Bruins Play For Regional Title, National Tourney Within Reach

The Kellogg Community College Bruins continue to roll in the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II Region XII Tournament in Sandusky, Ohio, with three wins in mercy fashion.

The tournament yields the top Division II team from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, along with the champion of the Region XII Sub-Regional, and the top three teams from the Michigan Community College Athletic Association's Eastern and Western divisions. The double-elimination tournament is taking place at Sports Force Park, located near Cedar Point.

Kellogg earned the top seed from the MCCAA teams with their third straight championship, defeating Lansing Community College 4-2 at Siena Heights University May 8^th. They earned the second seed in the eight-team Regional behind OCCAC winner (and third-ranked nationally) Sinclair (OH) Community College.

The Bruins opened the tourney May 14^th with a 10-0 shutout in five innings (win by mercy rule) over Mott Community College. Adam Henderson (Vicksburg) and Connor Hnilo (Caledonia) each drove in three runs, with Alex Crump (Grand Rapids-Northview) knocking a two-run shot. Mark Scannell (Grand Rapids-Forest Hills Central) allowed just three hits in the shutout.

KCC would have a rematch in the next round with the Stars of Lansing May 15^th, needing just six innings in a 14-4 romp. The Bruins put up seven runs in the third, thanks four straight bases-loaded walks. Henderson would knock in three of his four runs on the day with a opposite field homer. Derrick Edington (Pickford) allowed all four runs in 5 1/3 innings, fanning five in the victory.

In the battle of undefeated teams in the tourney Kellogg had another seven-run spot, this time in the second, to rout Cuyahoga (OH) Community College (winners of the sub-regional) 13-3 in six innings today. The Bruins had three hits on Triceratops pitching in the inning. They would take an 11-0 lead after a grand slam from Crump, his second homer of the tournament. Henderson would also pop his second homer and Spencer Nelson (South Bend-John Adams) hit a solo shot in a three-hit afternoon.

The Bruins play in the final Friday afternoon, with a chance to head to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament in Enid, Oklahoma. They are looking to reach the national tourney for the first time since 2015 and their seventh appearance overall. In order to advance they need just one win in a rematch with Cuyahoga, as the Triceratops edged out Sinclair 8-7 in the semifinal.

The final begins at Noon. If Cuyahoga wins, a deciding game takes place at 3:30pm.