mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

In the bottom of the ninth inning in game four of the World Series, America saw San Francisco relief pitcher Sergio Romo come to the mound. His task was not easy: retire three hitters, including triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera, and win the championship for his team.

Despite the overwhelming pressure, Romo handled the task perfectly. He recorded three strikeouts and brought his second World Series title in three years back to the Bay. Before he became a hero for Giants’ fans around the world, he played here in Grand Junction for Mesa State College.

CMU baseball coach Chris Hanks recruited Romo out of junior college in Arizona, but was not successful at first. Romo decided to go to the University of North Alabama over Mesa State. However, after a short time in Florence, Ala., he realized that he had made a mistake. He got a hold of Hanks and transferred the next year to become a Maverick.

“It wasn’t a good fit for him in the south,” Hanks said. “He wasn’t comfortable there and after a year there he wanted out, so he contacted us.”

Romo came to Mesa for his senior year with an impressive set of skills. During his career he set multiple records that stand to this day. As a starting pitcher in 2005, he recorded the lowest ERA (2.46), most innings pitched (124.1) most strikeouts in a season (129), and is tied for most wins in a season (14). Even with his impressive resume, major league scouts were still hesitant to draft him.

It took some convincing on Hanks’ part to persuade scouts to give him a chance.

“I told San Francisco scout Joe Strain that even though Romo’s stats are similar to a lot of other pitchers, he would be crazy not to give him a chance,” Hanks said. “I told him that he’s a kid that may end up making him look very smart.”

Strain would take that advice and draft Romo in the 28th round of the 2005 MLB draft. From there, Romo spent three years in the minor leagues preparing for his major league debut with the Giants. That day came on June 26, 2008 against the Florida Marlins. He was a staple in both the 2010 and 2012 World Series championships for the team and at 29 years old, still has plenty of baseball ahead of him.

Although he was only at Mesa for one year, he is still in regular contact with Hanks and even took the time to visit the team last year in Phoenix. Junior pitcher Nolan Snell explained that seeing a Mesa State baseball alumnus excel at the highest level is very rewarding.

“It’s really cool, especially when announcers talk about how he was a D2 athlete,” Snell said. “It kind of gives a little hope to guys here at our school that there’s a chance that could be us someday.”