MCC baseball team all set to follow record-setting 2023

cCook Community College baseball team opens the season today in Dallas with a three-game series against Dallas College Brookhaven.

Today’s doubleheader starts at noon with a 1 p.m. start in the Saturday series finale.

The Indians are coming off a record-setting 2023 season.

Propelled by a program-best 16-game mid-season winning streak, the Indians won 33 games during the regular season – the most ever for MCC baseball and the 22-12 record against Region IX opponents was also a program best. The team finished the year 37-25.

Offensively, the Indians finished with a team batting average of .319 and were tenth in the nation among 170 Division I schools, with 579 runs, 143 doubles (sixth most in the nation), 90 home runs (ninth highest total in NJCAA), as well as top-10 totals in extra-base hits with 1,090. The team averaged 9.3 runs per game.

“We probably won’t have to score that many runs to win a bunch of games with our pitching staff this year,” coach Jon Olsen said.

Key returning position players leading the offense include DH/catcher Michael Quick, catcher Zeke Minic, a pair of first basemen Jason Serafinchon and Jackson Yeager and infielder Blake Dale.

PITCHERS

MCC returns four pitchers who were in the top six last season on the team in innings pitched. This sophomore group pitched 216 innings one year ago.

Starting pitcher Myles Chabi was a first-team all-Region IX pick as a freshman. The 6-1 right-hander from Sydney, Australia, led all region pitchers in wins and was second in earned run average, compiling a 9-3 record with a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts. He struck out 52 hitters in 61.1 innings, allowed 53 hits and walked 21.

Third-year sophomore Ryan Malone (Bennington) sat out his first two years at MCC with Tommy John surgery but is back and ready to make an impact.

Sphomore Aiden Johnson (Westminster, Colo.) started eight games and relieved in six others.

Ethan Badcock (Adelade, Australia) appeared in 16 games, starting five with a 3-3 record and one save. He fanned 33 in 48 innings with a 9.18 ERA.

Jereniel Herrera (Panama City, Panama) emerged as the closer late in the season.

Zack Lane (Phoenix, Ariz.) appeared in 11 games over 13 innings and went 0-1 with a save and a 5.54 ERA.

Blake Benello (Thornton, Colo.) appeared in seven games, hurling 5.1 innings.

OFFENSE

“It’s going to be tough to be as good as we were last year, but we have a lot of good pieces in place offensively,” said Olsen.

CATCHING

Quick, a 5-10 freshman from Oshawa, Ontario was a second team all-Region IX pick last year, batting .361 with six home runs and 47 RBIs in 48 games.

CORNER INFIELD

MCC has two returners at first base in Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) and Yeager (Omaha Westside). Serafinchon hit .329 in 140 at bats with seven homers and 44 RBIs while Yeager hit .289 in 76 at bats with eight doubles, one home run and 14 RBIs.

Freshman Owen Glover (Elderslice, New South Wales) has emerged as the opening day third baseman.

MIDDLE INFIELD

Dale (Riverton, Wyo.) played third base last year when he had 120 at bats with a .142 batting average with 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. This year his has moved over to shortstop and will start the season there.

At second base, freshman Maddux Shaver (Belleville, Ontario) has earned the starting nod.

OUTFIELD

Sophomore Will Edwards (Sydney, Australia) will start the year in left field. He appeared in seven games as a freshman with 17 plate appearances with a .294 on-base average and two RBIs.

Freshman Wrigley Strong (Omaha) mostly played infield during the fall season but will figure into the mix in the outfield as well.

Sophomore Jake Quinlivan (Sydney, Australia) batted .241 in 13 games last season with a .586 slugging average, with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

Dax Patton (Midland, Texas) and Micah Billingsley (Keller, Texas) will both redshirt. Billingsley broke his nose in practice last week.