MASON CITY – The No. 19 NIACC baseball team will play its 4-game series against Southeastern Saturday and Sunday in Burlington.
The ICCAC series was moved from Mason City to Burlington because of weather conditions.
Saturday’s twinbill starts at 4 p.m. The Sunday doubleheader starts at 1 p.m.
“Southeastern is a very good ball club with excellent pitching,” first-year NIACC coach Travis Hergert said. “The series will be decided on who can execute defensively and who can get the hits with runners in scoring position – two things we have stressed all week to our club.”
NIACC (16-6 overall) and Southeastern (24-12) are tied for second in the ICCAC with 8-4 marks. No. 2 DMACC (29-5) leads the league with an 11-3 mark and hosts Iowa Lakes (13-13, 5-7) in a 4-game series Saturday and Sunday.
NIACC split a 4-game series with Ellsworth at home last weekend. NIACC won the first game 9-4, dropped the second 2-1, lost the third game 9-1 and took the series finale 6-3.
The Trojans picked up wins from sophomore right-hander Lucas Bakker (5-0) and freshman right-hander Nick Veale (4-0).
Bakker, who is the school’s all-time win leader with 12, is second in the league with 36 strikeouts, third in the league with a 1.06 earned run average and fifth in the league with five wins.
Veale has the lowest ERA in the league (0.43). He ranks seventh in the league with four wins and ranks 13th in the league with 25 strikeouts.
Hergert said Bakker and Joey Reed will be Saturday’s starters and Tim Black and Nick Veale will start Sunday’s games.
NIACC leadoff hitter sophomore Ryan Voves is second in the league with a .418 batting average. Voves’ .529 on-base percentage ranks third in the league.
NIACC/SOUTHEASTERN SERIES NOTES
Records: No. 19 NIACC is 16-6 overall and 8-4 in the ICCAC. Southeastern is 24-12 overall and 8-4 in the league. Last time out: NIACC split a doubleheader with Ellsworth on April 15. Southeastern swept a doubleheader from Black Hawk College on April 16. Last season: NIACC and Southeastern split the regular-season 4-game series and Southeastern topped NIACC 15-7 in opening round of Region XI tournament.
ON NIACC
Trojan leaders at the plate: Average: Ryan Voves .418; Hits: Voves 28; 2B – Voves 6, Hunter King 6, Max Waletich 6; 3B – Brett Guba 2; HR – Robert Swenson 2, Drew Verstegen 2; RBIs – King 21; SB – Unkel 8, Voves 8; Runs – Voves 23.
Trojan leaders on the mound: Wins – Lucas Bakker 5-0; Strikeouts – Bakker 36; ERA – Nick Veale 0.43; Saves – Jeremy Cronk 3; Innings pitched – Bakker 34; Complete games – Bakker 5.
ON SOUTHEASTERN
Blackhawk leaders at the plate: Average: Hector Viera .407; Hits: Viera 37; 2B – Phillie Guzman 7; 3B – Four tied with 1; HR – Jose Cruz 3; RBIs – Cruz 30; SB – Edwin Covas 18; Runs – Brayton Carlson 27.
Blackhawk leaders on the mound: Wins – Wesley Estrada 7-1; Strikeouts – Julian Boswell 34; Saves – Dustin Carlson 3; Innings pitched – Estrada 50.0.
NIACC’s record when …
Overall 16-6
ICCAC 8-4
Home games 5-3
Away games 3-1
Neutral 8-2
March 11-3
April 5-3
Extra innings 0-0
Scores 0-2 runs 2-3
Scores 3-5 runs 1-2
Scores 6-9 runs 7-1
Scores 10+ runs 6-0
Allows 0-2 runs 11-1
Allows 3-5 runs 4-2
Allows 6-9 runs 1-2
Allows 10+ runs 0-1
Hit 0 home runs 13-5
Hit 1 home run 2-0
Hit 2+ home runs 1-1
Out hit opponent 15-2
Out hit by opponent 1-2
Hits tied 0-2
Made 0 errors 6-2
1 error 5-3
2+ errors 5-1
