MANKATO, Minn. -- After an action-packed spring that showcased eleven North Central University (NCU) sports competing over a four-month span due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rams officially wrapped up the 2020-21 school year with their final competition on Friday night. NCU baseball hit the road one last time for an originally scheduled home UMAC contest that was postponed earlier in the season with the Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) Vikings. The game was made up on Friday night with the addition of a second game against the Vikings being added as a nonconference. In a back-and-forth battle, North Central narrowly fell in the postponed home game nine to eight, while dropping the nonconference seven-inning game two 13 to two.

Game One Recap

The Vikings came out and managed to put four across across in the opening two innings of the game. Despite the early deficit, NCU responded well and clawed their way back into the game by putting three runs on the board in the bottom of the second on a Nate Boyer (Tempe, AZ, Seton Catholic Prep) hit-by-pitch that knocked in Rene Brockman (Tucson, AZ, Desert View High School), a Chris Harding (Carol Stream, IL, West Chicago High School) single to center field that scored Kristian Garcia (Las Vegas, NV, Palo Verde High School), and a Kyle Huerth (Moorpark, CA, Moorpark High School) ground ball to bring home Daniel Montana (Tucson, AZ, Cienega High School). With the score at three to four in favor of the Vikings, they expanded their lead to three runs in the fourth inning. The Rams then responded with their best offensive inning of the day in the bottom of the fifth, when Tyler Bloom (Montello, WI, Montello High School), Boyer, and Montana all barreled RBI base hits into the outfield, giving NCU the lead at seven to six. In the latter half of the game, Montana took the hill and managed to keep the Vikings within striking distance for the Rams, but NCU was unable to capitalize on the offensive side. In the top of the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings, Bethany Lutheran chipped in one run each time, giving them just enough to edge the Rams by one run and a final score of nine to eight.

Game Two Recap

Game two showcased the Vikings holding onto the lead for the majority of the game. Despite falling two to 13, the Rams came out in game two drawing first blood in the top of the first on a Justin Torres (Palatine, IL, Palatine High School) home run (sixth of the season) that cleared the left field wall to give the blue and gold the lead right out of the gate. The Vikings came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to make it one all. BLC then continued their momentum and broke the game open with a combined five-run third and fourth inning. Montana tacked on the Rams' second run of the game in the top of the fifth to cut the Vikings' lead to four, but Bethany Lutheran proceeded to get the run back plus more in the proceeding innings down the final stretch of the game.

Key Performers

• Daniel Montana led NCU in the box with a combined 4-for-7 showing, consisting of all singles and one RBI. The Arizona product also tossed four innings in relief in game one and only gave up two earned runs.
• Fellow Arizona native and freshman infielder Nate Boyer had the best series of his young career yet by going a combined 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and a walk.

Looking Back

North Central baseball officially ends their season with a 7-16 overall (4-12 UMAC) record, giving the team a 7th place finish in the final Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings of the 2021 season, tying the 2019 team for the highest conference placement in the program's history. Despite a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, second-year Head Coach David Babcock led NCU baseball during an unprecedented year, highlighted by conference splits with Northland College and the University of Minnesota Morris and a sweep over Martin Luther College. Newcomers such as Tyler Bloom and Daniel Montana made their way onto the collegiate scene for the first time and were instrumental to the team's success. Bloom served as one of NCU's key pitchers in the starting rotation, finishing the year with 44 innings pitched and 28 strikeouts in addition to a .348 batting average at the plate, good enough for third on the team. Montana ended fourth on the team in batting average with a .329 clip. Rene Brockman led NCU in several statistical categories on the year, including batting average (.411), OPS (1.362), slugging (.836), runs scored (22), home runs (7), and RBIs (28). The program will say its final goodbyes to seasoned veterans Chris Harding and Justin Torres. Torres will finish his collegiate playing career by posting career-highs in batting average (.403) and home runs (6), both good enough for second on the team behind Brockman. Looking ahead into the offseason for North Central baseball, fans are encouraged to stay tuned to all official NCU Rams social media including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all updates and information regarding the program.