The American River College baseball team finished its 2019 season in a 7-1 victory over Cosumnes River College on April 26.
The team finished its season with a poor 8-32 overall record and went 5-19 in conference play. The team’s batting average for the season was .229, on base percentage was .318 and they only had seven home runs.
With this season, ARC baseball continues their streak of losing records to 14 seasons in a row. The last time the Beavers didn’t experience a losing season was in 2005, when the team went 27-10.
Manager Doug Jumelet has been coaching at ARC for 20 seasons and has been managing the team for 16. In his first year as head of the club, ARC went 18-18 but missed out on the playoffs.
Jumelet has been less than an average manager for quite some time. A man that hasn’t coached his team into a winning season should have been fired five years ago. People could even argue he should have been fired ten years ago. But people don’t pay attention to the school’s baseball team because they have been less than average for 14 years — which is exactly why Jumelet needs to relieve himself from his role or be let go from the baseball team.
It’s not the ball players that could be bad either; Jumelet’s coaching is what’s bad for the school. High school players may think they would like to go to a community college to play some baseball. The Sacramento players coming out to look at ARC realize they have a great school but the baseball team has been nowhere to be found in the last 14 years. It has been despicable and it falls on Jumelet.
The Beavers’ 2019 campaign was Jumelet’s worst as the manager yet, followed closely only by 2012. In that season, ARC finished 8-28 and last in its division, the Big 8. ARC had a poor batting average of .233, on base percentage of .302 and only two home runs.
In 2005, Jumelet second season, he had his best year managing the team. With a 27-10 record, the team’s batting average was an incredible .331, 11 home runs and their on base percentage was an impeccable .401.
ARC was awarded the sixth seed in the 2005 Northern California Playoffs for Community Colleges. ARC got past Marin College in a 2-0 series win in the first round but got eliminated by Cosumnes River in the second round.
Since then, whatever spark Jumelet started off with was gone and his teams haven’t even sniffed the playoffs since.
The ARC Athletics Department should be embarrassed for allowing Jumelet to still be mismanaging our team. It’s time for a change.
ARC needs someone new at the manager position for their baseball team. The athletic department needs to find someone who can bring a winner’s mentality to the diamond — somebody who can provide new drills, better off-season programs, recruit like hell and who aims to turn the ball club around. Jumelet no longer fits any of these requirements.
In 2019, ARC lost an astonishing 15 games in a row in the middle of the season. The team only had two winning streaks on the season — the first two games of the season and the last two games.
Because of his poor management, Jumelet could also be wasting star talent on the team. Due to the team’s poor record, it’s possible that there are little to no scouts looking for players from ARC. No scouts means that everyone’s baseball career ends at ARC.
Players are losing faith in themselves as the team continues to struggle.
Jumelet’s time is up as manager of ARC’s baseball team. He has managed the team for too damn long for the club to not get anywhere. Not making the playoffs since 2005 is a sick joke. If ARC wants students to come to their school to play meaningful baseball, they need to turn towards another direction.
As someone who loves the game of baseball, it is sad to see my school’s baseball be so terrible for a decade and a half. If ARC is looking to improve its baseball team, Jumelet is not the answer.
Gregory Marshall • Sep 4, 2019 at 2:32 pm
Hello I have played pro baseball, and coaching baseball currently. This program is in need of a change I’ve sent kids to ARC whom have played with JMF and have played on there national championships team and they were not able to make the team. Yet coaches from Yuba, Delta Laney college and Alcorn state has accepted the kids I’ve coached, none of them have made ARC gray shirt or have made the team. Statements that the school the kid comes from tells the coach of the talent they have to offer; however, the kid pitched against Elk Grove and held them to Zero runs in 6 innings and this team won the Section title. I’m very disappointed in the whole thing and I have a kid who made the team this year after tryouts for the second year. One of the kids I coached went to play at Folsom lake then transfer to ARC and got a scholarship to a school in Oklahoma so give the guys a fair look before killing Kids confidence. It’s time for a change and new beginnings for baseball at American River College baseball 15 years of losing and killing dreams instead of developing players for future in life skills. Bye bye Doug hit the road jack and don’t come back no more no more.
Dragonslayer • Aug 6, 2019 at 9:28 pm
No respect at all. I’m coming in to Arc next year and we are going to have a winning season or try too mark my words. People like you feel like hiding behind a computer screen in order to make yourself feel good. This is nothing but degrading one person. People like you never understand that it takes more than one person on a team. Never understand what it means to be apart of a team. Never understand what it means to be on that field blood and sweat everyday. Coach Jumelet gives opportunity to players to play on that field instead of in the streets. It is not all about winning but how you get back up when you fail. I think Coach Jumelet does a good job of that. What next no baseball program. That Coach is the reason why careers continue. The reason why young kids are in college. For you to call for his job is outrageous. Show some respect!
Spencer Riese • May 7, 2019 at 10:08 am
Very surface level article. Please cover more than just win and losses before coming after someone’s livelihood.
Gabe Carlos • May 7, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Hello Spencer,
I am not coming after anyone’s livlihood. I am simply stating facts about your coach that can’t get you guys wins. If you guys got more wins under Jumelet, than the team would earn titles. Nothing is wrong with looking for a change.
Lane Field • May 3, 2019 at 11:36 pm
I’m a current player at American river college. I do respect your opinion about coach Jumelet. That being said there are a few things that I personally feel were completely missed. I understand that yes in college a record does matter, that being said this is not a university level where the only real thing that matters is winning. Junior college coaches have to not only focus on winning but getting their players to the next level. This is something that he does very well. He gets his players to all levels of colleges. He got me to San Jose state and without him I wouldn’t be going there. He gives everyone an opportunity to show what they have. He also focuses on the more than just the game itself. This is a critical level and age for young men and coach Jumelet will put all of us first. He will see us on campus and make sure that we are doing well in the classroom as well as with our home life. Coach Jumelet also relates baseball to life. He teaches us about how to deal with adversity in the game and how it relates to life. He teaches us valuable life skills. So Gabe you are correct in doing all your analytical research about our wins and losses. However this post Only focuses on the numbers. From an ACTUAL players point of view getting lost in the numbers is a quick way to lose your mind and go into a slump. The numbers are a trap.
Douglas Meyers • May 3, 2019 at 8:11 pm
Gabe, this is very well written and logical article. You have courage to speak out when others do not. You do not need experience playing ball at this level to understand that if you lose for 14 years in a row you must change something. Players are always coming and going at the JC level, so you must turn to management in this case. For those of you who think that this is not a valid opinion because Jumelet is a good guy, has helped you get to the next level, or whatever the case may be you are not understanding the point of the article.
Managers at this level are PAYED to win. By the way, if you pay tuition are ARC you are paying the manager and coaches salary.
Jumelet has and is falling short of has duty. If your team is in a competitive division management needs to step their game up to finish up on top. You cannot compare ARC’s baseball team to other divisions and say that they would be on top. ARC’s baseball team needs to play at the level of the division they are in.
It seems to me, and this is my OPINION, that Jumelet has gotten complacent like a tenured professor. It sounds like Jumelet has made friends with the right people at ARC.
Gabe, if you are not pissing someone off you are not doing it right. Keep up the hard work and remember haters are never doing better than you!
Gabe Needs Help! • May 3, 2019 at 10:52 am
Gabe, I feel sorry for you. The fact the you must makes slanderous comments about someone to make you feel better about yourself in your pathetic, grocery bagging life is truly sad. I understand that you are one of four kids and how painful it must be to be the disappointment of your family. However, just because your parents (Manny and Christine) gave all their attention to Ileana, Brandon, and Tori, it still does not give you the right to attack another individual. I also understand how difficult it must have been to be bullied all those years at Bella Vista High School, though please know that there are therapists available to you. You should really take the time to speak to someone about your self-esteem issues. So, until you get the mental help you so desperately need, I suggest that you refrain from attending sporting events you obviously don’t understand and most importantly, refrain from depreciating a good persons character. I will be praying for you Gabe!
Gabe Carlos • May 3, 2019 at 11:15 am
Hello Gabe Needs Help,
Very mature to stalk someone’s Facebook and slander someone after telling me not to slander someone. Thank you!
"Opinion" • May 3, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Gabe Needs Help is correct, He or She should not have used the word slander, He or She should have used the word “opinion”. Which brings us to the definition of the word opinion: “a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.” So, now that I have read the definition, It’s not that you need mental help, it’s just your lack of “facts and “knowledge” and that you really just have no idea what the heck your talking about. Because baseball is a team sport and relies on much more than just one individual, I think you should issue Mr. Jumelet an apology and I will also be praying for you Gabe!
Jennah Booth • May 3, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Hi, just wanted to let you know that we can see that you are replying from the same email with a different username! If you are interested in writing a Letter to the Editor, (with your real name) we would be more than happy to consider publishing your argument against Gabe’s opinion, provided that it is based in logic and doesn’t attack his character. Thanks for being so passionate about our content!
LOL • May 3, 2019 at 1:06 pm
I sure hope “you’re” not the editor! LOL!
Anonymous • May 2, 2019 at 8:13 pm
Sounds like this article was written by a young boy. Obviously, Gabe hasn’t played any sport or been apart of a collegiate team. Doug Jumelet has done so much for these kids that goes unnoticed. Yes, his collegiate record doesn’t match the type of coach he is. However, I don’t appreciate this article written by some little boy, who has no idea what it takes to be a collegiate athlete. Not only has Doug Jumelet formerly competed in the Big 8 “aka” the best conference in California, in the last 15 years. Everyone knows if he completed in any other conference against the other trash conferences that California has. There is no way you can put up his record compared to other conferences other than the Big 8. Say what you want if ARC was not in the Big 8 they would be the number one team in any other division. It grinds my gears that some third year junior college little kid decides to write about my coach. First off, it should only take two years to graduate a junior college, like myself and other collegiate athlete teammates completed. This article is written from a junior college student who has taken his leisurely time to complete his junior college “journalism” fulfillment’s. Myself and others have not only competed at a collegiate level and have managed our classes accordingly to graduate, with an AA degree while playing a sport. Doug Jumelet has got us to the next level. I don’t care if it’s from NAIA to a D1 or D2, he has gotten people there. In my opinion Gabe Carlos has never competed in a collegiate sport and should stick to correcting his articles. Doug Jumelet is a great guy not only does he provide for his family. He provides for all the students that are on his baseball team and allows them to get to the next level. Yes, his record has been suspect, but this article goes into very little detail about how good the Big 8 conference is. The Big 8 conference is not only the best conference in California, but the best one in our area. This article shines no light on how good the Big 8 actually is. If you want to get on Doug Jumelet for recruiting, to the best conference in California. Be my guest. But keep his name out of some washed up 20 year old little boys article. American River College is not only a great place to send your kid to learn, but to learn the game of baseball. It is mind boggling that some 20 year old Gabe Carlos has the audacity to go after my coach. Not only does your junior college skills show through this article, but your previous comment about research is not there. Maybe if you went to a 4 year like any other journalism major is successfully does, you would be able to recruit some actual sources. This article is not only a laughing stock of Sacramento, it reflect directly on you. Gabe Carlos I appreciate your article and your “writing talents” but this article is trash.
Gabe Carlos • May 3, 2019 at 10:12 am
Hello Anonymous,
I appreciate you calling me “little boy,” “young boy” and other belittling insults when I’m writing an opinion story, which I don’t actually need any sources for by the way. And clearly my washed-up, 20-year-old story did something right because it grinds your gears. I don’t understand why you keep bringing up how great the Big 8 is. I couldn’t really care less about how good the Big 8 is unless ARC is finishing atop of everyone else, which they are not. If ARC went to any other division they would still be losing, because Jumelet can’t coach his team to win games. Plain and simple. I think you’re missing the point of the article. Jumelet has been everything but a great manager for the baseball team for quite some time and it’s time for a change. You say that I only focus on their record, when really Jumelet hasn’t coached his team into any achievements since 2005. 2005! I was eight years old! I’m sure Jumelet is a great guy but that doesn’t come into play when he is getting paid by ARC to lose every year. I have the audacity to go after your coach because nobody else will. His time is up here at ARC. I don’t see Jumelet bringing home trophies, banners or wins for ARC. If you went to a four year university, you would actually understand the feeling of winning. If you played under Jumelet, something tells me that you won nothing here to represent our baseball team. I will stick to correcting articles while here and at a four year university. I will continue to write about how bad the baseball team is and will continue as long as Jumelet is there.
Nick • May 2, 2019 at 1:39 pm
This article is very inaccurate, focuses on only record and no other real facts. Poor choices of words.
Gabe Carlos • May 2, 2019 at 2:28 pm
Hello Nick,
I would argue that the article I wrote was very accurate. Someone who hasn’t coached his team to the playoffs in 14 years is unacceptable. I don’t see how the Athletic Department at ARC looks at Jumelet and thinks he is a good fit for the team. Give the players a chance to win, finish at the top of the Big 8 and hopefully win some titles. Jumelet doesn’t offer that. The Athletic Department should seriously consider looking for someone else to run the team.
Nick • May 2, 2019 at 3:23 pm
I respect your opinion, but that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering you have not been through the program to my knowledge. He is giving the players a chance to win the Big 8 and is passionate about doing so, along with getting them to the next level.
Justin Hanlin • May 2, 2019 at 1:38 pm
This article is a joke. Jumelet helped me get to one of the best Division 2 programs in the nation. Do some research.
Gabe Carlos • May 2, 2019 at 2:40 pm
Hello Justin,
Surprisingly, I did do research for my opinion article. And the research tells me that Jumelet is no longer a fit for the ARC baseball team. The facts say that Jumelet doesn’t give his players a chance to win because of his ways and his ways clearly haven’t been working for a number of years. In the last 14 years of being the manager at ARC, Jumelet has coached his team into the bottom four of the Big 8 each year. For someone who goes to ARC, it blew my mind that he is still managing this team. It is below par for Jumelet to continue managing the team and for the Athletic Department to allow that. A change must happen.