Fresno City’s Ron Scott becomes winningest baseball coach in California junior college history
Fresno City College baseball coach Ron Scott is the leader of the state.
The Rams on Tuesday afternoon rolled to a 17-3 victory over Hartnell in Salinas to give Scott win No. 1,073 in California Community College Athletic Association action and pass Don Sneddon for most wins in state history.
And right there by Scott’s side was assistant Eric Solberg who’s been with the Fresno City coach every step of the way since the two came aboard together 34 seasons ago.
Also there to witness the milestone were at least 100 people who drove from Fresno to Salinas, including the Rams softball team and other coaches.
Even a few of Scott’s former players who played in Major League Baseball like Sean Halton and Billy Simas made it to the game.
So did current Major Leaguer Connor Brogdon of the Philadelphia Phillies.
“One of the first calls I got was Don Sneddon,” Scott said. “He was just really excited for us. He said we ‘did things the right way’ at Fresno City and we’re a class program. It meant a lot coming from him. Eric’s been with me from day one.
“I’m humbled, but we had so many guys that coached here. I want to say 15 different guys that helped coached here. I’ve been lucky to surround myself with a bunch of great coaches starting in 1989 till now. Of course, the players, my wife Rebecca. Just family support and high school coaches. I’m real fortunate.”
Scott was the catcher on Miami’s 1974 College World Series runner-up team. Before coming to Fresno City, he coached four years at Chowchilla High and six at Madera with a record of 183-83, winning four league titles.
Former Rams coach Len Bourdet coached 31 seasons and posted a 722-374 record with four state titles before Scott took over as the Rams coach in 1989, according to longtime Fresno City sports information director Woody Wilk.
Scott’s 1992 team won the state title.
“Coach Bourdet handed me the keys to the car and we’ve been real fortunate to keep driving it the way it’s been driven for, I guess, 65 years,” Scott said.
“It got really surreal for me in the eighth inning when we had the big lead and I had some really close friends from Chowchilla that I’ve known forever come up in a limo bus. It was surreal to know it’s finally over.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 7:51 PM.
