletic Director and head baseball coach Ross Jones recently announced the year's top student-athletes. MORE >>


Schrader named FCCAA Baseball Player of the Week
SJRCC third baseman Jake Schrader was named Player of the Week by the Florida Community College Activities Association for the week of February 23. A freshman from Dade City, Schrader batted 15-for-30 for the week, with a double, seven home runs, 20 RBIs and ten runs scored. "Jake had an awesome week," said Head Baseball Coach Ross Jones. "In my 18 years of college coaching, I've never seen a player put up that kind of numbers." As of February 23, Schrader's batting average is .420, with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs for the season. More from FCCAA. >>




Glory Days
Former SJRCC athlete Neal Chancey shares past and present
Chancey, who played forward for the Viking basketball team from 1964 - 66, is what current Head Basketball Coach Buster Harvey calls a true Viking. "To this day he remains dedicated toward the first college that was a positive factor in his college career," Harvey said. MORE >>




Area youths participate in SJRCC athletics clinics
Viking baseball and softball players spent part of the weekend sharing their knowledge and passion for the game with area youths. Approximately 100 boys and girls participated in the baseball and softball clinics hosted by SJRCC players and coaches. More >>


SJRCC student-athletes recently volunteered during the Fall Swampfest. MORE >>


SJRCC golf classic raises funds to benefit athletic scholarships and facilities. MORE >>


See photos from the "Meet the Vikings" event.




SJRCC Athletics Moving Forward
St. Johns River Community College baseball coach Ross Jones is looking at the big picture, and that picture includes you. As Jones combines the roles of head coach and athletic director this summer, his goals include increasing community awareness and support for the College's 80 athletes. "I want to create a new era, a greater visibility for our programs that extends beyond the sports pages and the stands," Jones said. "Community involvement will be a critical factor in our success. I'm looking forward to building the relationships needed within Putnam, Clay and St. Johns counties to help us all reach our goals." MORE >>


Student-Athletes Moving Forward With Scholarships MORE >>


Welcome to the Home of the Vikings!

The Athletic Department of St. Johns River Community College, with the help of the entire faculty, is dedicated to the positive development of young men and women through a variety of academic and athletic programs.

It is our fundamental belief that athletic endeavors, physical challenges, and healthy competition inspire strong character, essential in the development of tomorrow's leaders.

Our goals are to:
  • Maximize each SJRCC athlete's scholastic achievement and athletic potential
  • Develop teamwork and leadership skills in each student athlete
  • Maintain high graduation rates for all athletic programs
  • Provide all SJRCC athletes with the tools to continue their education
  • Provide student athletes with transfer opportunities to university athletics
St. Johns River Community College is a charter member of the Florida Community College Activities Association since 1965, the governing body for intercollegiate competition within the state.

The college is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association and participates in Region VIII of this organization.

Athletic Director - Ross Jones

Ross Jones is entering his first year as the Director of Athletics and his second as SJRCC's Head Baseball Coach. Jones' first season at the helm saw the Viking baseball team finish the 2009 season with a 33-17 record. The 33 wins surpassed the previous school record of 30 wins in a season set in 1982.

Jones began his coaching career as an assistant to Dusty Rhodes at the University of North Florida, where he spent a total of three seasons in two separate stints (1993 and 2000-2001). He spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University (1994-1999) serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Jones also spent six seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Florida under Head Coach Pat McMahon. As a recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt and Florida, Jones helped to sign some of the most talented players, not only in Florida, but also across the nation. Seven of his recruiting classes were ranked in the top 25 nationally, with three in the top 10. His 2003 and 2005 recruiting classes at the University of Florida were both ranked number three in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. As a pitching coach, Jones has tutored 38 pitchers that have gone on to sign professional contracts, including Clinton Johnston, the Pittsburgh Pirates' number one draft pick in 1998. Also, eight of Jones' pitchers have received All-American honors, including Todd Ewasko, the NCAA Division 2 national pitcher of the year in 2001, and Justin Hoyman, the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year in 2004. While at the University of North Florida in 2000 and 2001, the Ospreys won consecutive Peach Belt Conference crowns and appeared in back-to-back NCAA Division 2 College World Series. UNF finished third in the nation both years. Jones also played a major role in the University of Florida's 2005 Southeastern Conference championship and the Gators' postseason run to the NCAA Division 1 College World Series, where the Gators played in the National Championship Series against the University of Texas.

Jones is a 1984 graduate of Palatka High School. Upon graduating from high school, Jones was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 1984 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He spent seven seasons pitching for the Rangers and Montreal Expos minor league systems. After retiring from professional baseball, Jones earned his A.A. degree from SJRCC in 1991 and his bachelor's degree in education from the University of North Florida in 1993. Jones is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time with his two sons, Tyler (17) and Hunter (14).


MORE HISTORY
The College's first 35 years embraced a dedicated athletic director, William H. Tuten. Coach Tuten, whom the gymnasium has been named after, has been the recipient of the NJCAA Service Award, selected to the NJCAA Golf Hall of Fame and was elected to the Florida Community College Activities Association Hall of Fame in 1993.

The baseball complex is named after a man who devoted 30 years to SJRCC baseball, Coach John Tindall. During those years, Tindall's teams won 591 games and appeared in the Region VIII Tournament nine times. Tindall was also selected to the FCCAA Hall of Fame.