NIACC faces Northeast CC in regional tourney opener

WEST BURLINGTON - The NIACC baseball team earned the fifth-seed for the NJCAA Region 11 tournament at Community Field, the home of the Burlington Bees.

NIACC (23-27 overall, 19-14 in the ICCAC) faces fourth-seed Northeast CC (37-18, 21-12) at 11 a.m. Thursday in the first game of the four-day, six-team, double-elimination regional tournament.

No. 6 Iowa Central (44-9, 25-8) and No. 11 Southeastern (41-15, 24-9) earned the top two seeds, respectively, and earned first-round byes. The NIACC/Northeast CC Thursday winner faces the top-seeded Tritons at 2 p.m. on Friday.

The NIACC/Northeast CC loser faces the Kirkwood/DMACC loser at 5 p.m. Thursday in an elimination game.

NIACC was 4-13 in its non-conference season playing in three-game road series' against Three Rivers CC, Allen County CC and Barton CC and also played four-games series' at Johnson County CC and Crowder College.

NIACC was 19-14 in the ICCAC that included series' sweeps over Division II schools DMACC and Iowa Lakes and Division I schools Indian Hills and Marshalltown CC.

NIACC freshman Adam Berghult hit .377 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. Freshman Eli Anderson hit .372 with 10 doubles and 23 stolen bases.

Also for the Trojans, freshman Brayden Hellum hit .339 with 18 doubles and sophomore Bennett McCollow hit .331 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 38 RBIs.

NIACC's sophomore right-hander Ben Rosin was 5-1 with a 3.55 earned run average with 68 strikeouts and 17 walks in 58 1/3 innings pitched. Sophomore right-hander Jaiden Mollett was 3-2 with 42 strikeouts and 18 walks in 29 2/3 innings pitched and sophomore right-hander Austin Klug was 2-2 with 35 strikeouts and 28 walks in 47 innings pitched. 

NJCAA REGION 11 TOURNAMENT

THURSDAY'S GAMES

11 a.m. (Game 1) - (4) Northeast CC (37-18, 21-12) vs. (5) NIACC (23-27, 19-14)

2 p.m. (Game 2) - (3) Kirkwood (36-16, 23-10) vs. (6) DMACC (31-23, 19-14)

5 p.m. (Game 3) - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser

FRIDAY'S GAMES

11 a.m. (Game 4) - (2) Southeastern (41-15, 24-9) vs. Kirkwood/DMACC winner

2 p.m. (Game 5) - (1) Iowa Central (44-9, 25-8) vs. Northeast CC/NIACC winner

5 p.m. (Game 6) - Game 3 winner vs. the lowest seeded loser in Games 4 and 5

SATURDAY'S GAMES

11 a.m (Game 7) - Game 6 winner vs. highest seeded loser in Games 4 and 5

2 p.m. (Game 8) - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner

5 p.m. (Game 9) - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser

SUNDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1 p.m. (Game 10) - Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner

4 p.m. (Game 11) - If necessary second championship game