Hawks Baseball team headed to NJCAA National Championship tournament

The Heartland Community College men’s baseball team is headed to the NJCAA DII National Tournament competition. 

With a 4-3 win over Lincoln Land Community College in the Region-24 Championship game on May 22, the Hawks advanced to the NJCAA Division II Baseball National Championship tournament. 

The Heartland Hawks baseball team’s last appearance in the national tournament was in 2013. 

Heartland Baseball entered the Region-24 tourney as the top seed, with an overall record of 45-8 and a 32-0 record against Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) opponents. The Hawks advanced undefeated in the tournament, extending their winning streak from the regular season to 18 straight victories. 

Pitcher Reese Dutton was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Dutton pitched a shutout for the Hawks against Danville Area in the first game of the Regional tournament.

 A number of Heartland Hawks gained accolades following the regional victory. 

Right fielder Bobby Atkinson was selected as Region-24 Player of the Year. Reese Dutton, Sam Antonacci, Ben Hartl, and Jeremy Figueroa were all named to the Region-24 First Team. Coach Chris Razo was named MWAC Coach of the Year. 

The NJCAA Championship brackets and matchups will be released at 10:00 a.m., on Tuesday, May 24.