BASEBALL

Blackhawks going to NJCAA world series

Thurman scores in SCC's 3-2 win over Williston State

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BURLINGTON – SCC Head Coach Justin Schulte recruits on his record of winning one-run games.
That small-ball mentality just landed him his 700th win and a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series next week in Enid, Oklahoma.
The Blackhawks defeated Williston State out of Williston North Dakota Saturday 3-2 to take the North Plains Championship two games to 1.
Southeastern split a doubleheader with the Tetons on Friday winning the second game 6-1 after losing game one 3-1.
“If you look at our one-run record we gotta be 8-2 or 7-1, we’ve won a lot of close games,” Schulte said after the emotional win.
“I’ve coached a long time and we’ve won almost 200 one-run games in my career. That’s 25% of my career. We’ve played .700 baseball in one-run games in my career. I show that to recruits.
“That’s how I coach. That’s how I teach.”
SCC took an early 1-0 lead into the fourth inning. With runners at 1st and 3rd an infield hit to second slipped under the baserunner making a difficult play for the Blackhawks' Taichi Nakao at secon negating a potential double play.
Schulte argued for runner interference but got no love from either the infield or plate umpire and the run tied things up at 1 each.
SCC would get out of the inning holding the tie and Schulte had a few more words with the umpires between innings.
The Blackhawks would get the run back in the bottom of the fourth when Fort Madison’s Vasin Thurman led off with a single to left that was misplayed allowing him to slip into scoring position.
He would advance to third on a wild pitch and then come around on an RBI single from Sam Skarich for a 2-1 lead.
The Tetons would get to starter Mason Behn to tie things up again at 2, forcing the sophomore from the game in favor of Will Hoernemann and eventually Gage Pearson, neither of whom gave up a run the rest of the way.
The Hawks needed a 6-4-3 double play with a runner on to get out of a dicey top of the 7th and then went to work in the bottom half. Skarich reached on a walk to lead things off and advanced to third on a key single on a Marcus Beatty’s single. Nakao would then drive a ball to the warning track in left,  plating Skarich with the winning run.
Beatty would also track down the ball in left field to end the game and set off the celebration at Community Field.
The win was even more special for Schulte who lost his father after Friday’s game to a short illness.
“It was tough. I’m starting to wind down,” Schulte said. “I left the game yesterday before I talked to the kids. I got here this morning and wanted to address with them on what I would have talked to them about last night.
“That was really hard. I had to explain my dad’s gone. But my dad would be proud as hell. He loved my career – loves my career. He’s proud as a peacock right now. I’m sure he’s looking down laughing.”
Thurman, and his brother Jason, who played for Fort Madison through 2021, will be making the trip to Oklahoma with the Blackhawks.  Thurman said thoughts of Schulte’s loss were fresh in the minds of the players, but they had a job to do.
“We’re going out there to just play the game. We knew that was in the back of all our minds, but everyone was locked in before the game wanting to get a job done and get to Oklahoma.”
Vasin Thurman said he knew coming into the program, that they would have a shot at something special.
“The way this program is ran, and especially the way it’s coached, we knew we would be in a lot of baseball games and always have a chance to win. We put ourselves in a lot of those situations and came out on top and now we’re headed to Oklahoma,” he said.
Thuman has four home runs on the year in 100 at bats and with 24 RBIs and a .290 average.
Jason Thurman rotates into the infield depending on the pitching rotation for defensive purposes. Jason has 20 at bats in 20 games played.
Both will continue their college careers next year at Mid America Christian University in Oklahoma City.
Jason Thurman said the Blackhawks play to win the close games.
“We just go out every day and compete as hard as we can to give ourselves a shot to win,” he said.
Schulte said the Hawks struggled offensively through the series, but got solid efforts on the mound.
“We left an army on base all three games. It was gonna come down to trying to figure out how to get a run in late innings and Taichi got that sac fly and gave us the lead,” he said.
“From there I felt comfortable knowing if I needed to use three or four guys to get nine outs, I can do that. Gage and Will passed the baton and got it done.”
Games begin at the David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid on May 27. Pairings for the ten-team tournament are scheduled to be released May 23 at 10 a.m.

Southeastern Community College, Blackhawks, Justin Schulte, Burlington, Vasin Thurman, Jason Thurman, , champions, regional NJCAA, Division II world Series, Oklahoma, Fort madison, sports, Pen City Current,

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