• Sophomore Cael Boever hits .733 with 11 hits and 11 RBIs in the three-game series
• Sophomore Chance Key improves to 9-0 in winning the first game of the series
• Sophomore J.C. Dermody goes to  4-1 in winning the deciding game

The season continues for the DMACC baseball team. The Bears won two of three games against Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) May 17 and 18 at Rosemount, Minn., to capture the North Plains District championship and advance to the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Baseball World Series for the first time since 2012.

DMACC, which improved to 36-24, took the first game of a doubleheader on May 17, 12-4, and DCTC won the nightcap, 12-10, to force a third and deciding game on May 18 and the Bears won that one, 8-3.

Sophomore Cael Boever of Sioux City stood out for DMACC, batting .733 in the series with 11 hits, 11 runs batted in and seven runs scored. Boever's 11 hits included three doubles and two home runs.

Sophomores Chance Key of Waverly and J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs earned the wins for DMACC. Key got the win in the first game, allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over seven innings and Dermody allowed three runs on five hits with six strikeouts over five and two-thirds innings in the Bears' other win. Key remained unbeaten a 9-0 and Dermody improved to 4-1.

DMACC never trailed in its opening game win. The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and led 3-0 after three innings. DCTC made it a 3-1 game with a run in the bottom of the fourth and DMACC responded with a run in the sixth, three in the seventh, one in the eighth and four in the ninth. DCTC tallied its other three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Boever sparked the Bears with five hits, five RBIs and two runs in five plate appearances and his hits included two doubles and a home run. His double followed a double by sophomore Dillon Kuehl in the first and gave the Bears their 1-0 lead. Boever hit a two-run homer in the third, drove in a run with a double in the seventh and singled in a run in the eighth.

Sophomores Camden Kaufman of Waukee and Noah Thein of Dewitt had two hits apiece in the win and Thein drove in four runs, all coming on a grand slam home run in the ninth inning.

Freshman Konner Entz of West Fargo, N.D., pitched the last two innings for DMACC, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts and a walk.

DCTC used a four-run rally in the top of the eighth to come away with the win in the second game on May 17. The Blue Knights, who came from behind twice, led 4-1 after two innings and then fell behind 6-4 when DMACC scored five runs in the bottom of the third. DCTC used single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to gain a 6-6 tie and then fell behind again when the Bears tallied two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. DCTC made it a 10-8 game with two runs in the seventh and then got the win with its four-run rally in the eighth.

Boever, Kuehl and freshman Kaden Frommelt of Marion paced DMACC with two hits apiece including a double from Kuehl and home runs from Boever and Frommelt, both in the third inning. Boever hit a three-run home run and Frommelt had a two-run blast. Sophomores Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale and Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa also homered for DMACC. Ziegler hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning and Coakley got a two-run homer in the sixth.

Freshman Carter Woollums of Johnston pitched the first six innings for DMACC, allowing eight runs on 11 hits with one strikeout. Sophomore Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., went one inning and allowed two runs on three hits with one strikeout and the loss went to sophomore Eli Lehrman of Anamosa, who fell to 1-4 for the season. He pitched two innings and allowed two runs on two hits.

DMACC scored two runs in the first, three in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the ninth in winning the third and final game of the series.

Boever had four hits and three RBIs in the game, getting run-scoring singles in the first and fifth innings and an RBI double in the seventh. Kaufman and Frommelt had two hits and two RBIs apiece for the Bears.

Sophomore Alex Berends of Story City relieved Dermody with two outs in the sixth inning and went the rest of the way for his second save of the season. He surrendered two hits, struck out one batter and walked one.

The 2024 NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series will be held May 25 to June 1 at Enid, Okla. DMACC's appearance in the tournament will be its fourth since 2008. In addition to qualifying in 2012, the Bears also qualified in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Brackets and matchups for the 2024 tournament will be announced May 21.