Hall of Fame enshrines five champions

John Jaso was not sure he wanted to play baseball anymore when he graduated from McKinleyville High School in 2001.

Then he met Jerry Bartow.

Southwestern College’s legendary coach turned Jaso into a hard-hitting catcher who went on to a nine-year career in Major League Baseball.

Jaso returned to Chula Vista to be enshrined in the SWC Hall of Fame. He was joined by former athletic director Terry Davis, softball star Katie Joyce Debus, distance running champion Dahir Mohamed and longtime SWC sports photographer Russell Scoffin.

Born in Chula Vista, Jaso graduated from high school in Humboldt County. Bartow talked him into playing for the Jaguars.

“I started catching and it was such a blessing, it really ignited my career,” Jaso said. “After that, I played 15 years of professional baseball, but I couldn’t have done it without SWC.”

Jaso played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics and Pittsburg Pirates. A career highlight was hitting for the cycle in 2016, the first at the Pirates’ PNC Park. Jaso said SWC was the “biggest bridge” in his career.

“The school has done a lot for me and in the end it honored me,” he said. “It makes me proud that I have made SWC proud.”

Last year Jaso announced that he is retiring from baseball following problems with concussions. He said he invested much of the money he earned from baseball into real estate and now he is preparing for a long trip on his sailboat.

“I’m going to take off and do the Bahamas, Exuma and the Caribbean,” he said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to now that baseball is done.”

Davis orchestrated a new era for the athletic department, but before that worked in nursing. He helped create the Surgical Tech Program that became a model among California community colleges. Athletic Director Jim Spillers said Davis’ greatest contribution was the new Wellness and Aquatic Center.

“His fingerprints are everywhere, but the most evident are these buildings,” said Spillers. “These buildings were his vision from the start. They were his project and he made it happen.”

Davis said he enjoyed advising student-athletes.

“To be able to help students to reach their personal goals and succeed in their challenges is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he said. “For me, that’s the primary reason why we are working in community college. Sometimes it’s the second choice, but sometimes we can become the best choice.”

Mohamed enrolled at SWC in 2009 and trained with cross-county coach Dr. Duro Agbede. Mohamed dominated the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference and was an All-American in cross-country and track. Mohamed said joining the Jaguars marked a turning point in his life.

“When I decided to come to SWC in August 2009, I didn’t know that it was the best choice of my life,” he said.

Mohamed said Agbede believed in him as a person and as an athlete.

“It’s amazing what a belief in you by one person can do,” he said. “Today I stand here because one person believed in me.”

Scoffin was honored for his countless volunteer hours for the athletic department over the past decade. He enrolled to work as a sports photographer at the Southwestern College Sun and became a national champion photojournalist.

“It’s just great to be a part of the advancement of facilities and see it growing and seeing how it affects more kids coming in,” he said. “I just hope that (the facilities) continue bringing students to the college.”

Debus joined the Lady Jaguars in the fall of 1987 and starred as an All-Mission Conference Softball team outfielder. Debus thanked coach Jim Hammond for teaching her softball and life skills. She told a story about the time she was late for the departure to an important road game and was left behind. Hammond eventually came back to pick her up, but scolded her for being late. Debus said that taught her a valuable lesson about humility.

“Having had been all-star growing up, standing out so much, that incident really did help me to realize when I went on to Cal State I was one of many all-stars, the whole team was all-star,” she said.

SWC’s Athletic Hall of Fame was launched in September 2004. Since then there have been 88 members inducted – 49 men and 39 women.

“Our Hall of Fame reminds us of our great history and gives us hope and dreams for the future,” Spillers said. “It inspires future generations based on that illustrious history.”