Raptors Take Second in NJCAA Region XX DIII Baseball Tournament

The hope of a repeat NJCAA Region XX title run was very much alive in the MC Raptors dugout as they entered the Region XX Tournament as the #2 seed on May 14.  

The MC baseball team faced off against Community College of Alleghany (CCAC South) from Pennsylvania in the first round where the Raptors defense dominated and responsive base running helped propel the Raptors to a 13-3 win to advance. Jamil Canaan hit a triple to left field in the first frame that drove in three RBIs; the next batter Josh Tejada hit a SAC fly that scored Canaan.  

The Raptors put up seven runs total in the first inning and Cole Wykoff and Darren Prebble scored three runs each during the game. Raptors pitcher Vincent Anninos recorded his fourth win of the season with a complete game allowing six hits, two earned runs and three strikes outs in five innings of work.  

Game Highlights: https://youtu.be/y-786Xwp8a4 

Game two was against Prince George's Community College and, as games normally go against PGCC, this one was a nail biter as PGCC won with a walk-off double in the ninth to win 8-7. Clayton Dwyer started on the mound for MC and pitched 7.1 innings giving up 10 hits, five earned runs and seven strike outs. Wykoff tallied three RBIs in the game while teammate Brock Antognoni was on fire at the plate recording three hits off four at-bats recording two runs scored, two RBIs, and a clutch solo homer run in the top of the eighth inning to give his Raptors a one-run lead.  

With the loss, the Raptors were one game away from elimination and they had to play CCAC South for the second time in the tournament 30 minutes after playing PGCC. The Raptors put up five runs in the third inning to help solidify their 9-2 victory over CCAC South. Patrick Burke made his second pitching appearance of the season and pitched a shutout through his 5.2 innings pitched, allowing seven hits, zero earned runs, and five strike outs.  

Day Two Highlights: https://youtu.be/kQ79FUo8-_U 

The Raptors fell in the finals of the Region XX Tournament against PGCC. The game was tied going into the bottom of the sixth inning when a PGCC double squeaked by the Raptors defense to give them a one-run lead. The Raptors would pull back ahead in the top of the seventh with a solo home run from Greg Brown. C. Wykoff doubled to left field and that scored P. Burke from first to give the Raptors a one-run lead. PGCC would answer back in the bottom half of the eighth frame to score three runs and held off the Raptors from mounting another comeback, Prince George's CC won 6-5. The Raptors were 0-4 in head to head competition with PGCC, losing three of those games by only one run.  

Vincent Anninos, Cole Wykoff, Greg Brown and Brock Antognoni were selected to the All Region Tournament Team.  

Final day Highlights: https://youtu.be/CiZiQ8ioT1k 

The Raptors baseball team finishes .500 on the season with a 25-25 record overall and 9-14 in the MDJUCO. The team finished the season with a .268 batting average, a .385 on base percentage and 25 home runs; Brock Antognoni, had five home run and lead the team with 46 hits, followed by Greg Brown with four home runs on the season.