It used to be that going to the national tournament was icing on the cake for the Southeastern Community College baseball team.
The Blackhawks had been to the national tournament just two times before 2023.
After two straight trips to the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Enid, Oklahoma, it has become an expectation for SCC.
Coach Justin Schulte has built a national powerhouse on the West Burlington campus.
These days, a trip to nationals isn’t a carrot to dangle in front of the players. It is one of the Blackhawks’ top goals every year.
“This is an interesting team this year,” Schulte said “We have been playing some really good baseball. We have really good defense. Right now we’re just trying to find an identity offensively. It’s coming along pretty good. Our starting pitching is really good. We’re trying to get guys in the right roles in our bullpen.”
SCC is 21-6 overall, 6-0 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference after sweeping Ellsworth on Wednesday. SCC pounded out 32 hits and scored 27 runs in 11-10 and 16-4 victories over the Panthers.
Center fielder Caleb Klein has settled into the leadoff spot for the Blackhawks. He was a combined 7-for-11 with five RBIs and scored four runs against Ellsworth. He is hitting .333 for the year and has scored 33 runs.
Third baseman Michael Farina is hitting .316 and has scored 32 runs.
Second baseman Efrain Osorio is hitting .411, while first baseman Kade Schneider leads the team in hitting with a .442 average. He slugged a pair of home runs on Wednesday.
Freshman left fielder Jackson Putsch is hitting .387, while freshman right fielder James Nydegger is batting .364.
“We’re starting to find our rhythm on offense,” Schulte said.
Conner Dilulio and Owen Thomson head up the pitching staff. Dilulio has a 1.74 ERA, while Thomson has a 1.77 ERA.
SCC went 12-5 on its annual sojourn through the South with a long road trip to Mississippi. The Blackhawks faced some of the best teams in the country with some of the best pitchers they will see all season.
“We played the No. 1 team and lost 5-2,” Schulte said. “We play a challenging schedule is we can have a chance to see where we’re at and where we need to be.”
SCC is in the beginning stages of conference play now. Kirkwood is ranked 18th and Iowa Central is 19th. NIACC and DMACC are perennial contenders in the conference. Schulte knows the Blackhawks will have to play their best every game the rest of the way to get to where they want to be come May.
“Once we start conference play, it’s relentless. It doesn’t stop,” Schulte said. “Ellsworth is playing awfully well and Northeast Nebraska is always a tough trip. You have to be ready to play every day. That’s why you coach.”
SCC has 13 home games remaining. All will be played at Community Field.
The Region XI Division II Tournament is slated for May 8-11 at Merchant’s Park in Carroll.
The North Central District Championship will be played May 16-18 at the home field of the Region XI champion.
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