Month: March 2019

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Headed by Player of the Year Nija Collier and Coach of the Year Joe McKinstry, five members of Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Jayhawk Conference champions earned Region VI Division II post-season honors.

Collier was joined on the All-Region first team by Kisa Young while Lillie Moore was named to the second team and freshman Lenaejha Evans to the third team in voting by conference coaches.

McKinstry directed the Blue Devils (28-4) to their first Jayhawk DII championship and the NJCAA Region VI DII championship and a berth in the national tournament in Harrison, Arkansas, March 19-23. The National Coach of the Year after leading KCKCC to the national championship in his first year of coaching in 2016, McKinstry will take a 101-31 career record into the national tournament.

Collier was an easy choice as Player of the Year. Twice the NJCAA National Player of the Week, she was named NJCCC Player of the Week an unprecedented six times.

The only player to rank in the top four statistical categories in the Jayhawk, Collier ranks second in scoring (17.2), rebounding (9.8) and field goal percentage (.598) and third in 3-point shooting accuracy (.398). A native of Roseville, Michigan, a Detroit suburb, she also has 20 double doubles this season and leads the team in steals (46) and blocked shots (51).

A 5-9 sophomore from Magnolia, Arkansas, Young led the Region VI in field goal percentage at 63.8 percent for the second year in a row and was third in rebounding with 8.4 a game. She also averaged 10.2 points and 2.1 assists a game. As a freshman, Young led the Blue Devils in scoring (14.4) and was second in rebounds (8.1).

Also from Magnolia, the 6-1 Moore ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (8.2) and fifth in field goal percentage (.544). Second in team steals (42) and blocked shots (40), also earned All-Region VI and All-Jayhawk Conference as a freshman

A freshman from Conway, South Carolina, Evans finished third in scoring (11.4) and led the Blue Devils with 99 assists, A starter in 28 games, Evans shot 50.2 percent from the field and averaged 4.1 rebounds from her guard position.

Highland’s Tiana Gipson was named Freshman of the Year and Labette sophomore Upe Atosu Defensive Player of the Year. Labette freshman Jessica Martin and Highland sophomores Stefania Chiziane and Janiya Davis joined Collier and Young on the first team.

Johnson County’s Paige Elston and Jaci Stowers, Hesston’s Essence Tolson and Atosu were named to the second team along with Moore while Evans was joined by Gipson, JCCC’s Nakayal Jackson Morris, Fort Scott’s Arkiarra Clark and Labette’s Kyla McIntosh on the third team.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Matt Goldbeck is off to his best Jayhawk Conference start in his four years as Kansas City Kansas Community College baseball coach thanks to a pair of one-run wins over Labette Sunday.

Osvaldo Mendez pitched the Blue Devils to a 2-1 win in a 7-inning opener and Jose Amaro got his second save of the day in a 7-6 win in the 9-inning nightcap.

The sweep stretched the Blue Devils’ winning streak to nine in a row and improved their conference record to 4-0 heading into Monday’s home non-conference clash with Metropolitan Community College (Maple Woods) at 2:30 p.m.

“It’s always tough to sweep in this conference so it’s nice to get off to a good start,” Goldbeck said. “Now we have to do it again this weekend.”

The Blue Devils are home Thursday against Highland but Saturday’s games scheduled at Highland are up in the air because Highland’s field will not be suitable for play.

A freshman lefthander, Mendez scattered six hits over six innings in the opening game, striking out four and walking one. Labette’s lone run came in the second on a walk, single and double but Mendez left the tying run on third in the fifth by picking off a runner and one on in the sixth with a strikeout.

“Mendez didn’t have his best stuff but he competed and kept us in the game,” Goldbeck said. “Giving up one run in this conference and not having your best stuff is encouraging.”

Amaro closed out the win, notching his third save by retiring the side in order in the seventh.

KCKCC tied the game in the third on a single by Tyler Henry, bunt single by Kaleb Harrison and a sacrifice fly to center by Eduardo Acosta and then scored the winning run in the fourth on singles by Eric Hinostroza, J.T. Goodfellow and Kevin Santiago.

“The bunt by Harrison was big; he’s done a good job of doing the little things,” Goldbeck said. The Blue Devils finished with eight hits, all singles.

Hinostroza led a 9-hit Blue Devil attack in the 7-6 nightcap with a double and two singles and all figured in the scoring. KCKCC scored a run in the first on a walk, Hinostroza single and Kemper Bednar two-out double and Traice Harter doubled in a second run following a walk in the second.

Trailing 3-2, the Blue Devils took command with four runs on just one hit in the fifth, a leadoff single by Hinostroza followed by three errors, two walks and a hit batsman.

KCKCC got what proved to be the winning run in the sixth when Hinostroza doubled and scored on Santiago’s two-out double.

“Hinostroza has been a real team leader,” Goldbeck said. “He played here before and then went in the Army and came back. He’s played great first base and been a game changer.”

Victor Gotay worked the first 4 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and three runs. He struck out five and walked two. Sophomore lefthander Hunter Paxton (1-1) came on with one out in the fifth and left two stranded but then gave up a pair of runs on two hits and two walks in the sixth.

Relievers Zavier Morin, Max Stroth and Amaro took it the final three innings, allowing two hits and one run. Morin gave up the two hits in the seventh, Stroth walked one and struck out one in the eighth and Amaro gave up a run on a pair of walks and sacrifice fly in the ninth before stranding the tying run on third with a pair of ground balls.

“Amaro really did a good job in closing both games,” Goldbeck said. “It’s tough to get up twice in a day.”