GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Johnson County Claims National Championship with 8-5 Victory Over Blinn in Game 18 of the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series.
Blinn (48-14, 4-2 JUCO) struck first in the second inning when Brady Sullivan delivered an RBI triple to right-center field, scoring Reece Lunsford for a 1-0 advantage.
Johnson County (67-3, 5-0 JUCO) threatened early but left three runners stranded in the opening inning before finally breaking through in the fourth. After Boston Bruce singled, Isaac Pamaran launched a two-run homer to right-center field, giving the Cavaliers their first lead of the afternoon at 2-1.
Blinn answered immediately in the fifth. Following a fielder’s choice, Drew Britton crushed a two-run home run down the right-field line, putting the Buccaneers back in front 3-2.
The Cavaliers responded with the game’s decisive inning in the bottom half. Ryan Bradford tripled to open the frame and scored on Brayden Giesler’s double. After an error allowed Logan Groh to reach, Colin Coonradt delivered the biggest swing of the game, blasting a three-run homer to right field to cap a four-run inning and push Johnson County ahead 6-3.
Johnson County added to its lead in the sixth when Ashton Hartwig connected on a solo home run to left-center, extending the advantage to 7-3. Boston Bruce followed with a solo shot in the seventh to make it 8-4.
Blinn continued to battle. Jacob Bohacek led off the seventh inning with a solo homer to left field, trimming the deficit to three runs. The Buccaneers mounted one final threat in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before Austin Glasscock singled home Bohacek to make it 8-5. However, Johnson County reliever Victor Christal recorded the final strikeout to seal the championship.
Coonradt finished with a game-high three RBIs on his fifth-inning home run, while Pamaran added a two-run homer and Bruce and Hartwig each contributed solo shots. Bradford sparked the offense with a triple and a run scored.
For Blinn, Britton drove in two runs with his fifth-inning homer, while Bohacek collected two hits, including a solo home run. Sullivan also contributed an RBI triple in the second inning.
After trailing 3-2 midway through the fifth, Johnson County outscored Blinn 6-2 the rest of the way and received four home runs from its lineup to capture the national title with an 8-5 victory.
2026 All Tournament Team & Awards:
IF: Hunter Smolinski, Blinn (TX)
IF: Logan Groh, Johnson County (KS)
IF: Ryley Leininger, Blinn (TX)
IF: Jacob Bohacek, Blinn (TX)
OF: Miles Shore, Walters State (TN)
OF: Ashton Hartwig, Johnson County (KS)
OF: Isaac Pamaran, Johnson County (KS)
C: Caleb Eager, Midland (TX)
C: Boston Bruce, Johnson County (KS)
P: Dylan Thompson, Blinn (TX)
P: Logan Flores, Midland (TX)
DH: Braydon Geisler, Johnson County (KS)
Robert Purkey, Jr. Outstanding Pitcher: Dylan Thompson, Blinn (TX)
Outstanding Hitter: Caleb Eager, Midland (TX)
Jay W. Tolman Outstanding Defensive Player: Hunter Smolinski, Blinn (TX)
Tillie Bishop Sportsmanship Award: Laz Llanes, Miami Dade
Debbie Hamilton All-In Award: Robert & Sally Thomason
Bus Bergman Coach of the Tournament: Eric Horner, Johnson County (KS)
Kirby Puckett Memorial MVP: Ashton Hartwig, Johnson County (KS)