Glendinning re-writing the NIACC record books
By JARED PATTERSON, Of The Globe Gazette
MASON CITY - It won't be long until Robbie Glendinning slips off his NIACC jersey for the last time.
The sophomore from Australia arrived on campus as a tall, wiry, raw-but-talented player.
"I was just a skinny little kid," Glendinning said.
He will leave Mason City as the most decorated baseball player in school history as part of a sophomore class that has cemented the Trojans as one of the top junior college programs in the country.
He will have a stop in the prestigious Cape Cod League – he's the first player in NIACC baseball history to be invited to compete in the league - on the East Coast before he arrives at Missouri to play in the Southeastern Conference.
Just how will Glendinning's numbers compare to some of the best players in NIACC history?
The simple answer is statistically, no player in school history has been better.
"He's the best player we've ever had in the history of the program," NIACC coach Travis Hergert said. "And to think there are still areas he needs to improve his game and how far he can take this is remarkable."
Glendinning is the school's all-time leader in hits, home runs, doubles, runs scored and at-bats. He's fifth in RBIs.
When it comes to a single season, his 17 home runs this year – he smacked a grand slam Tuesday in a 10-0 win over Luther and a 3-run shot in an 11-4 win in the night cap – is a school record. His 107 hits and 27 doubles as a freshman also are school marks.
How does his production stack up against how he envisioned it would go?
"I wanted to be the best player, the best athlete at NIACC – ever," he said.
Despite all the numbers and wins – it's 85 victories and counting after Tuesday's sweep of Luther over two years – the road to greatness hasn't been an easy path.
Baseball is a humbling game, and there was a two-week stretch this season that tested his resolve.
As the No. 3 hitter and shortstop for NIACC, he wasn't producing. As the outs mounted, so did the frustration. He was 9 for 48 from April 10 to April 23.
"It was more approach-based, mind-based," he said. "I got angry. I was throwing helmets. I was going psycho."
Ultimately, if No. 12 NIACC wants to repeat as Region XI champions and make another run to Enid, Oklahoma, and the World Series, Glendinning knew he needed to be better.
But part of the reason he decided to spend two years at NIACC was for this. To grow. To develop. To face adversity.
"It was the toughest baseball adversity I've had to face," he said. "It kind of put baseball into perspective. It made me think that's what NIACC was for. I'm not here all for the success, but for the adversity part of it, too."
Glendinning is starting to get back to his productive self. He drove in seven runs Tuesday in the sweep of Luther as NIACC improved to 36-12.
The Trojans have thrived with Australian talent being a big reason why. Along with Glendinning, outfielder Troy Bullingham, who homered in Tuesday's first game, is the school's all-time leader in RBIs, while freshman Brandon Michie has the tools to develop into one of the team's top players.
As the regular season reaches the final weekend, Hergert realizes the stable of talent on his roster is elite. Elite certainly sums up Glendinning's play on the field for two years.
"Sometimes you just have to enjoy what you are watching because we may never see it again," Hergert said.
NIACC 10, LUTHER JV 0 (5)
Luther JV 000 00 – 0 2 3
NIACC 252 1x – 10 5 0
Joey Cardamon (4K, 6BB) and Trent Athmann. Kellen Reed (6K, 1BB), Ty Yewman (5) (1K, 1BB) and Blake Whitecotton. W – Reed. L – Cardamon. HR – Robbie Glendinning (N), Troy Bullingham (N), Austin LaDoux (N). 2B – Cody Torkelson (L). Multiple RBIs – Glendinning 4, Bullingham 2, LaDoux 2.
NIACC 11, LUTHER JV 4
Luther JV 300 100 0 – 4 7 0
NIACC 202 412 x – 11 12 2
Antonio Rivera (0K, 4BB), Tyler Jacobsen (1) (7K, 0BB, HBP) and LaDoux. W – Jacobsen. HR – Malique Ziegler (N), Spencer Halloran (N), Glendinning, LaDoux. 2B – Jonathan Cruz (N) 2, Bullingham, Whitecotton. Multiple hits – Ziegler 2, Bullingham 2, Halloran 2, Cruz 2. Multiple RBIs – Glendinning 3, Halloran 2.
