JUCO Hard 90 RETURNS for Season 2!Noah and Zach discuss the top teams in the preseason polls, some ranked games this weekend, and NJCAA Alumni in the World Baseball Classic!SUBSCRIBE: https://shorturl.at/sgzSd Connect with the NJCAA Network – Visit the NJCAA Website:

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Quick Recap & MilestonesWe celebrate John Kurtz of Spoon River reaching his 100th career win—a massive achievement in the JUCO ranks. Plus, we sit down with Greg Braun of Joliet for the first installment of a three-part interview series covering his path to the program and plenty of baseball talk.

Notable PerformancesStandout weeks from hitters including Ryan Nelson (East Central MS), Seung Min Shin (New Mexico Military), AJ Lucas (Moberly Area), and Parker Vaughn (Lansing CC), who posted an eye-popping .889 batting average. On the mound, Hyunwook Lee (NMMI) threw a complete game gem, while Marcus Metz (Central Arizona) and Bennett Percival (NOC-Enid) delivered scoreless starts.

Top 10 Rankings Shake-UpWeatherford College drops three straight to Cloud County, opening the door for Blinn College and Johnson County CC to climb. Walters State continues its dominant start, while Georgia Highlands and LSU Eunice hold strong in the top 10.

Teams of the Week

Cloud County Thunderbirds: Three wins over #1 Weatherford, including a wild 16-13 finale

East Central CC Warriors: 6-0 start with 83 runs scored and 20 home runs

Dallas College Eastfield Harvesters: 5-1 week with series wins over ranked Iowa and Oklahoma programs

Edmonds College Tritons: Sweep of #5 Wenatchee Valley, capped by a walk-off thriller

Stat LeadersAs of February 24th: Nick April-Gath (FSW) leads the nation with 32 hits; Kameron Yearsley (Logan) tops the home run charts with 11; and multiple pitchers including Marcel Mercado (Golden West) and Ryan Everly (Wallace St.) have yet to allow an earned run.

Players of the WeekHitters: Caden Black (Pellissippi State), Max Barron (North Arkansas), Ryan Bradford (Johnson County), Mason Hickman (East Central MS), and Braden Burness (Scottsdale). Pitchers: Dylan Jenkins (Mountain View) threw a no-hitter, while Gage Miller (DMACC) and Tomas Bilvado (Mt. SAC) fired complete game shutouts.

Next Week PreviewWe look ahead to massive series across all divisions: Johnson County vs. Iowa Western, LSU Eunice at Murray State, Northwest Florida State hosting Pearl River, and a loaded D2 slate featuring Frederick, Heartland, Madison, and Parkland all in action.

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This week on the show, we open with heavy hearts.

The JUCO baseball family suffered a devastating loss as Iowa Lakes CC and the community mourn the passing of Carter “Tater” Johnson. We share details on the shirt fundraiser organized to support his family and honor his memory—a reminder that this game is about so much more than what happens between the lines.

From there, we celebrate the moments that make this level special.

* Bryce Myers earned his first career win as head coach at Louisburg, a milestone he won’t soon forget.

* Pearl River continued one of the coolest traditions in junior college baseball, squaring off against the Biloxi Shuckers (AA affiliate of the Brewers) for the third or fourth straight year—an invaluable experience for those sophomores.

* And on opening day, Louie Sisto of South Suburban did something you don’t see every day: he went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI and hit for the cycle in his very first game of the season.

Then, we dive into the week’s Notable Performers.

* Ryan Deveraux (Hocking) put up a 1.688 OPS with 8 RBI and 2 homers.

* Kane Moye (Chipola) stayed scorching hot with 3 homers and a 1.755 OPS.

* Willie Cornejo-Farmer (Cisco) continued his tear, hitting .556 with a 1.888 OPS.

* The Johnson County offense was unstoppable: Colin Coonradt went 9-for-21 with 4 homers and 14 RBI, while Drake Gawer and Victor Christal anchored a dominant pitching staff that struck out 52 in 42 innings with just 10 walks.

* Out in the NWAC, Gabe Tanner and Coltan Spagnuolo of Treasure Valley combined for 7 shutout innings as the Chukars opened with a statement sweep.

Ranking Recaps are packed with movement.

* Weatherford bounced back with a 4-0 week after a tough stretch.

* Johnson County is on an absolute tear, going 6-0 and outscoring opponents 82-24 with 17 homers.

* Walters State swept a top-26 opponent in Pellissippi.

* Florida SouthWestern took 3 of 4, while John A. Logan went 4-0 and Georgia Highlands won 5 of 6.

* In Division II, Pearl River, East Central MS, and Pasco-Hernando kept rolling, while Pima hit a speed bump against Chandler-Gilbert.

* In the 3C2A, Fresno City remains perfect at 11-0, Ohlone is 12-0, and Glendale swept a 3-game set.

* The NWAC saw Linn-Benton sweep Columbia Basin, Tacoma open 3-0, and Treasure Valley make noise with a 4-0 sweep of #10 Chemeketa.

Players of the Week were absolutely absurd.

* Briggs Roe (Johnson County): 11-22, 16 RBI, 6 HR, 2.045 OPS.

* Joey Nicholson (Gaston): 9-13, 11 RBI, 8 SB, 1.916 OPS.

* Dalton Berg (McCook): 8-13, 12 RBI, 3 HR, 2.337 OPS.

* Bryan Williams (NOC Enid): 9-14, 10 RBI, 2 HR, 1.992 OPS.

* Aaron Gilden (USC Lancaster): 11-16, 12 RBI, 3 HR, 2.137 OPS.

Pitchers of the Week delivered masterpieces.

* Jorge Rodriguez (Riverside): 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0.29 WHIP.

* Christian Garner (St. Cloud Tech): 5 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 7 K.

* Max Arlich (Chandler-Gilbert): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K—against #9 Pima.

* Jordan McIntyre (Treasure Valley): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER across two appearances.

Teams of the Week honors go to Johnson County for their utter dominance, Chandler-Gilbert for sweeping #9 Pima and announcing themselves in the ACCAC, and Treasure Valley for a 4-0 NWAC opening statement.

Stat Leaders are starting to take shape, with Ryan Senecal (Palm Beach) leading in hits, Kameron Yearsley (Logan) crushing 9 homers already, and Nate Severance (Cleveland St.) swiping 19 bags.

Finally, we look ahead to Week 5’s biggest matchups.

* Walters State vs. Surry (D1 vs. D3 top-10 clash)

* Florida SouthWestern vs. Pasco-Hernando (in-state bragging rights)

* John A. Logan vs. Kankakee (a top-10 D1 vs. D2 showdown)

* Gaston vs. Florence-Darlington (Region 10 heavyweight fight)

* Northeastern vs. Williston State (four games in North Dakota)

* Grayson vs. Blinn (Texas power meeting)

* In the NWAC, Lower Columbia faces a brutal week: Chemeketa then Bellevue.

* In the 3C2A, Riverside vs. Palomar and Butte vs. Feather River highlight the slate.

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We’re back with a jam-packed episode covering everything you need to know from another wild week of JUCO baseball.

First, a huge congratulations to Cloud County’s Eric Gillilard on career win #300 — a testament to consistency and culture-building at the small-college level.

Then, we jump into Part 2 of our interview with Eastern Oklahoma State head coach Josh Merrill. We pick up where we left off: fatherhood with four kids at 33, the grind of coaching in the Northwoods League (and winning it all), his coaching philosophy caught between old school grit and new school analytics, and what to expect from a very young, very talented Mountaineer squad in 2025. Plus, a heartfelt tribute to his mentor, Steve Murray of Neosho County — the man who shaped his career.

After the break, we run through the week’s Notable Performers. Dodge City’s Hunter Morgan and Preston Harrison put up video-game numbers in the same lineup, while Salt Lake’s Willy Roberts, ECCC’s Briceton Johnson, and Williston State’s Grant Nekuza delivered monster series. On the mound, Sawyer Brinkman (Dodge City) and the Johnson County bullpen trio of Victor Christal, Colin Conrad, and Nolan Buss dominated, and Eliott Marin of NEO A&M did it all — raking at the plate and locking down saves.

Our Ranking Recaps track the movement across Divisions I, II, III, and the 3C2A. Weatherford takes its first lumps, Blinn keeps rolling, and Cloud County and Williston State earn Team of the Week honors with perfect 4-0 and 5-0 weeks. Fresno City stays hot in California.

We crown our Players and Pitchers of the Week — including Bryce Meachem (Guilford Tech), who drove in 15 runs in four games, and Nathan Leffel (Fresno City), who threw a complete-game 10-K shutout.

Finally, we peek ahead at next week’s marquee matchups: Walters State vs. Pellissippi, Blinn vs. McLennan, Cowley vs. Tyler, and a huge D2 clash between Pasco-Hernando and Heartland.

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This week on the show, we’re breaking down the early-season action and stories from across the JUCO baseball world!

We kick things off with the week’s most jaw-dropping achievements, including a 5-homer inning for Cisco and milestone wins for coaches Matt Collins (1st career win) and Nick Garritano (600th!).

In our featured interview, we bring you Part 1 of our conversation with Eastern Oklahoma State’s new head coach, Josh Merrill. We dive into:

* His unique path from JUCO player to head coach.

* The invaluable perspective his background gives him in relating to players.

* How the JUCO landscape has evolved over the last 15 years.

* His coaching stops in Kansas and Iowa, and what it’s like taking over the program at EOSC.

* Plus, the usual off-the-beaten-path fun that makes these chats special.

Then, we get into the nitty-gritty of the season with our Notable Performers and Ranking Recaps across NJCAA Divisions I, II, III, and the 3C2A. We highlight the teams making waves and the players putting up video-game numbers.

Finally, we crown our Players and Pitchers of the Week, spotlighting the individuals who dominated on the diamond, and name our Teams of the Week who delivered statement victories.

It’s a packed episode full of the stories, stats, and insights you can only get from the heart of JUCO baseball.

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The Season is finally HERE!!!!!!

Week 1 is in the books!

We cover the Top 10 movement. Top Players. Top Teams. a slight preview into this upcoming week. and then hit on some House Keeping future things coming to the JBB this season!

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What’s it like to cover a perfect season? In the second half of our chat, NAIA Ball’s Taylor Thomas and I break down the two biggest stories from the diamond: LSU Shreveport’s unbelievable 59-0 run to a national title, and Charlie Muniz’s destruction of the all-time college home run record. Taylor gives the inside perspective on covering history, the friendships behind the headlines, and why Shreveport’s pitching staff might be the best ever at the level. We also zoom out to talk about the exploding popularity of college baseball coverage and how social media has changed the game. And because no talk with Taylor is complete without Oklahoma flavor, we relive the OKC Thunder’s championship parade through the eyes of a local and reaffirm the sacred status of Eischen’s Bar. It’s a celebration of the records, the rides, and the pure joy of the game.

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What's it like to build a national media platform for the most undercovered level of college baseball? We sit down with Taylor Thomas, co-host of the powerhouse NAIA Ball platform. From his own playing days in the Sooner Athletic Conference to stepping up to help lead the brand after a tragic loss, Taylor takes us inside the mission to showcase hidden talent. We discuss the surprising depth of NAIA (and JUCO) baseball, the grind of running a niche media company, and how a passion for sports journalism comes full circle. Plus, we dive into unique Oklahoma sports culture, including the legendary small-school fall baseball state tournament that produces elite talent. It’s a conversation about love for the game, the places that shape us, and the fried chicken that binds a state together.

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In Part 2 with East Central CC Athletic Director Paul Nixon, we dive deep into what makes Mississippi junior college baseball arguably the best in the nation. Paul breaks down the state’s incredible coaching trees—including how his own baseball coach Neil Holloman has built an “Alabama football”-level program and spawned a network of head coaches across the state. We discuss East Central’s historic three straight trips to the NJCAA World Series in Enid, why out-of-state programs flock to Mississippi for preseason competition, and the intricate web of connections that makes the baseball world feel both massive and intimately small.

Plus, Paul and I tackle the new NJCAA rule increasing LOIs from 24 to 30 and debate whether this strengthens the JUCO development model or risks turning it into a “post-grad” stopover. We close with Paul’s dream golf foursome—featuring Jesus, Pat Summitt, and his dad—and I accept his standing invitation to tour every Mississippi JUCO in a van. If you want to understand why no one takes a weekend off in Region 23, this episode is your masterclass.

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We sit down with Paul Nixon, the show’s first “straight AD” guest (not dual head coach/AD). Nixon unpacks his unique upbringing as the child of two coaches who started women’s athletics at Mississippi College, his 22-year journey coaching women’s basketball (including 8 years as head coach at Columbia University in the Ivy League), and his transition back home to lead East Central CC. Deep dive into Mississippi’s complex JUCO roster rules, out-of-state limits, and why the state’s community college facilities are elite despite state law prohibiting public funding for athletics.

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