Bigger than baseball, Kirsch-Rooney is named for two locals who died in World War II, Cy Kirsch and Bob Rooney. No baseball this weekend, but for 69 seasons it’s been a daily reminder of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the little things we enjoy every day.

Patti Arnold was a JUCO gem. As the Grand Junction Sentinel sports editor and longtime media liaison for the NJCAA Junior College World Series, she was usually one of the first people you spoke with after your team qualified for the World Series and one of the last people you hugged on the way out of the stadium when you went home. She understood how important it was to tell the players’ and programs’ story during such a monumental moment in their lives. She asked the tough questions and made everyone feel at home in her own first class, professional way. We had some late night calls, photo sharing, credential requests, tight deadlines, and lots of laughs, especially when one of our calls took place in a tornado shelter after qualifying. For our family, she was there during some of our best personal and professional moments: the first series post-Katrina, three trips in a row from 2014-2016, my dad’s 800th win and later his induction into the Coaches’ Hall of Fame, and our opener as the #2 seed in the country. Over our six visits, was always a welcoming face in the big Pressbox and always treated this young SID like one of her pros. She literally wrote the book on the event and helped made it better each time we visited. Our last trip in 2023 coincided with her retirement. Sad to hear of her passing, but grateful that our paths crossed on the JUCO journey. Thanks, Patti, for helping share Delgado’s story and elevating our whole NJCAA organization.