Coe Baseball

Kohawks hang on to edge Ripon

LA CROSSE, Wis. - Jack Hoffmann picked up his fourth save in as many games as Coe survived three home runs from Ripon's Michael Polcyn to win, 5-4, in second-round NCAA Division III regional play here Thursday at Copeland Park.

The Kohawks (33-12) play in the winner's bracket final at 7:45 p.m. Friday against the winner of a game betweenWashington-St. Louis and Wisconsin-LaCrosse that was suspended by rain Thursday night with Washington leading, 6-5 in the third inning. That contest will be continued at 10 a.m. Friday

If Coach Steve Cook's Kohawks win Friday, they will have two chances to win the regional championship.

Ripon (24-15) drops into the loser's bracket at 1:15 p.m. Friday against Concordia-Chicago.

Polcyn almost single-handedly pushed the Red Hawks, which downed defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater, 15-7, in their opener, to their second-straight upset. He hit solo homers in first, sixth and eighth. He has hit 12 homers in the last 13 games.

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Coe tops St. John's in NCAA tourney

LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Coe College baseball team got strong pitching Wednesday morning and clipped St. John's of Minnesota, 4-2, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional tournament in La Crosse, Wis.

Connor Alberhasky (5-4) allowed only one earned run in seven innings and got the victory. Jack Hoffmann, one of the stars for Coe in the Iowa Conference tournament last weekend, tossed two innings of shutout ball for the save.

Coe (32-12) will face Ripon (24-14) in the second round Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The Kohawks anticipated meeting Wisconsin-Whitewater in the second round, but Ripon stunned Whitewater 15-7 Wednesday and dropped the No. 1 seed and 2014 national champs into the losers bracket.

Hoffmann has collected three straight saves for the Kohawks, twice against Wartburg in the league tournament and now against St. John's in the NCAA regional tournament. They are his only three saves of the season and have come at a perfect time for the Kohawks.

Craig Konrardy went 2-for-3 and two drove in two runs for Coe. Hoffmann and Grant Henning were both 2-for-5.

The Kohawks have tied the school record for most victories in a season, matching the 2011 club with 32 wins.

Coe scored its first two runs in the second inning on bases-loaded walks by Alec Zwanziger and Konrardy for a 2-1 lead. The Kohawks added two more runs in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Konrardy and Hoffmann for a 4-1 advantage.

St. John's pulled within 4-2 in the fifth inning, but drew no closer.

Coe             020 200 000 - 4 10 1
St. John's   100 010 000 - 2 10 1

W - Alberhasky (5-4). L - Delwiche (3-4). S - Hoffmann (3).

IIAC honors 7 Kohawks in baseball

Seven members of the Coe baseball team have been named to the Iowa Conference all-star team, the league announced Wednesday.

AJ Reuter, Craig Konrardy, Michael Goerdt and Jack Hoffmann were named to the first team. Connor Alberhasky and Grant Henning were named to the second team. Jory Heckenberg received honorable mention.

The Kohawks (32-12) won the Iowa Conference tournament last weekend and defeated St. John's of Minnesota, 4-2, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional tournament in La Crosse, Wis., Wednesday.

Cedar Rapids Prairie grad DJ Utley of Wartburg was named first team all-conference.

Reuter, Hoffmann honored by IIAC

Coe baseball players AJ Reuter and Jack Hoffmann have been named Athletes of the Week by the Iowa Conference for their outstanding work in the league tournament.

Reuter went 9-for-14 in three games, drove in nine runs and was the winning pitcher against Wartburg in the winners bracket final Friday.

Hoffmann pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief on Friday and Saturday, both times against 14th-ranked Wartburg in the double-elimination tournament. He collected saves in both games as the Kohawks won the tournament. He allowed just one run in the tournament.

They were Hoffmann's first two saves of the season.