No. 7 NIACC wins 3rd regional title in 4 years
WATERLOO - For the third time in four seasons, the NIACC baseball team has been crowned NJCAA Region XI champions.
For the second straight day, No. 7 NIACC routed top-seed Southeastern 16-3 Monday at Riverfront Stadium by pounding out 19 hits, including three home runs.
On Sunday, NIACC cruised to a 20-6 eight-inning victory over Southeastern.
NIACC (45-13) plays Southeast CC (Neb.) or Dakota County Technical College in the NJCAA North Plains District Tournament in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Roosevelt Stadium in Mason City in a two out of three series. If necessary, a noon Sunday game would be played.
The winner of the North Plains District advances to the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, Okla. May 28-June 4.
NIACC also won regional and North Plains District titles in 2013 and 2015.
The NIACC baseball team, under coach Travis Hergert is 150-78 since 2013. The Trojans are 17-4 in the regional tournament and 25-9 overall in the postseason.
In Monday's regional title game, the Trojans received home runs from Robbie Glendinning, Troy Bullingham and Austin LaDoux. The Trojans have hit 124 home runs in their 58 games this season, which leads all NJCAA Division II teams.
NIACC scored its 16 runs by scoring in each of the first six innings. The Trojans plated four runs in the fourth inning and pushed across six runs in the fifth frame.
The Trojans made a winner out of freshman left-hander Dusty Harrill, who pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing three runs (one earned) with two strikeouts and six walks.
NIACC 16, Southeastern 3
Southeastern 020 100 000 - 3 6 1
NIACC 112 462 00x - 16 19 2
Pedro Garcia (4K, 5BB), Sam Noel (5) (0K, 1BB), Blake Hargens (5) (2K, 1BB), Tanner Foster (7) (3K, 0BB) and Ben Schanding. Dusty Harrill (2K, 6BB), Tyler Jacobsen (6) (0K, 0BB), Danny Beizer (9) (1K, 1BB) and Blake Whitecotton. 2B - Zach Saldivar (SE), Spencer Halloran (N), Troy Bullingham (N). HR - Robbie Glendinning (N), Bullingham, Austin LaDoux (N). Multiple hits - Schanding 2, Malique Ziegler (N) 2, Halloran 4, Glendinning 3, Bullingham 3, Blake Whitecotton (N) 2, Jonathan Cruz (N) 2, LaDoux 2. Multiple RBIs - Saldivar 2, Bullingham 3, Whitecotton 2, LaDoux 4.
