2018-19 WNCC Baseball News
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WNCC baseball signs pitcher from Colorado
July 18, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team was one out from capturing a Region IX championship last year and head coach Mike Jones added some pitching firepower to next year’s lineup after signing one of the top pitchers in Colorado in Wiggins High School’s Bryce Ford this week. Ford, who was named to the Colorado 2A First Team while racking up 135 strikeouts with an earned run average of 1.73, said he is excited to be Cougar. -
Eight WNCC baseball players make Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska team
July 04, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team was well represented on the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska JUCO team that was recently released. WNCC, who finished runner-up at the Region IX tournament in May, garnered eight individuals on the JUCO team. The Cougars placed four players on the first team with another four on honorable mention. WNCC was led by sophomores Zach Berg and Brevin Owen on the first team along with freshman Dermot Fritsch and Ethan “Q” Miller.
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Former Cougar Achtermann drafted by Colorado Rockies
June 06, 2019Former Western Nebraska Community College and Western Nebraska Pioneer baseball player Alex Achtermann dreamed of seeing his name on the Major League draft board one day. That dream came to realization Wednesday when he was drafted with the 909th pick overall in the 30th round by the Colorado Rockies. Achtermann becomes the fourth Cougar baseball player to be drafted following in the footsteps of Francisco Leandro, who was drafted by Tampa Bay, Phillips Orta, drafted by the New York Mets, and John Timmins, drafted by the San Francisco Giants.
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WNCC’s Mousseau closes out WNCC career, next stop Upper Iowa University
May 21, 2019SJ Mousseau was a key relief pitcher for the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team. As Mousseau closes out the chapter as a Cougar pitcher, he is getting ready to open another chapter after signing with Upper Iowa University earlier this month. “The reason I decided to go there [Upper Iowa University[ is because with the team they are assembling right now, I believe they are a program on the rise,” the sophomore from Superior, Colorado, said. “They are in a good Division II conference with the reigning national champ and three teams in the top 10 right now. I definitely believe going there is the best fit for me and I can help change the program around.”
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WNCC falls at regional tournament
May 13, 2019TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped two games at the Region IX tournament in Trinidad, Colorado, to Lamar Community College in the championship games to end their season. The Cougars nearly had their second Region IX title in the first game leading 5-4 in the ninth before falling to Lamar 6-5 in 11 innings. The if-necessary game saw WNCC trail 9-1 before mounting a comeback to trail 9-7. In the end, the Lopes earned a 19-7 win to capture the Region IX title and host the West Districts. WNCC, who won three games to get to Sunday’s championship game, finished the season at 26-29. WNCC topped Southeast 8-4 in a play-in game on Thursday before earning a 3-2 win over Trinidad State on Friday in the first round. WNCC defeated Lamar 6-5 on Saturday to move into the championship.
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Baseball tops Lamar, one win from regional title
May 12, 2019TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team is one win away from capturing the Region IX baseball title after topping Lamar Community College 6-5 on Saturday. The Cougars, who last won the regional title in 2007, will face Lamar today for the championship Sunday at noon in Trinidad, Colorado. Lamar needs to win twice to win the title, while WNCC needs just one win. Other scores in the tournament saw Trinidad State eliminate Northeastern Junior College 3-1 and then in the nightcap, Lamar top Trinidad 14-6.
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WNCC baseball teams tops top-seeded Trinidad at regionals
May 11, 2019LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team had a strong pitching performance from Zach Berg in picking up a 3-2 win in the opening game of the Region IX baseball tournament over Trinidad State Junior College Friday afternoon in La Junta, Colorado. WNCC moves into the winner’s bracket final Saturday at 11 a.m. against Lamar Community College. Lamar used a walk-off in the 11th inning to register a 5-2 win over Northeastern Junior College. The rest of the tournament will be played in Trinidad, Colorado.
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WNCC baseball tops Southeast; moves into regional tourney
May 09, 2019LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored eight early runs and then got a standout pitching performance from Hunter Parker in topping Southeast Community College 8-4 in a play-in game for the Region IX Tournament Thursday in La Junta, Colorado. WNCC moves forward into the double elimination tournament Friday through Sunday in La Junta, Colorado. The play-in game took two days to play after rain on Wednesday forced the suspension and move of the game to a drier field on Thursday.
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WNCC tops Lamar to finish regular season, will play Southeast in a play-in game on Wednesday
May 06, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team knew they had to win Sunday to remain alive for the post season. They did just that, jumping on Lamar Community College opening pitcher early and then held the strong pitching of Chandler Young and Zach Berg in claiming a 6-4 win over the Lopes in Empire Conference action Sunday at Cleveland Field. The win moves the Cougars into a one-game play-in game with Southeast Community College on Wednesday in Trinidad State Junior College with the winner earning the fourth seed in the Region IX tournament that begins Thursday. WNCC and Southeast each finished the conference with 20-16 records. NJC is 20-15 with a game with McCook on Monday, but the Plainsmen hold the head-to-head series over WNCC and Southeast.
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WNCC splits with Lamar
May 05, 2019It all will come down to the final day of the regular season to decide if the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team will punch a ticket into the Region IX Tournament or not after splitting a doubleheader with Lamar Community College Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Field. WNCC came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first game thanks to a three-run home run from Brevin Owen to earn a 5-3 win. Lamar evened things up by grabbing a 13-2 win in game two.
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Strong pitching leads Cougars to sweep over Otero
May 04, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team received strong pitching from Zach Berg and Kale Litzelman in taking two games from Otero Junior College in Empire Conference action Friday afternoon at Cleveland Field. In the opener, Berg struck out six in four innings of work and Brandon Rollinson shut the door down in the fifth to give the Cougars the 11-1 5-inning win. The second contest saw Litzelman, who just signed with Murray State on Thursday, strike out five in pitching the complete game in leading the Cougars to a 5-0 win.
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WNCC baseball splits with McCook
May 02, 2019MCCOOK – Ethan Miller delivered a 2-run home run in the seventh inning of game two to help the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earn a split with McCook Community College in an Empire Conference doubleheader Wednesday in McCook, Nebraska. The opener saw McCook score five, sixth-inning runs to earn the 6-1. WNCC scored early and late to get the 8-6 win in game two behind Miller’s heroics.
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WNCC’s Kale Litzelman signs with Division I Murray State
May 02, 2019Western Nebraska Community College pitcher Kale Litzelman always had a dream of playing Division I baseball and he realized that dream Thursday signing with Murray State University. Litzelman becomes the first Cougar to sign Division I since Jack Pauley signed to play at the University of Northern Colorado. “That has been one of my goals to play at the highest level that I can,” the Hotchkiss, Colorado, graduate said. “It is just another step that I can take to reach my ultimate goal and I am really excited that I get the opportunity.”
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WNCC baseball falls to Southeast 5-2
April 29, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team allowed Southeast Community College to score five, seventh-inning runs in falling to the Storm 5-2 Sunday at Cleveland Field in an Empire Conference contest. The Cougars dropped to 15-14 in conference play and 18-25 overall. Southeast remains in fifth place in the conference standings, just behind WNCC at 15-16 in conference action. The top four teams qualify for the Region IX Tournament May 9-11. Lamar Community College leads the conference at 20-11.
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WNCC baseball splits with Southeast
April 28, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team split an Empire Conference doubleheader with Southeast Community College Saturday at Cleveland Field. WNCC scored three times in the sixth inning to earn a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Southeast in game one on Saturday. The second game saw the Storm score three times in the fifth and then reliever Gavin Gregg struck out seven of nine Cougar batters in the final three innings as Southeast claimed a 6-4 win. The two squads will be back in action Sunday for a 9-inning contest at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field.
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WNCC baseball drops doubleheader to NJC
April 25, 2019STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team entered Wednesday’s doubleheader with Northeastern Junior College leading the Empire Conference with the fewest losses. Wednesday, the Cougars dropped two heart-breaking losses to NJC. The first game saw the Plainsmen score three seventh-inning runs in earning the 9-8 win. The second game was just as intense with NJC overcoming a 2-1 deficit with four late runs to earn the 5-2 win.
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Alcantara’s walk-off single gives Cougars 5-4 game two win; WNCC sweeps Trinidad
April 20, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team put together clutch hits and timely pitching in earning a doubleheader sweep of Trinidad State Junior College Friday afternoon at Cleveland Field in Empire Conference action. The first game saw Zach Berg pitch six solid innings in striking out six in helping the Cougars to a 3-2 win. The second contest was a seventh-inning comeback as the Luis Alcantara delivered a 2-out single to score Dermot Fritsch with the game-winner for the 5-4 win.
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WNCC rolls over Trinidad, captures sixth straight
April 20, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team opened the offense and rolled to a 13-4 win over Trinidad State Junior College Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Field in Empire Conference action. WNCC took all three games from Trinidad State over the weekend. The win was the Cougars sixth straight win and moves WNCC to 17-21 overall but more importantly to 14-10 in conference play and moved into first place with just 10 losses. Trinidad State and Lamar Community College each have 11 losses, while Northeastern Junior College sits at 16-12.
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WNCC baseball tops McCook on Sunday to take 3-game series
April 08, 2019The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored early and then held on to top McCook Community College 11-7 in an Empire Conference game Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Field. With the win, WNCC moves to 14-21 overall but more importantly into third place in the conference standings with an 11-10 record, just a half game ahead of Lamar (10-10) and Southeast (9-9).
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WNCC baseball sweeps McCook
April 07, 2019Thee Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored 25 runs including a second-game grand slam by Hunter Nelson to help the Cougars take two from McCook Community College Saturday afternoon in Empire Conference action. The first game saw WNCC register 18 hits including home runs from Brevin Owen, Ethan “Q” Miller, and Dermot Fritsch in taking a 15-6 win over McCook. The second contest saw the Cougars come back from a deficit as Nelson recorded the only extra base hit with a fifth-inning grand slam to help the Cougars to the 10-7 win.
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MIller hits two bombs, WNCC baseball splits with NJC
April 05, 2019Ethan “Q” Miller had two 3-run home runs and seven RBIs in game one to help the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earn a 16-10 win over Empire Conference-leading Northeastern Junior College Thursday afternoon at Cleveland Field. WNCC, however, couldn’t get the sweep as NJC played strong defense in allowing just five Cougar hits in game two for the 12-4 win. WNCC moves to 11-21 on the season and 8-10 in conference. NJC remains atop the conference standings at 10-6 and 17-14 overall.
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WNCC baseball splits with Otero on Monday
April 02, 2019LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earned a split with Otero Junior College on Monday. WNCC dropped the first Empire Conference contest 9-0 before rebounding to earn the split with a strong pitching performance from Chandler Young to earn the 6-4 win. The Cougars went 1-3 over the weekend after dropping a pair of one-run defeats to Otero 3-2 in 11 innings and then 5-4.
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WNCC baseball drops two, 1-run games to Otero
April 01, 2019LAJUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team could find the clutch hit in dropping two 1-run games to Otero Junior College Sunday in La Junta, Colorado. The first Empire Conference game went 11 innings before Otero scored in the bottom of the fourth extra frame to claim the 3-2 win. The second contest saw Otero score three times in the sixth to register the 5-4 conference win.
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WNCC baseball falls to McCook in conference game
March 28, 2019MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team received a seven strikeout performance from Kyler Harris, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars lost an Empire Conference game to McCook 2-1 Thursday afternoon in McCook. Harris, a freshman, went six strong innings in striking out seven and allowing just two runs. McCook pitcher Isaac Vargas went nine complete innings in striking out 13 in capturing the win for the Indians.
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WNCC baseball takes two of three from Southeast
March 25, 2019BEATRICE, Neb. – The Western Nebraska Community College and Southeast Community College baseball teams hooked up in a thrilling Empire Conference 3-game series Sunday and Monday. After the two teams split games on Sunday, WNCC captured Monday’s 9-inning game 5-3 in 10 innings. Sunday’s action Southeast get a walk-off ninth-inning single for the 3-2 win. The second game on Sunday saw Brevin Owen get a sixth-inning 2-run home run to lift the Cougars to a 4-1 win.
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WNCC baseball splits with Southeast
March 24, 2019BEATRICE, Neb. – The Western Nebraska Community College and Southeast Community College baseball teams hooked up in a thrilling Empire Conference doubleheader Sunday with each team grabbing one win. In the opener, Southeast had a walk-off ninth-inning 3-2 win. The second game saw Brevin Owen get a sixth-inning 2-run home run to lift the Cougars to a 4-1 win.
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Fritsch hits a grand slam, powers WNCC to win over NJC
March 20, 2019STERLING, Colo. – Dermot Fritsch hit two home runs including a grand slam to power the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team to a 10-8 Empire Conference win over Northeastern Junior College Wednesday afternoon in Sterling, Colorado. WNCC couldn’t get the doubleheader sweep as NJC shut down the Cougar offense in recording a 3-2 second-game win. WNCC moves to 7-15 on the year and 4-4 in Empire Conference action.
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WNCC baseball falls 5-2 to Mesa
March 17, 2019MESA, Ariz. - The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team out-hit Mesa Community College in a 5-2 setback on Saturday in Mesa, Arizona It marked the final game of the Cougars' six-game spring break Arizona road swing. WNCC finished 0-6 on the trip and dropped to 6-14 overall.
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WNCC baseball team blanked by Phoenix College
March 16, 2019PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team is still seeking its first win of this week's Spring Break road trip after dropping a 5-0 decision to Phoenix College on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona. WNCC is now 0-5 on the swing. The Cougars, who are now 6-13 overall, will close out the trip on Saturday against Mesa Community College.
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WNCC baseball drops two games Thursday.
March 15, 2019PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team played a pair of 9-ining games Thursday and competed hard, but came up short in both games. In the first game, WNCC scored five, second-inning runs, but the Cougars allowed GateWay Community College to score six runs in the second to register the 11-5 win. Game two against Phoenix College Thursday night saw WNCC outhit Phoenix 7-4, but Phoenix won the scoreboard 3-1 over the Cougars.
