MASON CITY – For the third since the 2006 season, the NIACC baseball team has a NJCAA Region XI player of the year.
NIACC center fielder Malique Ziegler was selected as the league’s player of the year after hitting .383 in conference play with 14 home runs.
NIACC’s Danny Reed was the league’s player of the year in 2006 and Tom Heithoff was the player of the year in 2007.
Other first-team all-region selections for the league-champion Trojans were catcher Blake Whitecotton and outfielder Troy Bellingham.
It is the second straight season the Trojans have had three first-team all-region selections (Robbie Glendinning, Luke Becker and Daniel Bradley were first-team picks in 2015). It is the sixth straight season that NIACC has had at least one first-team all-region selection.
Earning second-team all-region honors were pitchers Dan Loats, Derek Lieurance and Danny Beizer, infielders Glendinning and Jonathan Cruz and outfielder Spencer Halloran.
NIACC’s Austin LaDoux was an honorable mention all-region selection.
All-NJCAA Region XI first team
Catcher – Blake Whitecotton (NIACC), soph.; Ben Schanding (Southeastern), fr.
Pitcher – Grant Spranger (Southeastern), soph.; Nick Belzer (DMACC), soph.; Dariel Checo (Kirkwood), soph.
Infield – Gabriel Montero (Southeastern), soph.; Jake Adams (DMACC), soph.; Fran Diaz (Iowa Central), fr.; Oswaldo Calderon (Southeastern), fr.
Outfield – Malique Ziegler (NIACC), soph.; Luis Vargas (Southeastern), fr.; Troy Bullingham (NIACC), soph.
Designated hitter – Erich Gonzalez (Iowa Central), soph.
All-NJCAA Region XI second team
Catcher – J.T. Sole (Kirkwood), fr.
Pitcher – Anderson DeLeon (Iowa Central), fr.; Dan Loats (NIACC), soph.; Derek Lieurance (NIACC), fr.; Danny Beizer (NIACC), soph.
Infield – Robbie Glendinning (NIACC), soph.; Oliver Baez (Southeastern), fr.; Jonathon Fleek (Ellsworth), soph.; Samuel Vega (Southwestern), soph.; Jonathan Cruz (NIACC), soph. Jack Fitzgerald (Kirkwood), soph.
Outfield – Matt Paciello (Kirkwood), soph.; Spencer Halloran (NIACC), soph.
All-NJCAA Region XI honorable mention
Catcher – David Janes (Ellsworth), soph.; Trent Brosdahl (Iowa Lakes), soph.
Pitcher – Eddy Kraber (Southeastern), soph.; Ethan Howard (Kirkwood), soph.; Nick Drahozal (Kirkwood), soph.; Sam Noel (Southeastern), soph.; Bryce Kearns (Iowa Central), fr.
Infield – Mickey Leius (DMACC), soph.; Victor Perez (Southwestern), fr.; Austin LaDoux (NIACC), soph.; Bradly Lopez (Southwestern), soph.
Outfield – Eric Weisbrod (DMACC), soph.; Francisco Oqando (Iowa Lakes), soph.; Zach Saldivar (Southeastern), soph.; Brent Jones (Iowa Central), Bryce Grimm (Kirkwood), soph.
