Navarro Baseball: Podjenski gets 200th win
Feb. 26—Matt "Pudge" Podjenski had no idea, none at all, and wasn't even aware that he had just won his 200th game as Navarro's head baseball coach until someone congratulated him.
"Honestly, I didn't know," said Podjenski, whose Bulldogs swept a doubleheader from Panola (11-1, 20-3) on Wednesday to lift Podjenski to the Magic 200 mark.
"Honestly, I had no idea," he said. "Someone came up to me and said 'congratulations.' That's how I found out. It means I've got good players.
"Obviously, I'm humbled to have this opportunity. But this game is all about the guys on the field," he said.
Podjenski not only reached the 200 mark, but he did it in just his seventh season as the head coach of the Bulldogs. He spent eight years as Whoa Dill's assistant coach before taking over the team in 2014. The sweep over Panola gave Podjenski a 200-111-1 record at Navarro.
He probably would have reached 200 last season. His team was on a seven-game winning streak when the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic last spring. Those Bulldogs were trying to return to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Co., where they finished third in the nation in 2019.
Podjenski is modest about his success, which includes four East Zone Championships, and two trips to the Region XIV Tournament Finals. The Bulldogs won the title in 2019 and might have had a run at the title in 2017 when they simply ran out of pitching in the 2017 Region Final against San Jacinto.
Podjenski and his players begin every year with a goal of reaching the JUCO World Series, and nothing has changed in 2021.
The Dawgs have a lineup loaded with big bats. Just ask Panola, which gave up 31 runs Wednesday in just 10 innings as Navarro pounded out an 11-1 win in the opener and blasted the Ponies 20-3 in the second game with two 10-run innings. Both were five inning mercy-rule games.
The Bulldogs had 23 hits, including 11 extra-base hits in the doubleheader. Zac Vooletich and Chad Ricker had a pair of monster days to lead Navarro's hit parade. They combined to knock in 15 runs.
Vooletich hit two triples and scored twice while driving in two runs in the opener and then had a party in the second game, driving in six runs, including four on a grand slam to complete an eight RBI day.
Ricker went 1-for-2, scored a run and drove in two runs in the opener and then went 2-for-3 with a homer, driving in five runs in the second game to finish the day with seven RBIs.
Alex Vergara went 3-for-3 with a home run, scored twice and drove in three runs in the opener and doubled home a run in the second game. Cash Rugely hit a home run and scored three times in the opener and knocked in two runs in the second game.
Cooper Randall went the distance in the 11-1 opener, allowing just two hits, and Jake Combs went the five inning distance in the 20-3 victory, allowing just one hit.
But wins No. 199 and No. 200 were all about hitting.
"We really swung the bats," Podjenski said. "It was top to bottom in our lineup. And we threw strikes, pitched well and played defense.
"We've shown we're going to score runs with this team," he said. "And we've been playing good defense. I like this club. I feel good about it. I like our first two pitchers (Combs and Randall) and we've got depth in our bullpen. It's hard to find that consistent third guy, but I think we've got quality arms. And I like our lineup. From top to bottom we put pressure on people."
