NCMC baseball went 1-2 in the NJCAA DII Region 16 Tournament over the weekend, an event hosted at Burleigh Grimes Field. The Pirates won their opening game on Thursday over Moberly Area CC to advance to the semifinal round. East Central College, the eventual champion, downed the Pirates on Friday, as did Moberly Area in the day's elimination game. Next up for NCMC, 33-14 overall, will be the NJCAA DII Central District Tournament, with the winner of the 4-team event earning a berth to the NJCAA DII World Series. The Pirates qualified for the tournament based on their 1st Place regular season Region 16 finish.
Game 1: North Central Missouri College secured a 4-1 win behind a strong all-around team effort, highlighted by efficient pitching and timely hitting. Max Wagers improved to 5-1 on the season, tossing seven solid innings while allowing just one run on four hits, and Alex Smith closed the door with two perfect innings to earn his fourth save. At the plate, Truman Bodenhausen and Javier Suarez each collected two hits and scored a run to spark the offense, while Jordi Ventura came through with a two-RBI performance. Julio Guerrero added a sacrifice fly, and the defense backed up the pitching staff with three double plays, including standout efforts from Eduardo Chourio and Alejandro Paz.
Game 2: Despite a strong offensive showing, the Pirates fell short in an 11-7 loss to East Central. Javier Suarez led the way with a 4-for-5 performance and scored twice, while Wilmer Jimenez added three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Designated hitter Jordi Ventura was also a standout, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Eduardo Chourio chipped in with an RBI single, and Strader Richardson contributed a pair of hits and a run batted in. On the mound, North Central struggled to contain East Central's lineup, with five pitchers combining to allow 11 runs on 16 hits, though Hikaru Mikami struck out seven in 2.2 innings. Despite the loss, the Pirates' offense remained competitive with 14 hits and several multi-hit performances.
Game 3: North Central Missouri College showed flashes of strong individual performances but ultimately fell short despite a solid effort in their elimination game matchup. Eduardo Chourio led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs, also adding a stolen base to his stat line. Julio Guerrero and Wilmer Jimenez both crossed the plate, with Jimenez drawing two walks, while Truman Bodenhausen contributed an RBI. On the mound, Dylan McIntyre delivered 5.2 innings of solid relief, striking out eight while allowing just two earned runs. Alex Smith also impressed with three scoreless innings and two strikeouts. Despite the efforts, defensive miscues and a rough start from Eric Torrero proved costly in the 7–4 loss.
