YUMA, Ariz. – Arizona Western Baseball's all-time winningest coach, John Stratton, was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame at the 2024 JUCO World Series pre-tournament banquet on Friday evening.

Stratton won 817 games in 27 seasons as head coach of the Matadors baseball program, leading the program to its lone appearance at the NJCAA DI Baseball World Series in 1996, and was the first head coach in program history to record a 40-win season.

While at the helm of the Arizona Western Baseball program, Stratton led the Matadors to 12 30-win seasons and won three ACCAC titles and three Region I championships.

Stratton arrived at Arizona Western in 1985 and coached the Matadors until 2011. During that time was named the Western District Region I Coach of the Year and earned the Louisville Slugger Award for Excellence in Coaching. While at Arizona Western College, Statton coached three players who go on to play in Major League Baseball, including World Series Champion Bengie Molina and Imperial Valley native Sergio Romo.

His 817 wins make Stratton Arizona Western's winningest coach in any sport for the Matadors and were inducted into the ACCAC Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Arizona Western College Hall of Fame in 2023.

Stratton was inducted along with fellow Bobby Sprowl, the head coach at Shelton State Community College who is competing at this year's JUCO World Series.