Triton College Baseball Team Gaining Steam as Playoffs Approach

| May 6, 2013

Triton College Baseball Team Gaining Steam as Playoffs Approach

The Triton College baseball team faced the toughest stretch of games they’ve played to open a season during Harry Torgerson’s nine-year tenure as head coach in March. The Trojans battled some of the top JUCO programs in the country and took their bumps, finishing 1-12 against teams who have the advantages of playing year round.

One of the teams Triton saw was LSU-Eunice, who are the number one team in the country among Division II junior college squads. The Trojans lost three times down in Louisiana. In addition, the Trojans squared off against more quality competition at a tournament in Jackson, Miss.

However, the tide has turned for the Trojans who have fought their way above .500 winning 22 of their last 29 games following a pair of five inning wins by scores of 14-3 and 12-2 over Sauk Valley Community College April 28 at Symonds-Puckett Field.

The Trojans are 23-19, including an impressive 14-3 mark at home. Triton is currently the top ranked team in Region IV Division I and received votes in the April 24 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I poll.

“You like to win some of games early in the year against those teams down south,” Torgerson said. “But the reason we played that tough of a schedule was to help us get ready for regional play.” When we went down to Florida in previous seasons and finished 10-2 or 11-1 against competition not as strong, it was hard to gauge where we were as a team. But we learned from our mistakes during that trip and have gotten better as a team.”

In the wins over Sauk Valley, Keil Conway (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) was the hitting star. In the two games combined he had four hits, one being a home run and seven RBIs. Last week alone, Conway belted four home runs and had 15 RBIs.

Jorge Mora (El Paso, Texas) was 3-for-3 with three RBIs in game one. Damon Softcheck (Joliet West) and Alfred Iturralde (El Paso, Texas) had a pair of RBIs in the first win. In game two, Justin Bard (Highland Beach, Fla.) drove in two runs. On the hill, Tyler Robbins (Lafayette, Ind.) and Jim Hinkleman (Munster, Ind.) picked up the victories respectfully.

The Trojans will play a home contest Sunday, May 5, versus Elgin Community College. Game time is 1 p.m. at Symonds-Puckett Field.

Triton will also be the site of the Region IV Division I tournament May 9-11. The Trojans will play the first game of the double-elimination tournament at noon May 9. Triton’s opponent and the remaining tournament schedule will be announced May 6.

For more information on Triton College Athletics, visit www.triton.edu/athletics or call Athletic Director Harry McGinnis at (708) 456-0300

Tags: , , ,

Category: Articles, Community News

Comments are closed.