Coach Ruzich is among a distinguished group of nearly 200 legendary coaches who will be honored at a special luncheon on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Coaches Legacy Award recognizes and celebrates the all-time winningest coaches in NJCAA history.

Now in his 39th season at South Suburban College, Coach Ruzich has amassed an astounding 1,345 career wins, qualifying him for this prestigious honor. He reached his 1,300th win milestone during the 2023 season—a testament to his longevity, leadership, and impact on student-athletes. Over his exceptional career, Ruzich has led the Bulldogs to fifteen regional titles, two JUCO World Series appearances, and nine regional runner-up finishes. In 2005, the Bulldogs achieved a program-best 51-11 record under his guidance, setting the school record for both wins and winning percentage (.823).

“This is a well-deserved honor for a coach who has dedicated his life to developing student-athletes and representing South Suburban College with integrity and excellence,” said SSC President Dr. Lynette Stokes. “Coach Ruzich’s legacy goes far beyond the win column—his mentorship and commitment to our college community have left an indelible mark.”

According to the NJCAA’s official release, this marks the first time in the organization’s history that such recognition has been bestowed upon coaches in this manner.

“Being able to recognize our coaches, past and present, is a wonderful thing for the NJCAA, our member institutions, the coaches, and their families,” said Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President and CEO. “We look forward to having many of these coaches come together for us to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the NJCAA later this year.”

SSC extends its heartfelt congratulations to Coach Steve Ruzich on this incredible and historic achievement.

For additional information, please contact Devan Martin at dlmartin@ssc.edu. Learn more about South Suburban College by visiting https://www.ssc.edu

PHOTO: South Suburban College Baseball Coach, Steve Ruzich

The same day that WGN-TV visited Bulldogs Stadium, the SSC Men’s Baseball Team pulled off a 10-0 win over Kishwaukee College in the first round of the playoffs. Following this victory, the Bulldogs moved on to play Triton College in the tournament. They defeated the Trojans 20-10 on Thursday, May 11, and 5-3 on Saturday, May 13 to claim the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region IV Division I Baseball Championship.

SSC’s own Dawson Tanner, a sophomore outfielder from Canada, was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Head Coach Steve Ruzich was also named Region IV Coach of the Year. The 40-19 Bulldogs advance to the Midwest District in Centerville, Iowa. The winner of this double-elimination tournament will advance to the World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The SSC Softball Team brought in wins of their own to conclude their regular season. On Monday, May 15, they defeated Bryant and Stratton College of Milwaukee 10-9 at home to earn the NJCAA Region IV Division II Midwest A District Championship. The 36-12 Lady Bulldogs advance to the national tournament in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They will represent SSC at the NJCAA DII Women’s Softball World Series beginning on Tuesday, May 23.

The full news story from WGN-TV released on Thursday, May 11, is accessible at: https://tinyurl.com/4k35hh5a. The SSC Athletics department is located in the Physical Fitness & Athletic Center on the Main Campus located at 15800 South State Street in South Holland, IL. For more information about Bulldogs Athletics, contact SSC Athletic Director Steve Ruzich at sruzich@ssc.edu or call (708) 596-2000, ext. 5843.
 

“It was a challenging season dealing with the horrible spring weather. I am so proud of these players for what they accomplished. They were dedicated and worked hard, which is why they are champions,” stated Coach Ruzich.

Coach Ruzich has had twenty-four players drafted by major league teams, including six players that have reached the big leagues. As a previous player, Steve was named second-team All-American Catcher, All-District Catcher, and All-Area Catcher.

During the evening board celebration, the SSC Board of Trustees acknowledged the accomplishments of Coach Ruzich and the baseball team while encouraging continued success in 2023. SSC Chairman Terry Wells added that the baseball team joins other successful SSC sports teams, such as the Women’s Soccer Team and the Men’s Basketball Team, in successful runs.

“We should consider adding the school of champions to our moniker in the future, Congrats Team,” stated Chairman Wells.

In an interview with the SSC PR team, baseball player Donavan Noble stated, “Being recognized by the SSC Board Members was an honor. Listening to what they said in terms of congratulating us meant a lot. I want to give a big thank you to all of them.” Noble stated that he looks forward to working with his teammates and reaching new heights as a team for the 2023 season.

If you are interested in participating in the SSC Men’s Baseball program, contact Coach Steve Ruzich, Director of Athletics, at (708) 596-2000 ext. 5843 or via email at sruzich@ssc.edu. The South Suburban College Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The college’s extension site, the Oak Forest Center, is located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois.
 

Freshman RHP Garrett Kenyon (Coronado High School, Las Vegas, NV) was the winning pitcher and freshman RHP Dalton Alford (Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca, TX) closed it out with a scoreless 12th inning. Freshman RHP James Burke (Carl Sandburg High School, Orland Park, IL) earned Region-IV Tournament MVP after throwing 7 2/3 innings in Friday’s 7-5 win vs. Triton.

“It took 21 total innings on Saturday to get it done and I could not be any prouder of our team for finding a way to win it,” said Head Coach Steve Ruzich, who was named Region-IV Coach of the Year. “We have given ourselves an opportunity to get back to Nationals and look forward to heading to Wabash Valley this week.”

SSC will open with John Logan College at the District Tournament on Wednesday, May 18 at 12 noon at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Wabash Valley will take on Iowa Western at 3 p.m. The winner of the four-team tournament will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series, located in Grand Junction, Colorado.

For more information, visit www.ssc.edu/athletics or contact Coach Ruzich at sruzich@ssc.edu. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.
 

4.0 GPA, First Team:

• Terry Busse, Baseball, Valparaiso (IN) High School
• Hailey Heffron, Softball, Joliet West High School
• Alyssa Rosales, Women’s Soccer, Homewood Flossmoor
• Janica Van Ghunt, Women’s Soccer, Munster (IN) High School

3.8 – 3.99 GPA, Second Team:

• Joe Tor, Baseball
• Cayla Turner, Women’s Basketball, Oak Forest High School
• Taylor VanDommelen, Volleyball, Highland (IN) High School
• Edgar Vargas, Men’s Soccer, Thornwood High School

3.6 – 3.79 GPA, Third Team:

• Noah Gulley, Baseball, Bishop Gorman High School (NV)
• Jacob Mucha (Baseball): Providence Catholic High School
• Bruno Ortiz-Trochi (Men’s Soccer): Bremen High School

“I am so very proud of our Academic All-Americans this year,” said Steve Ruzich, SSC Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach. “At South Suburban College, we pride ourselves on fostering student success both on and off the field. I would like to congratulate these student athletes on this great accomplishment.”

SSC offers women’s team sports of Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, and Softball and men’s team sports of Basketball, Soccer, and Baseball. Countless Bulldog student-athletes have transferred to play their respective sports at hundreds of different NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III schools, in addition to NAIA institutions. More than 50 former Bulldogs have further advanced on to play professional and semi-pro sports.

For more information, visit www.ssc.edu/athletics. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.

“I am very proud of the hard work and dedication this group of players and coaches have put in,” said Head Coach Steve Ruzich. “It’s been four years since our last title and it feels good to bring the Regional Championship back to SSC.”

In the 16-6 Championship win over Triton, the Bulldogs were led by a solid start from freshman RHP Tommy Windt, who gave up just 1 earned run in 7 innings to get the win. The Bulldogs struck early and often with a 5-run second inning capped by sophomore Logan Anderson’s bases clearing double. The rest of the offense was provided by Tommy Windt (3-4), Conner Tomasic (2-4), JJ Rivera (1-3 with 4 RBI) and Jake Mucha (1-3 with 3 RBI). South Suburban’s Conner Tomasic, RHP and IF, was named the Regional Tournament MVP. The sophomore was lights out on the mound with a win and 8 strikeouts while going 5-9 at the plate with 4 RBI for the Bulldogs.

The 2021 Baseball Team boasts one of the top offenses in school history with an overall team batting average of .342 and 558 total runs scored – both top 5 in the Bulldogs record book. The team also had a season high 15-game winning streak from March 10 – April 1.

“This has been the hardest working group of guys I have been around,” Assistant Baseball Coach Marty Joyce. “We pushed them extremely hard this offseason, and they showed up every day with a willingness to get better. That is all you can ask for as a coach.”

Next up for the Bulldogs is their District Tournament opener on Wednesday, May 19th versus Wabash Valley College at 12:00 noon. The District Tournament will consist of South Suburban, Wabash Valley, Indian Hills (IA), and Kaskaskia. The winner of the four-team tournament will advance to the NJCAA Division I World Series, located in Grand Junction, Colorado.

For more information, contact Coach Ruzich at sruzich@ssc.edu. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.

PICTURED: The South Suburban College Bulldogs Baseball Team earned the Regional Championship at Bulldog Stadium last Friday.

Ruzich has been the head baseball coach at South Suburban College for the last 35 years, compiling a win/loss record of 1,200 and 717. More importantly, he has sent over 325 student-athletes to four-year institutions throughout the entire country. Under Coach “Ru”, the Bulldogs have also had 24 players drafted, and produced five big leaguers.

“It has been an honor to be able to work and learn under Coach Ruzich,” assistant baseball coach Marty Joyce said. “Every day he brings energy and passion to the field that really motivates the guys to get better. The best thing about this program is that he makes it into a family atmosphere, and he cares about each individual guy.”

Inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014, Ruzich has led the Bulldogs to two NJCAA Division I World Series Appearances (1991, 2006), 11 Regional titles, and coached 15 NJCAA Division I All-Americans. He has also been named the N4C Coach of the Year, Region 4 Coach of the Year twelve times, Great Lakes District Coach of the Year, and Diamond District Coach of the Year.

“The 1,200 wins means how many great players I have been fortunate to be able to coach. These players have made this program where it is today.” Coach Ruzich said in a statement after the victory.

Before taking over the Bulldogs program at age 24, Ruzich played two years for Thornton Community College (now South Suburban College) after transferring back from Illinois State University. After moving on with his degree, Ruzich transferred to St. Francis University in Joliet, Illinois where he played under legendary coach Gordie Gillespie. He was then drafted in the 30th round of the 1985 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.

• Cayla Turner, Women’s Basketball, 3.64 GPA (Oak Forest High School)
• Tom Dougherty, Baseball, 3.72 GPA (Shepard High School)
• Haley Kohnen, Softball, 3.81 (Crown Point High School)
• Thomas Windt, Baseball, 3.86 GPA (Carl Sandburg High School)
• Nicolas Fies, Baseball, 3.90 GPA (Munster High School)
• Alyssa Rosales, Women’s Soccer, 4.0 GPA (Homewood Flossmoor High School)
• Maribel Salgado, Women’s Soccer, 4.0 GPA (Thornton High School)

“I am so very proud of our Academic All-Americans this year,” said Steve Ruzich, Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach. “At SSC, we pride ourselves on fostering student success both on and off the field. These student-athletes were impacted by unprecedented times, moving to a fully virtual classroom, and in many cases not finishing their team seasons. I would like to congratulate them all.”

SSC offers women’s team sports of Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, and Softball and men’s team sports of Basketball, Soccer, and Baseball. Countless Bulldog student-athletes have transferred to play their respective sports at hundreds of different NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III schools, in addition to NAIA institutions. More than 50 former Bulldogs have further advanced on to play professional and semi-pro sports.

For more information, visit www.ssc.edu/athletics. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.

This clinic will provide catching instruction in the areas of blocking, calling a game, pick offs, pop throwing times, stance and footwork, drills for practice, pop ups, handling pitchers, and conditioning. In addition to Ruzich’s instruction, Bulldog baseball players will be on hand to help and develop skills. The players’ enthusiasm and expertise always adds to the camp’s success. The Catching Camp is open to boys ages 8-18. All players should bring their glove and gear. All participants should wear baseball or sweat pants and gym shoes, and boys must wear cups.

Coach Ruzich was an All-American catcher at the College of St. Francis. He graduated in 1985 and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox. Coach Ruzich had a short stint as a pro catcher before coming to SSC as Head Baseball Coach in 1987, where he has compiled a winning record of 1183-679.

The cost of the Catching Camp is $100, and checks should be made payable to “SSC Bulldogs Baseball.” Enrollment is limited, so early registration is suggested. South Suburban College is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL. For more information contact Coach Ruzich at (708) 225-5843.

Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12 noon. The cost is $150.00 per golfer or $500 for a foursome, which includes golf (four‐man scramble) with dinner and door prizes to follow. Hole Sponsorships are also available for $100.00.

For more information please contact Head Coach Steve Ruzich at (708) 596‐2000, ext. 5843, or email sruzich@ssc.edu. Checks should be made payable to “South Suburban College Baseball” and delivered to 15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL 60473. Hole Sponsors should indicate what to display on the sponsorship when sending in the check, and must be returned by Monday, September 16th.