The Kellogg Community College baseball team is headed to the World Series after defeating the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday to win the regional championship.
It’s the second consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association Region XII championship title for the Bruins and the first time in College history the team has won back-to-back regional championships.
KCC entered last weekend’s championship contest ranked 10th in the nation, taking on a first-ranked Lansing Community College with a 37-game winning streak in a best-of-three series for the regional title. The Bruins dropped game one 4-0, but a 4-3 victory in game two forced a deciding game three that ended in the Bruins’ favor Saturday.
KCC trailed 9-5 going into the ninth and final inning of the game, but exploded with nine runs to end the game decisively 14-9.
KCC Athletic Director Tom Shaw said the Bruins’ success in the regional championship against the top-ranked team in the country didn’t surprise him given the program’s strong tradition of excellence on the field.
“Success breeds success,” Shaw said. “KCC baseball has proven time and time again they are a premier baseball program in the country, and past successes allow our players to be ready for such an occasion like this past weekend.”
Sophomore catcher/outfielder Caleb Anspaugh (Schoolcraft/Schoolcraft High School) was named the Region XII Tournament Finals MVP for his performance in the regional finals championship, hitting .545 including three doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs, including nine in the deciding game three to secure the title.
The Bruins now head to Enid, Oklahoma, this weekend to wrap up the season at the 10-team NJCAA Division II World Series to compete for the national title. It’s the team’s eighth regional championship and World Series appearance since 1999; the team finished seventh in the nation in 2019, the last year the series was held.
KCC will open World Series play at 8:15 p.m. ET Saturday, May 29, as the fourth seed in the tournament, taking on fifth seed Madison Area Technical College of Madison, Wisconsin. The winner will play next at 5 p.m. ET Monday, May 31; the loser of the initial contest will play at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, May 30.
For more information about KCC’s baseball team, including a full schedule, roster and links to official team and player photos available for download by fans and the press, visit www.kellogg.edu/baseball.
Head KCC Baseball Coach Eric Laskovy can be reached at laskovye@kellogg.edu or 269-965-3931 ext. 2536.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.