MCC Baseball to open district tournament Thursday against No. 19 Pima

The McCook Community College baseball team will open the West District Tournament Thursday at 3 p.m. against No. 19 Pima Community College (Arizona) in Beatrice. The Aztecs are 45-16 on the season. Region IX champion Southeast Community College (42-16) will take on Salt Lake Community College (28-17) at 7 p.m. in the second game of the double-elimination tournament.

MCC (37-23) is coming off a disappointing end to the Region IX tournament Sunday losing a pair of games to Southeast, but the team earned a spot into the district finals by virtue of a second-place finish in the tournament – and the opportunity that the region which hosts the district championship each year, gets a second team in the bracket.

"The guys are really excited for it," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. "I think it took a day or so to let the disappointment of Sunday wear off, but the spirits picked right up, and I think we'll focus in on what we need and the opportunity we have in front of us and go make the most of it."

MCC overcame a slow start to the season and fell to 8-13 overall and 3-7 in Region IX when the team lost a pair of home games against Southeast on March 14. The next day the team went to Alva, Okla. and swept a doubleheader and didn't lose again until April 2. The 16-game winning streak was the most in MCC baseball history and included home-series sweeps of Region IX foes Lamar, Luna and Otero.

MCC's 33 regular wins this season is the most in the past 10 years and the 22-12 record against Region IX opponents is also the best in the past 10 years.

While the team was not over to overtake Southeast in the standings, MCC earned a second-place seed in the Region IX tournament. They hosted the first round of the post season (best-of-three series) where they swept Lamar 12-2 and 20-13 to advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament last weekend at UCHealth Field in Colorado Springs.

In the first game there, MCC took a 9-3 lead over Western Nebraska in the fourth inning but had to come from behind in the eighth inning and got a two-out, bases-loaded two-run single by freshman Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) to reclaim the lead and hold on for an 11-10 win. In the second game more clutch eighth-inning hitting propelled MCC to a 10-6 win over Otero Junior College to put the team into its first ever Region IX championship appearance Sunday. A win in either game would have given the team its first Region IX championship but after losing both games to Southeast, the team resets and looks to take advantage of a second opportunity.

"We were disappointed not winning the region, but this is the year when two teams from our region get in the district tournament and we earned it with a second-place finish and now have the same opportunity as if we would have won the region," said Olsen.

MCC has a team batting average of .320 and is 11th in the nation among 170 Division I schools, with 548 runs scored, averaging 9.13 runs per game, 122 doubles (sixth most in the nation), 87 home runs (eight best in NJCAA), as well as top-10 totals in extra-base hits, total bases, 15th in walks, and 18th in slugging percentage. In six post-season games, MCC is averaging 11.0 runs per game, is batting .360, and slugging .544.

MCC pitchers have a 6.33 team ERA and have struck out 416 hitters in 412 innings.

Sophomore right fielder Ethan Murdoch (Swift Current, Saskatchewan) leads MCC offensively batting .405 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs in 58 games. The right-hander has 21 doubles and four triples, a .496 on-base average and a slugging mark of .786. His 42 extra-base hits and 164 total bases, both rank 10^th in the nation, he's 17^th in RBIs and 22^nd in home runs. He is a three-time Region IX player of the week.

Quick, a 5-10 freshman from Oshawa, Ontario is batting .361 with six home runs and 47 RBIs in 48 games. Sophomore shortstop Alliskair Descartes (Thornton, Colo.) is hitting .295 with eight home runs and 50 RBIs in 59 games. Sophomore Josh Maysonave (Austin, Texas) is batting .308 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs in 53 games.

Abel Reyes (sophomore, Puerto Caimito, Panama) is hitting .347 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 49 games. Freshman Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) is batting .328 with six home runs and 41 RBIs in 41 games. Freshman catcher Zeke Minic (Thornton, Colo.) is batting .371 with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs in 46 games.

Myles Chabi, a 6-1 right-handed freshman from Sydney, Australia, led all Region IX pitchers in wins and was second in earned run average, compiling a 9-3 record with a 3.96 E.R.A in 14 starts. He struck out 52 hitters in 61.1 innings, allowed 53 hits and walked 21. Sophomore Owen Lester (St. Charles, Ill.) went 6-2 with a 4.47 ERA, and struck out 64 hitters in 56.1 innings. Freshman Aiden Johnson (Westminster, Colo.) went 3-1 with a 4.22 ERA and led MCC with 75 strikeouts in 55.1 innings.

Jereniel Herrera (freshman, Panama City, Panama) pitched 12 innings of relief in four games at Colorado Springs this past weekend and went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA striking out 11 hitters in 12 innings. For the season he had a 4.13 ERA and three saves, pitching 28.1 innings and striking out 27.

Olsen said the West District field is a formidable one, led by Southeast – a team that has won seven straight games this year against MCC, after McCook won the first game of the year, 11-10.  

"Southeast is a good team and kind of had our number this year, but I still feel confident if we have to go play them again," he said. "Pima is going to be good, that region is one of the top ones in the country and Salt Lake is going to be good. If you look at the national championships over the past 20 years, you'll see a lot of winners from these regions."

He admitted that the bracket will be challenging but the team is still within a reach of one of its goals – getting to the NJCAA Division I World Series.

"This is the closest we've ever been in my time at McCook," said Olsen. "For guys that want to compete and be successful, you're going to have to play in games like this and I think our guys are going to step up to the challenge."

This tournament represents the four final teams from among the 21 teams represented in these three regions: seven in Region 1, eight in Region 9 and six in Region 18.

Beatrice is one of 10 district sites hosting tournaments with four teams already advancing to the NJCAA championship: Gaston (N.C.), Shelton State (Ala.), Central Florida and Weatherford (Texas). The Division 1 World Series will be May 27-June 3 at Sam Suplizo Field in Grand Junction, Colo.

Here is a look at the three other teams in this week's West District finals:

PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (45-16)
The No. 19 Aztecs advanced to the West District tournament after winning their first Region I title since 1998.

Pima went 26-12 in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and were the No. 3 seed in the Region I divisional tournament, traveled to South Mountain Community College where they swept a best-of-three series with a pair of 5-4 wins in Phoenix. Last weekend the Aztecs downed Arizona Western 6-4 to open the Region IX tournament, lost Game 2 to Arizona Western 10-6 and won 6-4 on Saturday.

Pima claimed the Region I championship which includes six other colleges: Arizona Western, No. 14 Central Arizona, Cochise, Eastern Arizona, South Mountain and Yavapai.

The team has a .295 batting average and hit only 27 home runs during the season but stole 131 bases, averaging 6.69 runs per game. The pitching staff has a 3.80 team ERA (10^th best in the nation and tossed eight shutouts (ninth best). Sophomore catcher Andrew Stucky was named the ACCAC Player of the year and leads the offense hitting .362 with a team-best five home runs, and 40 RBIs in 54 games. Gage Mestas, sophomore infielder hit .342 with 29 stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 53 games and was also a member of the all-ACCAC team. Sophomore catcher Hunter Faildo, tied for top team honors in home runs with five, He batted .304 and drove in 41 runs.

A pair of left-handed sophomores lead the pitching staff with 15 starts each. Matt Cornelius went 9-2 with a 3.21 ERA and struck out 80 hitters in 81.1 innings. Anthony Imhoff went 10-4 with a 3.24 ERA and fanned 102 in 75 innings.  Freshman reliever J.T. Drake led the team with 15 saves, and had a 2.08 ERA in 23 appearances, striking out 50 hitters in 43.1 innings.

SALT LAKE Community College (28-17)

The Bruins opened the Region 18 tournament as the No. 2 seed and won a 6-2 decision over College of Southern Idaho, lost 13-5 against No. 13 College of Southern Nevada, then came back in the consolation bracket to down Southern Nevada twice on Friday 7-2 and 4-1.

 SLCC averages 6.6 runs per game, bats .284 with 29 home runs in and 101 steals in 45 games with a 4.09 team ERA (20^th best in the nation.)

After finishing the season as the No. 2 seed in the Region 18 tournament, the Bruins were recognized with five players making the All-Region 18 First Team list.

Sophomore Daniel Gonzalez, first base, batted .360 with 38 RBIs to lead the team. Freshman shortstop Chip Beck batted .356 and led the team with a .448 OBP. Preston Winget, sophomore outfielder, batted .322 with 14 steals. DH Jaxon Weatherly batted .273 with three homers and 35 RBIs.

Sophomore pitcher Jordan Pace was an all-Region 18 choice with a 7-3 record and a 3.16 ERA. Freshman Dalton Smith was 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA.

The Region 18 title includes Colorado Northwestern, Community Christian (California), Southern Idaho, Southern Nevada and Utah State Eastern.

SOUTHEAST Community College (42-16)

The Storm won the Region IX title Sunday sweeping McCook 21-7 and 12-6. Team went 27-7 to lead the Empire League North Conference for the second year in a row and received a bye into the final four last weekend. After losing to Otero 6-5 in the opening game, Southeast won four straight elimination games, 19-11 over Otero, 11-6 over Western Nebraska, and the two games Sunday against MCC.

Southeast was 20-4 at home this season and average 9.08 runs per game, batted .349 as a team (10^th in the nation) with a .458 OPB and 80 home runs and 148 stolen bases. Storm pitchers have a 4.71 ERA.

The team is led by league MVP, Tyler Bishop who batted .448 with 25 home runs, 14 stolen bases and 90 RBIs in 54 games. Avery Moore his .396 with 12 homeruns and 61 RBIs in 57 games. Danny Spongberg hit .391 with a .520 OBP and stole 22 bases while Tyler Palmer his .388 with a .480 OBP with 23 steals.

Cameron Teinert led Storm pitchers with 13 starts and went 5-1 with a 3.78 ERA. All-region reliever Levi Gates appeared in 19 games and saved 10 with a 2-1 record and a 2.05 ERA, striking out 48 hitters in 30.2 innings.

REGION IX POST-SEASON

REGION IX CROSS - DIVISION

CROSS-DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Best-Of-Three Series

MAY 4

Otero JC 13, Northeastern JC 3, 7-innings, (at Otero)

MAY 5

McCook 12, Lamar 2 (at McCook)

Northeastern JC 10, Otero JC 5 (at Otero)

Otero JC 3, Northeastern JC 1 (at Otero); Otero wins series 2-1

Western Nebraska 24, Trinidad State 12, (at Trinidad)

MAY 6

McCook 20, Lamar 13 (at McCook); McCook wins series 2-0

Western Nebraska 13, Trinidad State 9 (at Trinidad). Western wins series 2-0

REGION IX TOURNAMENT

FINAL FOUR DOUBLE-ELIMINATION

Colorado Springs, Colo. (All times MT)

FRIDAY, May 12

Game 1 - Otero JC 6, Southeast CC 5

Game 2 – McCook CC 11, Western Nebraska 10

Game 3 – Southeast CC 11, Western Nebraska 6 (Western Nebraska eliminated)

SATURDAY, May 13

Game 4 – McCook 10, Otero JC  6

Game 5 –Southeast CC 19, Otero JC 11 (Otero eliminated)

SUNDAY, May 14

Game 6 – Southeast CC 21, McCook 7

Game 7 – Southeast CC 12, McCook 6 (Southeast CC wins Region IX Tournament)

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WEST DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

DOUBLE-ELIMINATION

Beatrice (All times CT)

THURSDAY May 18

Game 1 – Pima CC (45-16) vs. McCook CC (37-23), 3 p.m.

Game 2 – Southeast CC (42-16) vs. Salt Lake CC (28-17), 7 p.m.

FRIDAY May 19

Game 3 – Game 1 loser, vs. Game 2 loser, noon

Game 4 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 3 p.m.

Game 5 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY May 19

Game 6 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, noon

Game 7 – Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 3 p.m.