Columbia Basin College Athletics

As a husband and father of six children, C.J. Mitchell attended Columbia Basin College over a 14-year period, earning an AA Degree in 1970 while working multiple jobs. Involvement in sports is the name of C.J. Mitchell’s game – from playing, to coaching, to officiating, and promoting sports, C.J. has had continuous sports involvement with Columbia Basin College for over 50 years.  His achievements are too numerous to list, but highlights include:

• 35 years in the PAC-8 and PAC-10 Conference as a baseball umpire
• Six-time NCAA Regional baseball umpire; 1976-1981
• Four- time Division I College World Series umpire in Omaha, Nebraska; 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1981
• Ten-time NAIA World Series umpire
• Member – Washington State High School Baseball Coaches
  Hall of Fame – the first umpire so honored – 1999
• Member – Amateur Baseball Umpires Association NCAA
  Umpire Hall of Fame - 2001
• Founder of the Central Washington Sports Hall of Fame - 2005

C.J. served on the Columbia Basin College Board of Trustees from 1971-1976.  He was selected as the Alumnus of the Year in 1997, and honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Award in1998.