• DMACC goes undefeated in the tournament, winning all four of its games
• Bears top Kirkwood CC and Southeastern CC, both of whom were ranked nationally during the season
• DMACC will face Dakota County TC in North Plains District Tournament

The DMACC baseball team won its first National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 11 baseball championship since 2012 when the Bears defeated Southeastern Community College (SECC), 19-12, in the Region 11 championship game May 12 at Fort Dodge.

DMACC's four-game tournament run included a victory over Kirkwood Community College (KCC) and two wins against SECC. Both KCC and SECC were ranked in the top ten of the NJCAA Division II poll throughout the season and both teams won two of three games against DMACC during the regular season. The Bears outscored their opponents 55-23 in their four tournament wins.

Freshman Kaden Frommelt of Marion hit three consecutive home runs and drove in five runs to lead the Bears to the win in the championship game. He hit a three-run homer in the fifth and solo home runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Sophomores Cael Boever of Sioux City and Camden Kaufman of Waukee also homered in the game, going back-to-back in the eighth.

The game was a seesaw battle, particularly through the first five innings. SECC led 6-0 after batting in the top of the first but the Bears made it a 6-3 game with three runs in the bottom of the inning and then took a 7-6 lead with four runs in the second. SECC went up 10-7 with a four-run rally in the third and DMACC gained a 10-10 tie with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Bears went ahead 11-10 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. SECC tied it with a run in the fifth and DMACC took the lead for good at 14-11 with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Bears closed out the win with a run in the seventh and four in the ninth and SECC tallied its other run in the top of the eighth.

Frommelt and Boever had three hits apiece with Boever getting a double to go with his home run. Kaufman and sophomores Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa and Noah Thein of Dewitt also doubled in the win.

Boever and Frommelt led DMACC with three hits apiece and Kaufman, Coakley, sophomore Cory Bantam of Woodbine and Thein had two hits apiece. Kaufman came away with four RBIs, Boever and Coakley drove in three runs apiece and Bantam had two RBIs.

Sophomore Jai Jensen of Clinton started on the mound for DMACC and went just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs on four hits with one walk. Sophomore Max Martin of Franklin, Wis., went an inning and a third and gave up four runs on five hits with two strikeouts and sophomore Alex Berends of Story City went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. He got the win to go 2-0 for the season. Freshman Brennan Haman of West Fargo, N.D., notched his fourth save with two innings on the mound. He struck out three batters and walked one.

After beating Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) 10-2 in their tournament opener of May 9, DMACC, the tournament's No. 5 seed, beat top-seeded KCC 17-3 in five innings on May 10 and then handed second seeded SECC a 9-6 loss in a game featuring the tournament's only unbeaten teams on May 11. SECC handed KCC a 16-8 loss in an elimination game also on May 11, setting up the championship game on May 12.

DMACC used a 10-run first inning en route to its win over KCC on May 10. The Bears extended the lead to 16-1 with six runs in the third and closed out the win with a run in the top of the fifth. KCC scored a run in the second and two in the fourth.

Boever, Bantam and sophomore Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale paced DMACC's 16-hit attack with three hits apiece, including a pair of doubles by Boever and one each from Kuehl and Boever. Kaufman, sophomore Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale and freshman Sam Hesselmann of Johnston had two hits apiece including home runs by Ziegler and Kaufman.

Kuehl led the Bears in RBIs with four and Boever and Kaufman drove in three runs apiece.

Freshman Carter Woollums of Johnston pitched all five innings and improved to 4-3 with the win. He allowed three runs on five hits and struck out seven batters.

DMACC led SECC 2-0 after batting in the top of the second in their game on May 11, but SECC rallied for four runs in the bottom of the second for a 4-2 lead. The Bears answered with three runs in the third and scored their final four runs in the top of the seventh. SECC added single runs in the fourth and sixth.

Kaufman led DMACC at the plate with two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Boever added a pair of doubles and drove in two runs.

Sophomore J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs started on the mound for DMACC and went two and two-thirds innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and walked one batter. Sophomore Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., pitched one inning and gave up one run on two hits with one walk and sophomore Eli Lehrman of Anamosa went two innings, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk. Haman ran his record to 5-0 with the win. He worked three and a third innings and struck out four batters.

The DMACC baseball team will face Dakota County Technical College in a best 2-of-3 series in the North Plains District Tournament May 17 and 18 at Rosemount, Minn. The winner will advance to the 2024 NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series May 25 to June 1 at Enid, Okla. DMACC is seeking its first appearance in the national tournament since 2012.

DMACC and DCTC played a four-game series March 10 and 11 at the DMACC baseball diamond with the Bears winning three of the four games.