One for the books

Josh Jones, seen here pitching in a collegiate league in 2014, led the CNMI’s gold medal win against Guam, 8-4, in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia. (Contributed Photo)

CNMI Sports Hall of Famer Tony Rogolifoi may have recorded hundreds of victories in his more than two decades of coaching in baseball, but one just simply stands out—the Commonwealth’s triumph in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

On Sept. 8, nine years ago, the CNMI defeated rival Guam, 8-4, in the gold medal game, proving that the former is a forced to be reckoned with at the diamond.

“If I were to rank that gold medal win among the victories I had, it will definitely be the first because we beat bigger and best teams in the entire Pacific,” said Rogolifoi when asked to recall the CNMI’s winning moment in Noumea.

“We’re the best in the Pacific,” the many-time national baseball team coach/manager added.

In this 2011 file photo, the CNMI anthem is played after the Commonwealth won the gold medal in the baseball competition in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia. (Contributed Photo)

The road to getting the coveted gold medal was not easy for the squad that nearly did not make it to New Caledonia due to funding problems. The 16-man team managed to pull some strings and confirmed its participation in the quadrennial competition less than a month before the event kicked off.

Then when the Pacific Games started, Rogolifoi’s wards struggled in the first three games, as they narrowly defeated 2017 champion Palau, 1-0, before absorbing back-to-back heartbreakers after falling to Guan, 5-6, and New Caledonia, 2-3.

Facing elimination, the CNMI had to win its last two games to avoid the axe and Rogolifoi, despite their so-so performance in the first three matches, kept his faith with his crew.

“I never doubted them even though we lost twice in a row. I knew these guys, how they play, especially in games that counted the most,” Rogolifoi said.

The Commonwealth sluggers repaid their coach’s trust with a pair of victories that also put the team in the playoff round. The CNMI first downed American Samoa, 9-4, and then edged Fiji, 2-1, to notch the last playoff ticket and keep their gold medal hopes alive.

Guam and Palau took the first two semis berths after ending the elimination with similar 4-1 marks and the former eventually moved into the finals after shutting down the latter in the opening playoff game, 4-0. In the second day of the playoffs, the CNMI saw action in back-to-back games, ousting the No. 3 seed New Caledonia first, 11-5, and then dominating Palau, 8-0, to advance to the gold medal match against Guam.

In this 2011 file photo, CNMI players flash the No. 1 sign after beating Guam in the gold medal game in the Pacific Games in New Caledonia. (Contributed Photo)

The finals was played right on the following day and a well-rested Guam crew got the better of the weary CNMI team, but only in the first two innings as the former took 2-0 head. In the third inning, pitching ace Josh Jones took over the mound and neutralized Guam batters. He led the CNMI comeback by yielding only two runs, one each in the third and sixth inning.

Besides closing out for the CNMI in the gold medal game against Guam, Jones, who played collegiate baseball for two schools in the U.S. after his stint with the Commonwealth team, also pitched in their make-or-break matches versus New Caledonia and Palau.

“I rested Josh for the crucial games and he delivered. Josh was so amazing, as he gave us the needed lift in the last three matches,” Rogolifoi said.

In the final three games, Jones pitched 31 innings, allowed less than 10 hits, and struck out more than 30 batters.

Joining Jones, Rogoligoi and Saipan Baseball League president Rose Igitol on the CNMI gold medal team were Juan Maratita, Eric Tenorio, Ian Rogolifoi, Keoni Lizama, Mike Iguel, Vince Cepeda, Elton Santos, Jesus Iguel, Tyrone Omar, Franco Flores, Thomas Joab, Jerome Delos Santos, Byron Kaipat, Manny Sablan, and Craig Sanchez.