Heartland Community College Baseball wins NJCAA World Series

NORMAL (25News Now) - The Heartland Community College Hawks baseball team has won their first NJCAA DII National Championship after an 8-6 win over Southeastern Iowa Community College at David Allen Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma.

The Hawks entered the championship tournament this year as the top seed, with an overall record of 53-5. They captured the Region-24 title and advanced undefeated in post-season play throughout the World Series tournament.

The team advanced to final round play with a semifinal victory Friday, completing a 10-inning game that began Thursday before being delayed due to weather. In the championship round, more weather delays pushed the game to Saturday morning.

Heartland Athletics Director Ryan Knox says, “I could not be prouder of the work our players, Coach Razo, and his staff have done... This is not only the first National Championship for Hawks baseball but our first-ever appearance in the World Series Final. The character of this team can really be seen by the clutch play we’ve had with two walk-off wins and the endurance to hold off Southeastern Iowa in the final. We come back to Normal as champions.”