There have now (as of 2018) been 19 state tournaments in the history of Alaska high school varsity baseball. JDHS has been in 14 state championship tournaments, winning 6 state titles, second in the state 2 times, and third in the state 3 times (see below). The Crimson Bears also won the first limited state wide championship in 1997(only teams from Southeast, Kodiak, and Mat-Su were in the tournament)claiming a total of 6 state titles.
Prior to 1991, high school varsity baseball did not exist in Alaska. But on May 3, 1991 at 5:30 PM, in front of a very large crowd that all changed. The visiting Ketchikan Kings met the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears for a five game series at Melvin Park. It wasn’t easy with no financial support from the school, no funds for travel, limited equipment and uniforms, and no other teams to play, but through the efforts of Dr. Mike Franklin and the Bear’s first coach, Don Cary, Alaska high school baseball became a reality. Franklin was described as a visionary who started the JDHS baseball program not only out of his love for the game but to keep his son, Adam, from having to leave town to play high school baseball. “When I think of Juneau’s and even Alaska’s high school baseball program, I will always be reminded of my dad. I will always remember how much effort he put in to get it all started, and how much I appreciated it. I hope that others who have experienced and enjoyed high school baseball in Juneau can look back and appreciate his efforts as well.” – Adam Franklin. The first season was limited to a 10-game series over the course of two weekends, all between Juneau and Ketchikan, in which Kayhi took seven of ten.
The Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA)’s handbook states that "[f]or many years baseball was used as a preparation for American Legion baseball. Teams in Anchorage and Fairbanks were thought of as feeder programs for the summer long club [teams]. As interest increased in more schools, ASAA created the first state tournament in 2000." 1 The Crimson Bears were in the first state tournament, coming in second.
Don Cary was the original JDHS varsity baseball coach, coaching for eight seasons, from 1991 through 1999. During the time that Cary coached there was no state wide tournaments. However,in 1997 the first ever limited state tournament, the Mat-Su Valley Invitational, was won by the Crimson Bears (see 1997 team page). The Bears returned in 1998 to play in another limited state tournament, the Alaska Invitational BaseballTournament, finishing in second place (see 1998 team page). The Crimson Bears,in 1999,played in the final partial state tournament, the State Invitational Baseball Tournament (see 1999 team page).
Jim Ayers replaced Cary as the next JDHS head coach in 2000. The 2000 team appeared in the first statewide baseball tournament losing to East High of Anchorage in the championship game by a final score of 3-1. Ayers coached for eight seasons, through 2007, winning back to back state championships in 2002 and 2003.
In 2001, Ayers created another American Legion team that traveled to Seattle and then up North to play other legion teams in Anchorage, Kenai, Homer, Wasilla and Fairbanks for six weeks out of the summer. Many of the JDHS baseball players played for the Juneau Legion team as well as for the Crimson Bears. According to Coach Ayers, the 2001 legion team had been originally Dr. Franklin’s idea but was not made into a reality until Ayers “went barnstorming” in 2001. The team played 15 games throughout the Seattle Tacoma area, and then came back to travel around Alaska to play another 15 games.
In 2008, first-year head coach, Jaime Kissner coached the Crimson Bears to their fourth state championship ( which includes the 1997 limited state tournament, the Mat Su Valley Invitational) in school history. In Kissner’s second season, the Bears won the regular season conference title but were eliminated in the southeast conference tournament and failed to reach the state tournament for only the third time in the program’s history.
And then there was 2010. The Bears stormed back with determination to take back the state title for the fifth time in school history. This time under the coaching and guidance of first year head coach, Steve Bavard. And take it back they did, winning the Southeast conference with a perfect record. They continued their surge by cruising through the Regional tournament on their way to a state title and a perfect intra-state record of 21-0. To our knowledge this was the first Alaska high school baseball team to go undefeated in Alaska intra-state competition.
The year is 2012 and the Crimson Bears baseball season began with spring practice in Arizona and ended, June the first, in Anchorage where the Bears won their sixth state championship. During the 2012 season the Bears also won their tenth Region V Championship. In order for the Crimson Bears to reach the State Championship game they had to face the undefeated Service Wolverines in the Semi-finals. Service came into the state tournament as the number one seed overall. In one of the most exiting state tournament games the Bears would see a large lead reduced . Going into the fifth thinning the Bears lead by a score of 10-0. Victiory was in sight. But Service fought back and by the end of 6 innings the Bears lead was now 11-8. In the botton of the 7th inning Service scored 2 runs cutting the deficit to 11-10. Service still had had runners on first and second with two outs, and a batter at the plate facing a 2-2 count. The Service batter hit the next pitch deep in the hole between third base and shortstop where Ibesate fielded it cleanly and fired it to end the game and send the Bears to the State Title. The Crimson Bears then faced their tough conference foe Ketchikan in the State Championship game and won by a score of 11-6 returning to Juneau as State Champions. Ketchikan had earlier beaten South Anchorage by a 7-3 score then faced the Crimson Bears in the final state championship game of 2013.
Back to back no-hitters were pitched during the Crimson Bears 2012 season. The first no-hitter was thrown by Lance Ibesate against Thunder Mountain High School and the second by Tanner Petrie against Ketchikan. A third no-hitter was nearly thrown by Josh Magnuson, who gave up one hit in the top of the seventh inning, this after an opponent coach fell it appropriate to verbally mentioned that a no hitter was in progress.
The success of the JDHS baseball program, or any other program, depends on the hard work of the individual players, playing as a team. But another critical part of the team are the parents and friends of the players. Without the parents verbal and physical support, and financial assistance, the JDHS baseball program wouldn’t have had the same success. Throughout the years of JDHS baseball, parents have volunteered to do many things, such as, but not limited to: -Snack Shack coordinators and workers -Scorekeeping coordinators and workers -Housing coordinators and housers -Team BBQ coordinator -Senior Night -Batting cage construction -Field and batting cage maintenance -Goodie bag donations for regions and state tournaments -Candy leis for,senior night, regions and state tournaments -Announcing games -Helping with travel plans -Gifts for coaches -Making food for the team and the out of town team during double headers -Fundraising We thank you all!!!!
JDHS Baseball teams' Regional and State Tournament Results since 2000
SE ChampsState ChampsSecond PlaceThird PlaceAcademic Award
2000 X X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2003 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2005 tie Sitka won, loser based on most runs allowed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 X lost in Region V Tournament --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2009 X lost in Region V Tournament -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010 X X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2011 X seventh in State -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2012 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 X X X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In 2006,2009, and 2014 JDHS won the Southeast Conference regular season but were eliminated in the region tournament. In 2015 JDHS again won the regular season title but came in second in the Region V Tournament. Prior to 2007, only one team, the team that won the regular season title, represented Southeast at state. Winning the regular season league conference now only means that team is the number one seed in the Region V Tournament. However a team that wins the regular season title should be the conference winner and have an automatic state tournament bid. Currently out of the Region Tournament 2 teams represent the Southeast. Going to the State Tournament should not be determined by the top 2 teams in the Region Tournament.