What’s next: The NIACC baseball team returns to action Saturday and Sunday at home at Roosevelt Stadium against Kirkwood Community College. Doubleheaders start both days at 2 p.m.
Last time out: The Trojans (11-3 overall, 3-1 in the ICCAC) took 3 out of 4 games from Southwestern Community College last weekend. The Trojans outscored Southwestern 35-9 in the 4-game series.
Tops in the nation: NIACC leads all NJCAA Division II teams with a .384 batting average. Western Oklahoma State College ranks second at .379.
Sophomore Tanner Unkel (Cedar Rapids, Ia.) leads the Trojans with a .442 average (3rd in ICCAC). Sophomore Max Waletich (Fairmont, Minn.) is hitting .435 (4th in ICCAC), sophomore Ryan Voves (Mason City, Ia.) is hitting .432 (5th in ICCAC) and freshman Jake Adams (Mason City, Ia.) is hitting .400 (7th in ICCAC).
Stingy sophomore: Sophomore Joey Reed (Lindstrom, Minn.) is one of three pitchers in NJCAA Division II with at least 10 innings pitched to have a 0.0 earned run average.
Reed (3-0) has pitched 19 innings and has not allowed an earned run with 13 strikeouts and 5 walks. Reed tossed a complete-game 5-hitter with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks in a 9-0 win over Southwestern last Friday.
Site change: NIACC’s doubleheader on April 15 against the Waldorf College junior varsity has been switched to Roosevelt Stadium in Mason City. The twinbill starts at 5 p.m.
SOFTBALL
What’s next: The NIACC softball team (5-5 overall, 0-2 in the ICCAC) returns to action Wednesday in an ICCAC doubleheader at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. The first game is set to start at 3 p.m.
Last time out: No. 12 DMACC swept NIACC (12-0 in five innings and 5-2) on March 29 in Boone.
Among the leaders: Sophomore Hailey Eckstein (Larsen, Wis.) is third in the ICCAC with a .515 batting average. Eckstein was 2 for 3 with an RBI in the second game against DMACC on March 29.
Also, sophomore Cassie Pappas (Mason City, Ia.) ranks fourth in the ICCAC with 6 home runs.
Busy week: After Wednesday’s doubleheader at Ellsworth, the Lady Trojans play at Kirkwood on Friday and at Southwestern on Saturday. The Lady Trojans’ scheduled home opener is April 9 against Iowa Lakes.
TRACK AND FIELD
What’s next: The NIACC men’s and women’s track and field team returns to action Friday and Saturday at the Border War Challenge in Council Bluffs.
Last time out: Freshman Sapolai Yao (Papua New Guinea) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9 minutes, 43.32 seconds) at the Central College Invitational in Pella on March 28.
Also for the NIACC men at Central, freshman Jacob Gapp (Forest City, Ia.) was second in the high jump with a school record leap of 6 feet, 4 ¾ inches and second in the long jump (21-1- ¼). Freshman Will Hanson Aurelia, Ia.) was second in the 110-high hurdles (15.40).
Sophomore Trey Taylor (Bloomfield, Conn.) set a school record in the hammer throw (156-5).
For the NIACC women at Central, sophomore Hillary Garvey (Hudson, Ia.) was fifth in the 800 (2:28.48). Freshman Maranda Chapin (Titonka, Ia.) was 12th in the discus (114-4) and 18th in the shot put (29-1 3/4).
National qualifier: Yao’s time of 9:43.32 has met the NJCAA national qualifying standard. The national meet is set for May 16-18 in Hutchinson, Kan.
GOLF
What’s next: The NIACC men’s and women’s golf teams play Thursday at the DMACC Invitational (Cedar Pointe Golf Club in Boone).
Last time out: The No. 11 NIACC women played nine holes at the William Penn Invitational at the Honey Creek Resort in Moravia on March 30 before the event was canceled due to inclement weather.
This will be the season-opening meet for the NIACC men.
