Iowa Central, Southeastern Finish Up Season with Strong World Series Showing
ENID, Okla. – Among the 12 teams competing at the 2025 NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series, the ICCAC was well represented with two conference programs earning their spot in the tournament. Iowa Central clinched an automatic bid after capturing both the Region 11 and North Plains District titles, while Southeastern secured one of just two at-large bids, having remained ranked in the top five for most of the season and dropping only four conference games all year.
Iowa Central entered the tournament red-hot and carried that momentum into a dominant opening-round performance, crushing Frederick (Md.) 15-1. Spencer Pederson led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs, and scoring three times.
In the second round, however, the No. 9 seeded Tritons ran into trouble against top-seeded Pasco-Hernando State (Fla.), falling behind 6-0 after three innings and ultimately losing 13-3.
Sent to the elimination bracket, Iowa Central bounced back strong with a 9-1 win over Lackawanna (Pa.), powered by Chayton Fischer's standout performance: a home run, a triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs. The Tritons then knocked off No. 4 Heartland (Ill.) 8-3, again led by Fischer, who delivered two runs, three RBIs, and another homer.
Their next elimination game was a dramatic 10-8 comeback victory over No. 5 Madison (Wis.), overcoming a 4-run deficit. Jake Busson secured the win on the mound, closing out the final innings with three strikeouts and no runs allowed.
That win set up a semifinal rematch with Pasco-Hernando State. Unfortunately for Iowa Central, the Bobcats once again proved too much, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning and cruising to an 11-1 win to eliminate the Tritons.
Still, it was a phenomenal postseason for Iowa Central, which reached the World Series for the first time since 2010, finished the season 48-17, and solidified its place among the final four teams in the nation. Fischer (C), along with teammate Cade Sears (OF) were named to the 2025 NJCAA World Series All-Tournament Team.
Reaching their third-straight World Series, Southeastern opened its 2025 campaign with a disappointing upset loss to No. 10 Kellogg (Mich.), despite holding a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning. The Bruins erupted for eight runs late to hand the Blackhawks an 8-1 defeat.
In the elimination bracket, Southeastern rebounded with a 5-2 win over South Mountain (Ariz.), highlighted by Jackson Petsche's clutch performance that included a home run and three RBIs. That win set up a rematch with Kellogg, and this time the Blackhawks flipped the script, earning a decisive 8-4 victory. Abrahan Rios was instrumental, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Joey Ward contributed a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate, scoring three runs.
In their third elimination game, Southeastern faced No. 5 East Central (Miss.) with a chance to reach the semifinals. The Blackhawks struck first with a 1-0 lead, but East Central responded quickly and took control, scoring four runs in the second inning and eventually pulling away for a 13-4 win and ending Southeastern's tournament run SCC concluded the season with an impressive 50-15 record, went 2-2 at the national tournament, and finished at the top of the ICCAC regular season standings.
Iowa Central Schedule:
Round 1: #9 Iowa Central def. #8 Fredrick, 15-1 – Box Score
Round 2: #1 Pasco-Hernando State def. #9 Iowa Central, 13-3 – Box Score
Elimination: #9 Iowa Central def. #12 Lackawanna, 9-1 – Box Score
Elimination: #9 Iowa Central def. #4 Heartland, 8-3 – Box Score
Elimination: #9 Iowa Central def. #5 Madison, 10-8 – Box Score
Semi-finals: #1 Pasco-Hernando State def. #9 Iowa Central, 11-1 – Box Score
Southeastern Schedule:
Round 1: #10 Kellogg def. #7 Southeastern, 8-1 – Box Score
Elimination: #7 Southeastern def. #3 South Mountain, 5-2 – Box Score
Elimination: #7 Southeastern def. #10 Kellogg, 8-4 – Box Score
Elimination: #6 East Central def. #7 Southeastern, 13-4 – Box Score