By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Baseball Beat Reporter // Photo Via Titus Wilkinson
SJSU’s Jack Colette welcomed a high fastball from Nevada’s Jason Doktorcyzk and waved it goodbye with a powerful stroke. The ball sailed over a Pepsi sign nearly elbowing the batters eye in dead center.
Colette met teammates Dalton Bowling and Hunter Dorraugh at home plate where the trio lightly tapped their helmets together. A few moments later, Colette was mauled by teammates in the dugout.
A scene that’s joyous now, but for Colette it’ll divert to a nostalgic last hurrah. SJSU’s breezy 7-1 victory over Nevada, marked the sixth-year senior’s second-to-last game at Excite Ballpark. A place he’s called home for hundreds of game days.
This afternoon, Colette will be joined by several Spartans honored in SJSU’s senior day, one last ode to a career well spent.
The mere thought of Colette’s senior day made SJSU head coach Brad Sanfilippo whip off his ball cap and anxiously whisk his hands through his hair. After 15 seconds he said, “It’s hard to even put into words.”
Sanfilippo, who became SJSU’s head coach the same year Colette joined the roster said, “If I start talking about Jack Colette I probably wouldn’t be able to get through it.”
During Colette’s six-year career, SJSU has transcended itself from woeful to championship contender. The Spartans suffered sub .500 seasons from 2019-21, which included the abbreviated COVID-19 season in 2020.
After Friday night’s win and with one final conference game left, SJSU is tied with San Diego State for first-place in the conference. The Aztecs play their final game of the year against New Mexico today at 11 a.m..
Even if SJSU can’t grab the top spot, they’ve shown that they can beat any Mountain West foe.
“We’re playing for each other, too. A lot of us have been through some real lows here and stuck it out and we’ve always stuck together,” Colette said.
Since Sanfilippo took over in 2018, Colette alongside fellow senior day honorees Jonathan Clark and James Shimashita never left the program. A decision made even more significant with the advent of the transfer portal in 2020.
They knew good times were sitting in the horizon waiting to be experienced.
Unfortunately, all good things and good times must come to an end.
“Jack Colette’s been here the longest and he’s been the consistent piece of the culture,” Sanfilippo said. “Just don’t want to look to the future without him and just kind of soaking up and taking advantage of all the moments that we have with him right now.”
The goal for SJSU is simple: win the Mountain West Conference tournament in Fresno next week and advance to an NCAA Regional. A place no SJSU team has gone since 2002.
“We feel like we’ve got a good enough team. We’re good enough to be there,” Colette said.
For Colette and other Spartans the chase is motivated by last year’s loss in the conference championship to Air Force. While 2022 was mired in resurgence — SJSU went just 6-31 a year before — it’s ending left soured perceptions and increased appetites.
“Being so close last year. Getting to the championship game and having that right in your hands and not finishing it that’s definitely been a driving factor for the guys all year,” said Colette. “We always remind each other even when things are going well we still haven’t done what we set out to do.”
On Saturday, senior day’s pre-game festivities will be genuinely experienced, but all emotions must be compartmentalized. The importance of clinching the No. 1 seed leading up to the Mountain West tournament can’t interfere with winning a regular season title.
Sure, finishing business from 2022 is the main motivation. But woven inside for Colette, Sanfilippo and their fellow Spartans is the desire to continue playing together for as long as possible.
“At the end of the day, the longer we play good baseball the longer we get to play together,” Sanfilippo said.
Colette’s emotional rollercoaster has featured many stops. It began on Friday when he saw SJSU’s Instagram account post about Clark’s final start as a Spartan.
Clark was utterly brilliant in SJSU’s 7-1 victory. He tossed seven scoreless frames while fanning a season-high nine Nevada hitters.
“It got me a little emotional yesterday … because I’ve been taking the field behind him [Clark] for five years,” Colette said.
The emotions poured through again after realizing Friday night could likely be the last time he’s mauled by a mob of Spartans in Excite’s dugout after a home run.
“It’s bittersweet for sure,” Colette said.
When Saturday afternoon rolls around, Colette will be in lockstep with family members during the pre-game senior day ceremony. Just another stop on the emotional rollercoaster.
“It’ll probably hit me then with my family out on the field, too. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be a cool finishing experience here and I’ve watched all the seniors before me do that,” Colette said.
But now its Colette’s turn. To do what two-decades worth of senior classes before him have done. With ambitions of leading SJSU to heights none of them have reached.
“It’s not always like this. It’s just not always like this,” Sanfilippo said.
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