Grinnell College Athletics

Emilio Jacob Chavez ’01 has a rare claim to perfection, throwing the only perfect game in Grinnell College history. The All-American pitcher for the Pioneers was a three-time Midwest Conference South Division Pitcher of the Year, along with four-time All-Conference and three-time All-Region. Among his lengthy list of noticeable accomplishments, Chavez led all NCAA divisions in strikeouts per nine innings in 1999 and is the all-time strikeout and wins leader at Grinnell. A master of deceiving helpless batters, he holds the first, third, fourth, and seventh best single-season strikeout totals in Grinnell history. Chavez is also listed among the all-time NCAA Division III career leaders, along with former major league baseball pitcher Billy Wagner, in the categories of fewest hits allowed per nine innings and strikeout ratio. After graduating from Grinnell with a degree in economics, he pursued a professional baseball career in the Frontier League and Mexican League. He also graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law and is now the deputy district attorney for the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Santa Fe, N.M. In 2010 and 2013, he was named 8th Judicial District Prosecutor of the Year.