After a Major League Baseball career that spanned 14 seasons and seven teams, former Cerritos College baseball player Rod Barajas has found success in the coaching profession. Barajas, in his second season as the manager of the San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas, clinched the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern Division championship on September 19.

Barajas, who was a first baseman for the Falcons from 1994-95, was a member of the last team to reach the CCCAA State Championships, where they were defeated by Rancho Santiago College (now Santa Ana College). Barajas was then out of baseball, until he tried out for the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks and was signed to a minor league contract in 1996. He worked his way to the big leagues and won a World Series championship in 2001 and even hit a home run off the New York Yankees Mike Mussina.

Known for his defensive skills, Barajas became a commodity and was signed as a free agent after spending a year or two with several organizations. He spent two seasons (2010-11) and played his final season in the major leagues in 2012 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Prior to the 2014 season, Barajas was named the manager of the Arizona League Padres and quickly was moved to the San Antonio Missions, a Double-A affiliate. He was selected as the manager of the Chihuahuas in 2015 and led them to their first PCL championship since 1988. They will now open the Pacific Coast League Playoffs next week.