NIACC ranked 41st in Perfect Game's top juco rankings

MASON CITY - The NIACC baseball team is No. 41 in the 2017 Perfect Game Top 50 Junior College list.

The top 50 list includes all 2-year programs in the United States.

Chipola College out of Florida, a NJCAA Division I school, is ranked No. 1 in the preseason rankings. Iowa Western, which is also a NJCAA Division I school, is ranked fourth.

"To be mentioned in the same group as some of these traditional powers is a true honor for our program," NIACC coach Travis Hergert said. "We have worked tirelessly to achieve this kind of status. Now, it is all about sustainability.

Jones County Junior College (Mississippi), which is the NJCAA Division II preseason No. 1, is ranked ninth in Perfect Game rankings.

NIACC, which has qualified for three of the last four NJCAA Division II World Series, is ranked No. 12 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll.

Iowa Western and NIACC are the only Iowa schools in the Perfect Game preseason top 50.

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.

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.