- Sport: Baseball
- Inducted in 1981
- Years Attended 1959-1963
- All-CIBA
- All-District 8
John Giovanola was a second baseman for the Broncos during some of the most successful years for the Baseball program. In the 1962 season, the Broncos went 39-8 under the late coach John “Paddy” Cottrell. SCU won a season-opening 12 straight games, and had 13 straight wins to end the regular season. This miraculous team held the #1 spot in the polls for almost the entirety of the 1962 season and held the hearts of the Bay Area for even longer. During the College World Series opener, a San Francisco Radio station recieved phoned-in game updates about the Broncos. Although the Broncos lost their World Series opener to Florida State, 5-1, SCU beat Missouri, 7-4 in 12 innings; defeated Holy Cross, 12-7; and won the rematch with Texas, 11-6, to earn a spot in the title game. The Broncos unfortunately lost 5-4 to undefeated University of Michigan in a hard fought game that still remains the longest title game in NCAA championship history.
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