Centerville, IA – 10 members of the Indian Hills Baseball team have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Baseball All-Region 11 squad, announced Wednesday afternoon. The 10 selections are the most for the Warriors since 2017.
Indian Hills, he 2023 NJCAA Region 11 Champions placed four players on the first team and three players on the second team while four individuals earned Honorable Mention honors. The Warriors will host the upcoming NJCAA DI Baseball Midwest District Championship and enter the tournament with a 33-19 overall record on the year.
The Warriors' were represented on the first-team by a trio of sophomores and one freshman. Daniel Figueroa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy), Sam Hart (Highlands Ranch, CO/ThunderRidge), and Jack Nelson (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville Community) were joined by Logan Myers (Andover, MN/Andover).
Sophomore Adrian Vargas (Caracas, Venezuela/Instituto Central de Educacion Ice) was joined on the second team by freshmen Dylan Sayles (Rockton, IL/Hononegah) and Nathan Smithburg (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield). Sophomore Merrick Mathews (Centerville, IA/Centerville) was joined by fellow freshman Adam Golby (Coronation, Alberta/South Central), Jason Schaaf (Las Vegas, NV/Palo Verde), and Carlos Valenzuela (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Global Life Vision) on the Honorable Mention team.
Daniel Figueroa: Figueroa becomes a two-time first-team All-Region 11 selection after being named to the first team as a freshman. As a sophomore in 2023, Figueroa became the school's all-time stolen base leader and currently owns two of the top three single season stolen base marks. Figueroa currently owns a .343 batting average with a team-high 62 hits. Figueroa was named the ICCAC Athlete of the Week three times for the Warriors.
Sam Hart: One of the top closers in the nation, Hart currently ranks second in the nation with 12 saves on the year. The sophomore has worked 21 innings in 18 appearances with a 1.29 earned run average. Hart also owns a 14.57 K/9 rate. The righty recently earned a save in all three NJCAA Region 11 postseason games that helped lead the Warriors to the title. Hart is a two-time ICCAC Pitcher of the Week.
Logan Myers: Myers made an immediate impact for the Warriors during his freshman campaign and tied for the team lead with four home runs. Myers batted .319 on the year while driving in 30 runs and scoring 22 times. As the team's primary catcher, Myers ranked second in the ICCAC with nine runners caught stealing while his .290 percentage led the league.
Jack Nelson: Nelson guided the Warrior pitching staff at the front of the rotation with a team-high six wins and a 3.06 earned run average. Nelson surpassed the 100-career strikeout milestone earlier in the year and has currently struck out a team-high 74 batters this year, tops in the ICCAC. Nelson was selected as the ICCAC Pitcher of the Week five times during the 2023 campaign.
Dylan Sayles: In 43 appearances this year, Sayles boasted a .433 on-base percentage to go along with a .295 batting average. Serving a variety of roles on the year, Sayles drove in 20 runners and collected eight doubles for the Warriors to earn second-team honors.
Nathan Smithburg: In his rookie campaign with the Warriors, Smithburg posted the second-most appearances out of the bullpen with 18. The freshman picked up three wins in 27.2 innings of work and owned a 2.28 earned run average. Smithburg has also tallied a 12.04 K/9 rate while striking out 37 batters on the year.
Adrian Vargas: The top performer at the plate in the NJCAA Region 11 tournament, Vargas appeared in 49 games as the team's primary left fielder and currently owns the top batting average on the team with a .362 average. Vargas ranks second on the team with 35 RBI and has totaled a team-high 20 extra base hits, including 14 doubles.
Adam Golby: Golby ranked second on the team with four wins on the year, including a complete game shutout earlier in the year vs. Ellsworth. Golby won four consecutive starts between March 22 and April 12 and has made 10 total appearances this season. The southpaw has struck out 38 batters for the Warriors.
Merrick Mathews: In his second season with the Warriors, Mathews led the team with 39 RBI. The sophomore posted a .427 on-base percentage and a .294 batting average while collecting 45 hits on the year. Mathews tallied 12 multi-hit performances this season and owned a .968 fielding percentage.
Jason Schaaf: Schaaf saw action for the Warriors as both a pitcher and infielder, but made his presence felt on the mound down the stretch for the Warriors. Schaaf went 4-1 on the year in 32.2 innings of work and boasts a 2.76 earned run average heading into the District tournament. Schaaf struck out 29 batters with just seven walks allowed. Schaaf posted five scoreless appearances on the year, including a pair in the NJCAA Region 11 tournament.
Carlos Valenzuela: The right-handed hurler came on strong out of the bullpen for the Warriors and led the team with 19 appearances on the year. Valenzuela owns a 3.19 earned run average and a 1-1 record with 31 innings of work. The freshman worked 3.2 innings of relief in the NJCAA Region 11 Championship game to help power the Warriors to the title.
Indian Hills will now turn its attention to the NJCAA DI Baseball Midwest District Tournament at Pat Daugherty Field May 17-19. The Warriors will welcome John A. Logan College (IL), South Suburban College (IL), and Wabash Valley College (IL) for the three-day, double-elimination tournament.
READ MORE: WARRIORS TO HOST NJCAA MIDWEST DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
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