By Bren Belmonte, February 17, 2026
With bases loaded at the top of the sixth inning and the number 30 on his back, senior Jack Sanders walked up to home plate with a focused mindset, unaware of the history he was about to make.
Sanders’ grand slam made CPP history, one of the many notable plays in the three-game series against Azusa Pacific University Jan. 31. Sanders tied four Cal Poly Pomona Athletics records in game two, Jan. 31, with three runs, six hitsand nine RBIs, the most in a single game. The game earned him CCAA baseball player of the week for Jan. 30-Feb. 1.
In the three-game series, the Broncos won 1-0, 21-13 and 9-5. The first game followed a successful season opener, in which the Broncos scored 1-0 against APU.
“(I) play hard and give it all I got every day,” Sanders said . “I didn’t know until my last step back when our athletic trainer told me that I broke records.”
According to Sanders, his mind was focused on one thing, seeing an outside pitch so he could hit it hard up the middle field.
Known for his work ethic on the team, head coach Randy Betten described Sanders as a committed player in all aspects of his game who takes the unofficial role of leader both on and off the field.
“He came in wanting to be the best Bronco he could be and help the team be successful,” Betten said. “He’s a highly competitive guy that cares about his team’s success.”
Sanders holds others accountable and maintains consistency in self-improvement for baseball. Sanders’ attention toward academics as a kinesiology major earned him CCAA Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2025. Even helping his teammate Dylan Esquival pass their introduction to biology class together. Esquival described his first impression of Sanders as a walking bomb on the field, but in the classroom, Esquival sees him as intellectual and quiet.
“(He’s) one of a kind,” Esquival said. “I think that’s just what makes him so good on the field and off.”
Sanders’ hit in the second game against APU was one double, a home run and two RBIs. His historic role contributed to the Broncos sweeping APU in a season series for the first time.
Sanders completed his senior and junior years at CPP, transferring from Palomar College in 2024. He described his time at Palomar as memorable, but he prefers CPP’s coaching staff, the field and overall experience.
“It puts a smile on my face as a coach,” Betten said. “You wish you had a whole team of Jack Sanders-type talent, mental toughness and competitiveness.”
As of Feb. 12, Sanders maintains a .433 batting average and seven games started. He possesses a 1.436 on-base plus slugging, ranking the fourth best in the CCAA.
“I want to be known that I was one of the people who kept my head down and grinding and didn’t let anything get in my way,” Sanders said.
Feature image courtesy of the CPP Athletics