Pirates Rule State

FRESNO — One and done, Monday may have been too easy for this Orange Coast College baseball team. So perhaps it was fitting that the Pirates’ first state title since 1980 came after yet another dose of adversity.

An 11-10 loss in 11 innings in the first game Monday forced a second championship game against San Joaquin Delta at Fresno City College. And to the surprise of no one who has witnessed this tragic and special season, Coach John Altobelli’s heavy hearted squad responded with a 10-7 triumph that led to a wild, emotional, poignant postgame celebration that included a couple special guests.

Kent and Lee Watanabe, the father and older brother of the late Jourdan Watanabe, a redshirt sophomore catcher who died Feb. 27, were on the field not long after the Pirates’ players piled onto one another near the mound, following the final out.

Kent Watanabe, who delivered an emotionally charged pregame address to the team before the morning contest, hugged every player and coach he could, as did Lee. And both shed tears of joy as they experienced some closure to an unspeakably difficult three months.

“We’ve been a baseball family ever since my two boys started playing, which was 20-plus years ago,” Kent Watanabe said. “It has been a long ride. This was Jourdan’s life and we wanted to make sure we followed through on it.”

Kent Watanabe said Jourdan’s spirit was in the ballpark all weekend, and beyond.

“Absolutely,” he said of his son’s suggested spiritual presence. “He was with this team through the whole season.”

Players flashed two fingers on each hand — signifying Jourdan’s jersey No. 22 — in postgame pictures, and the No. 22 was posted on the scoreboard in the at-bat portion, as parents and supporters took photographs.

Altobelli also donned a blue No. 22 OCC jersey for the postgame awards ceremony, then declared in the team huddle down the right field line that no one would wear No. 22 again, as long as he was the Pirates coach.

“You know [the Watanabe family] was kind of an inspiration behind everything.” Altobelli said. “Kent was working the snack bar and Lee started coming out [to games]. And to have this for them and Jourdan’s mom, Anne, at home … I just hope that it helps some of the healing process.”