Centerville, IA – The Indian Hills Baseball team has earned 10 postseason honors, announced by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) office on Wednesday. The Warriors received two first-team honors to go along with five second-team selections and three Honorable Mention recipients as part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region 11 squad.
Sophomore Raul Torres (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) and freshman Endi Jaquez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Radio Santa Maria) earned First-Team All-Region honors for the Warriors while Ciro Benavides (Laredo, TX/Alexander), Fano Cruz (Viera, FL/Viera), JJ Dutton (Toronto, Canada/Forest Hill), Miguel Salazar (Sentaines, Venezuela/San Luis), and Tomoki Jitsukawa (Tokyo, Japan/Tokai Sapporo) were named to the second-team. Logan Myers (Andover, MN/Andover), Dylan Sayles (Rockton, IL/Hononegah), and Jordan Scholl (Warrensville, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South) rounded out the awards on the Honorable Mention squad.
Torres put together one of the most impressive seasons in recent Indian Hills Baseball history. The sophomore shortstop led the Warriors in hits (67), doubles (14), RBI (59), runs scored (58), and walks (30) while boasting a .374 batting average and a team-high .575 slugging percentage. Torres reached base safely in 49 of the team's 54 games on the year and owned a season-high 16-game hitting streak. Defensively, Torres also ranked 14th in the nation with 29 double plays on the year.
For his Indian Hills career, Torres surpassed the 100 hit and 100 runs scored milestone throughout the year and became just the third player in the last 10 years to reach those numbers while also driving in at least 90 career runs.
Jaquez made an immediate impact in his inaugural season at the top of the lineup for the Warriors. The freshman outfielder led the Warriors in stolen bases with 21 while posting a .371 batting average, the third-highest on the team. Jaquez led the Warriors with a .483 on-base percentage after collecting 62 hits on the year, including 13 extra base knocks.
Benavides served as the cornerstone of the infield, appearing in 50 games as the team's primary third baseman for the second consecutive year. Benavides posted a .318 batting average after tallying 47 hits on the year, including 10 for extra bases. The sophomore collected a career-high 38 RBI while scoring 41 runs.
In 104 career games at Indian Hills, Benavides posted a .309 batting averaged after producing 98 career hits and 70 RBI for the Warriors.
Cruz's versatility led to a spot on the All-Region squad after a standout freshman campaign. In 42 games on the year, Cruz produced a .321 batting average to go along with a .509 slugging percentage. The freshman tallied 37 RBI while adding 11 extra base hits, including three home runs.
Cruz also added seven appearances out of the bullpen for the Warriors. The freshman went 1-0 on the mound with 12 strikeouts in 16.2 innings of work.
Dutton collected his second-career postseason nod after earning second-team honors as a freshman. After a year away from baseball due to an injury, Dutton returned to the Warrior outfield and made an impact at the heart of the order. Dutton posted a .339 batting average to go along with 59 hits, including 14 for extra bases. The sophomore drove in 43 runs while adding 48 runs scored to power the offense.
For his Indian Hills career, Dutton capped his time in Centerville with a .333 batting average in 94 career games. The outfielder produced a career .976 fielding percentage with just three errors in 123 total chances for the Warriors.
Salazar provided power in the Indian Hills lineup while serving as the team's primary second baseman for the second consecutive year. The sophomore posted a team-high seven home runs while driving in 39 batters and scoring 35 times. On the year, Salazar tallied 20 extra base hits, including 11 doubles. Defensively, Salazar ranked 11th in the nation with 30 double plays turned
In 101 career games at Indian Hills, Salazar collected 82 hits, 10 of which were home runs. In the field, Salazar turned 50 career double plays for the Warriors.
Jitsukawa produced a breakout sophomore campaign on the mound for the Warriors, posting a 6-0 record with one save in 20 appearances this year. The sophomore worked 38.0 innings while striking out 32 batters with just five walks allowed. On the year, Jitsukawa owned a 3.08 earned run average along with a 1.08 WHIP.
Jitsukawa finished his Indian Hills career with a 7-0 career record on the mound and 3.06 earned run average.
The Warriors' primary backstop over the past two seasons, Myers earns postseason honors for the second time in his Indian Hills career. The sophomore appeared in 42 contests this year for the Warriors while recording career-highs in runs, doubles, walks, and stolen bases. Behind the plate, Myers threw out a league-best nine runners for the second consecutive year.
Myers capped his Indian Hills career with a .988 fielding percentage while throwing out .269 percent of attempt baserunners. At the plate, Myers produced 70 career hits while driving in 51 runs for the Warriors.
Sayles lands his second All-Region honor after earning second-team recognition as a freshman. As a sophomore, Sayles appeared in 50 games on the year while posting a .331 batting average while collecting 27 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Sayles tallied 14 multi-hit games on the year for the Warriors.
Throughout his Indian Hills career, Sayles posted a lifetime batting average of .314 after tallying 85 career hits, 48 RBI and 78 runs scored.
Scholl earned All-Region honors for the first time in his Indian Hills career after a solid sophomore campaign. The sophomore posted a 3-3 record on the mound with 13 appearances, including 12 starts for the Warriors. The right-handed hurler tallied 38 strikeouts in 47 innings of work this year.
The Warriors earned double-digit postseason honors for the second consecutive year after tallying 34 wins this season. Indian Hills has now produced at least two First-Team All-Region performers in each of the last four seasons.
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