NIACC baseball team ranked No. 12 in preseason poll

MASON CITY - The NIACC baseball team is ranked No. 12 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll released on Monday.

NIACC, which has played in three of the last four NJCAA Division II World Series, was 47-16 last season. The Trojans won the NJCAA Region XI tournament and advanced to the World Series with a 2-1 series win over DCTC in the North Plains District Tournament.

The Trojans were ranked in all seven of the 2016 polls, including a No. 4 ranking in the May 18, 2016 poll.

Jones County (Mississippi) is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll and LSU-Eunice is ranked No. 2.

Southeastern CC is ranked No. 19.

NIACC returns 10 sophomores from last year's team, including second-team all-region performer Brandon Michie, who hit .355 with 22 doubles and seven home runs, and Connor Enochs, who hit .305 with nine doubles and nine home runs.

NIACC opens its season Feb. 25 with a doubleheader at Kansas City (Kansas) CC.

NJCAA Division II poll

Jones County, LSU-Eunice, Mercer County, GateWay (Ariz.), Western Oklahoma State, Mesa, Parkland, East Central (Miss.), Patrick Henry, Northern Oklahoma (Tonkawa), NIACC, Pasco-Hernando State, Kellogg, Frederick, Northern Oklahoma-Enid, Hinds, Catawba Valley, Southeastern, Monroe CC.

NIACC's recent history in the polls

2017

Jan. 23 - 12th

2016

Jan. 27 - 13th

April 13 - 14th

April 20 - 14th

April 27 - 12th

May 3 - 10th

May 11 - 7th

May 18 - 4th