COUNCIL BLUFFS — The numbers don't lie.
Iowa Western hit only .250 last year at the NJCAA Division I Junior College World Series, and it was one of the first teams eliminated from the 10-team, double-elimination tournament in Grand Junction, Colo. In fact, the Reivers were run-ruled in both of their losses.
In the upper echelon of college baseball, even at the two-year level, a team has to hit to stay competitive. That is why this year's IWCC team is better suited to make a run in Grand Junction than the 2009 squad.
The No. 5 Reivers believe they can hit off anyone. They lead the nation with a .397 team batting average heading into their World Series opener at 8:30 p.m. (Central time) Sunday against No. 10 Crowder (Mo.) College at Suplizio Field.
“We just need people to pitch and keep us in the game,” catcher Anthony Bemboom said. “If we can stay in games, we have the ability to hit and put it on people. I think it's a realistic expectation that we'll do well.”
Iowa Western coach Marc Rardin has 11 players he uses regularly in his lineup, and every one of them is hitting .343 or better. Third baseman Brent Seifert, who recently signed with NCAA Division I Missouri State, leads the way at .497. Also hitting better than .400 are Bemboom, Spencer Shockley, Jeremy Sudbeck, Jeff Rawlings and Western Kentucky recruit Ryan Hutchison.
“With our lineup, we can hit with anybody,” said second baseman Ivan Hartle, who is batting .376. “You can never count us out, no matter what inning or what the score is. I think that's to our advantage.”
The Reivers proved that during the NJCAA Northern District Championship last weekend at Doc Ross Field. Trailing then-No. 5 Wabash Valley (Ill.) 15-10 after four innings Friday, IWCC reeled off 11 straight runs to win 21-15.
“That's the difference between last year and this year,” said Bemboom, a Creighton recruit. “We know that we won't press the panic button at any point in the game, because we're hitting.”
The ability to rally, especially against top-level competition, has Iowa Western believing there is no deficit it can't overcome in the Series. But as impressive as the 11-run explosion against Wabash was last Friday, the Reivers' late-inning surge Saturday to beat the Warriors in the championship game may have been even more remarkable.
Trailing by a run late, IWCC abandoned its big swinging and played small ball to win. The Reivers used two bunts and a stolen base to manufacture a six-run rally to win 9-4.
“We have guys that can hit home runs and have power, but we also have guys that can do the little things,” said Hartle, who will join Hutchison at WKU next year. “You never know what situation you're going to be in during a game. One through nine, we have guys that can lay down a bunt if they need to and guys that can get on base if they need to.”
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