Eleven Kellogg Community College baseball players earned postseason Michigan Community College Athletic Association and/or National Junior College Athletic Association awards for their performance on the field this season, and Head KCC Baseball Coach Eric Laskovy again earned district Coach of the Year honors.
Among this year’s award winners is freshman outfielder/pitcher Jake Kucharczyk (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School), whose awards include NJCAA Second Team All-American honors. Kucharczyk is the 20th All-American in KCC baseball program history.
KCC’s full MCCAA and NJCAA postseason baseball award winners include:
- Freshman outfielder Payton Bookwalter (Edwardsburg/Edwardsburgh High School), NJCAA Region XII Division II All-Region Team, NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Championship All-Tournament Team, MCCAA Western Conference Freshman of the Year, All-MCCAA Team, MCCAA Western Conference First Team, MCCAA Western Conference All-Freshman Team
- Freshman pitcher Daniel Calhoun (Portage/Portage Central High School), NJCAA Region XII Division II All-Region Team, All-MCCAA Team, MCCAA Western Conference First Team, MCCAA Western Conference All-Freshman Team
- Freshman infielder/pitcher Gavin Englesman (Rockford/Rockford High School), MCCAA Western Conference Second Team
- Sophomore pitcher/utility player Drew Ferguson (Rockford/Rockford High School), NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Championship All-Tournament Team
- Freshman pitcher Caleb Kidd (Trenton/Trenton High School), MCCAA Western Conference Second Team, MCCAA Western Conference All-Freshman Team
- Sophomore utility player Rhys Jenkyn (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School), NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Championship All-Tournament Team
- Freshman outfielder/pitcher Jake Kucharczyk (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School), NJCAA Second Team All-American, NJCAA Region XII Division II All-Region Team, NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Most Valuable Player, NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Championship All-Tournament Team, All-MCCAA Team, MCCAA Western Conference First Team, MCCAA Western Conference All-Freshman Team
- Freshman outfielder Zach Kucharczyk (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School), MCCAA Western Conference Second Team
- Freshman infielder Tanner Olepa (Canton/Plymouth High School), MCCAA Western Conference Honorable Mention
- Freshman pitcher JT Sawdon (Rochester/Rochester High School), MCCAA Western Conference Honorable Mention
- Freshman first baseman/pitcher Jake Stickler (Allen Park/Allen Park High School), NJCAA Region XII Division II/Great Lakes District Championship All-Tournament Team, MCCAA Western Conference Honorable Mention
Additionally, Head KCC Baseball Coach Eric Laskovy won Great Lakes District Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year and eighth time in his career at KCC.
It was another banner year for the KCC baseball team, which secured its 10th NJCAA Region XII championship in program history. The team finished the season May 27 with back-to-back regional championship titles and the program’s 10th appearance in the NJCAA World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.
KCC exited the World Series with two wins and two losses, tying for fifth in the nation.
The Bruins wound up with an overall record of 40-15, marking the 17th straight season of more than 30 wins and second year in a row with at least 40.
For more information about KCC’s baseball team, including a full roster, stats and more, visit kelloggbruins.com/sports/bsb.
Head KCC Baseball Coach Eric Laskovy can be reached at laskovye@kellogg.edu or 269-965-3931 ext. 2536.
Photo by Allie Dietzel/@adietzphotography_.
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