Unseasonably warm temperatures gave the Kellogg Community College a welcome early start on the 2024 season earlier this month, giving the Bruins a strong 2-0 winning record as the team left for its annual spring trip to Louisiana Feb. 14.
The Bruins bested Jackson College 10-0 on Feb. 8, then won 5-3 over Schoolcraft College Feb. 9. The team headed south the following week to begin the season in earnest against some of the highest-ranked teams in the nation for an all-business trip that runs through Feb. 23.
The Bruins return for a full schedule in March before their first home games at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek. The team will play more than a dozen home games at C.O. Brown this season – all with free admission – before postseason play begins in early May.
This year’s team includes a roster more than 30 players strong, roughly half of which consists of returning sophomores. Locals on the team include returning pitcher/outfielder Kooper Etheridge (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School), freshman pitcher Jackson Haywood (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School), sophomore outfielder Cody Hultink (Battle Creek/Pennfield High School), freshman infielder Jayden Miller (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School) and returning pitcher Cameron Reichel (Battle Creek/Pennfield High School).
Head KCC Baseball Coach Eric Laskovy is entering his 25th year with the program and 18th as head coach.
Last spring, the Bruins had continued success on the field, winning the team’s sixth consecutive conference title and finishing second in regionals for the second consecutive year. Eight players won postseason athletic awards, while Coach Laskovy was named MCCAA Western Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth consecutive year.
Additionally, nearly two dozen KCC baseball players earned postseason academic awards for exemplary achievement in the classroom. The team as a whole earned MCCAA and NJCAA All-Academic Team honors with an exceptional 3.48 team GPA.
No strangers to national rankings over the past several years, the Bruins open the season this year ranked 12th in the nation in the latest 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Baseball Preseason Rankings, which were released in January.
For more information about KCC’s baseball team, including a full schedule, roster, season preview and other information, visit kelloggbruins.com. 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.