EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – For just the second time in program history, Lansing Community College’s baseball team is headed to the NJCAA Division II World Series.
The Stars won the regional championship game over Kellogg Community College, 17-6, to become one of ten teams in the country to advance to the College World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.
The tournament’s seedings were announced on Tuesday and Lansing was given the No. 5 seed. The Stars will take on No. 4 Frederick in the first round on May 29 at 1 p.m. The World Series runs from May 28 to June 4 and is double elimination.
Last August, Steven Cutter was hired as LCC’s baseball coach, and ever since Day one he’s been preparing the team for this exact moment.
“I’m a firm believer that if you ever want to do anything in life, you need to see it, smell it, taste it, whatever it might be long before it ever happens,” Cutter said. “We started preparing for the College World Series in August.”
“Coach Cutter is the most dedicated coach I’ve ever met,” LCC freshman catcher Noah Bright said. “He has done nothing but helps us and we would not be in the position we are in without him.”
Because of the win over Kellogg, the Stars avenged their loss to the Bruins in last season’s regional title game. It was a feeling of defeat that sat with LCC over the past year, and when the team found themselves down 3-0 in the second inning, things flipped.
Lansing erupted for 17 runs in the final seven innings, scoring in every inning except the seventh. As a true freshman, Bright led the Stars with five hits and a home run. Covid-freshman Bobby Cavin tallied three hits and two RBIs out of the DH position.
Cavin was right in the middle of the dogpile LCC had after the final out was recorded. It was a moment he and the team have envision for a while.
“We were practicing that dogpile in January just knowing that we trust the process, do what we have to do, and we’ll get to that point,” Cavin said. “You live for those moments. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life and until I’m an old man.”
The Stars leave Wednesday and will bus 996 miles down to Oklahoma.