Taft College alum Kenneth “K.C.” Judge is making his mark in professional baseball. But it was a long journey that was jump-started thanks to his two years as a member of the Cougars baseball team.
“Taft college provided for me the opportunity to continue playing baseball,” said Judge. “Out of high school, I wasn’t heavily recruited. When I visited Taft College, I knew that it was a place I’d get a shot to play at as a true freshman with hopes of getting to play at a four-year school thereafter.”
The decision paid off. After playing at Taft during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Judge transferred to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks where he was an all-region and all-conference selection as a junior. In 2011, he earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and sports medicine.
Following his collegiate career, Judge played professionally in the Independent League for three years. But just recently, his journey took a different turn. Judge was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to serve as a hitting instructor this summer with the Missoula Ospreys minor league baseball team.
Judge still remembers his time at Taft fondly, recalling hitting a grand slam in his first at bat with the Cougars in 2007 as his favorite moment at the college.