Baseball

SEVEN EARN ALL-REGION XI HONORS

SEVEN EARN ALL-REGION XI HONORS
Posted: May 17, 2022

Centerville, IA – Seven members of the Indian Hills Baseball team have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region XI DI Baseball team, announced by the conference office on Tuesday. The Warriors placed four individuals on the first-team and three on the second-team.

The Warriors placed three returners and a freshman on the first-team as freshman Daniel Figueroa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) joined veterans Douglas Rojas (Valencia, Venezuela/U.E. Cabriales), Ricardo Van Grieken (Merida, Venezuela/San Luis), and Tucker Ebest (Austin, TX/Lasa). Jack Payne (San Antonio, TX/Clark), Jackson Romero (Fort Collins, CO/Resurrection Christian), and James Dutton (Toronto, Ont/Forrest Hill Collegiate) were named to the second-team.

The seven members of the All-Region team helped lead the Warriors to a 37-17 record on the year and a 24-9 mark in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). The Warriors earned the No. 2 overall seed and advanced to the winner-take-all NJCAA Region XI Championship game against Iowa Western Community college.

Along with the seven All-Region XI selections, Diego Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins) was named the NJCAA Region XI DI Baseball Defensive Player of the Year: ARAGON NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tucker Ebest: In his second season in the Maroon and Gold, Tucker Ebest earned All-Region XI honors as the first-team designated hitter. Ebest led the ICCAC in both home runs (11) and RBI (58). Ebest also ranked second in the league with a .647 slugging percentage and third with a .493 on base percentage thanks in large part to a conference-best 39 walks. Ebest collected 52 hits on the year for a .333 batting average. Ebest recorded 11 multi-hit games on the year, including a 4-4 performance with four runs and eight RBI in the Region XI Tournament opener against Marshalltown.

Daniel Figueroa: As a rookie, Daniel Figueroa served as the team's spark at the top of the lineup. The primary centerfielder ranked sixth in the nation and tops in the ICCAC with 43 stolen bases on the year. The 43 swipes are the most for an Indian Hills player in a single season dating back to the 2002 season. Figueroa's ability to get on base came via a .353 batting average, the fourth-best mark in the ICCAC and a .482 on base percentage, the fifth-best mark in the league. Figueroa ranked second on the team with 61 hits and 17 doubles. In the field, Figueroa recorded just two errors in 77 total chances, including a pair of outfield assists.

Douglas Rojas: The team's primary ace on the mound, Douglas Rojas put together an impressive season for the Warriors. The third-year member of the program, Rojas posted a league-best 1.99 earned run average while working 58.2 innings, the most in the ICCAC. Rojas also led the ICCAC with 93 strikeouts on the year, the third-most in a single season in Indian Hills history. Rojas finished the year with a 5-2 record to go along with two saves. The southpaw made eight starts and recorded two complete games. Rojas was named the ICCAC Pitcher of the Week three times and earned NJCAA National Athlete of the Week honors on April 20.

Ricardo Van Grieken: Ricardo Van Grieken served a multitude of roles throughout his Warrior career and has been awarded his second consecutive All-Region XI First-Team selection. Van Grieken becomes the first member of the Indian Hills program to earn consecutive first-team honors since Christian Rivera in 2008 and 2009 and only the third occurrence since 2005. Van Grieken joined the 100-hit club for his career in 2022 after leading the Warriors with 62 knocks and team-high .365 average. Van Grieken ranked second on the team with 56 RBI and 51 runs scored. Van Grieken posted 15 multi-hit games and finished the year batting .444 in the final nine games.

James Dutton: In his first season for the Warriors, James Dutton ranked fifth on the team with a .325 batting average after collecting 39 hits on the year with eight going for extra bases. Dutton drove in 24 runs and scored 30 more for the Warriors. The freshman also swiped 13 bases. In 42 games on the year, Dutton recorded 47 total chances in the outfield without committing an error on the year.

Jack Payne: On the mound, Jack Payne played an integral role out of the bullpen for the Warriors. The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher totaled 31.2 innings of work while leading the team with an 8-1 record and added a save. Payne struck out 31 batters for a 11.94 K/9 rate and posted a 2.27 earned run average. Payne was named the NJCAA National Player of the Week on March 9 and the ICCAC Pitcher of the Week on March 8.

Jackson Romero: Appearing multiple positions on the diamond for the Warriors, Jackson Romero served as the team's primary utility player throughout the year. Romero recorded a .295 batting average while collecting 39 hits, including 13 for extra bases. Romero tied for third on the team with four home runs and added 20 RBI on the year. Romero, who played third, second, and first throughout the year, recorded a .981 fielding percentage with 213 total chances, committing just four errors.