12/04/12

Story by Tyler Cundith

Baseball – Cavaliers moving on

OVERLAND PARK, KS – Johnson County Community College head baseball coach Kent Shelley announced today that sophomore pitchers Matt Blackham and Nick Kolarik and sophomore infielder Darius Hampton have signed national letters of intent with NCAA Division I programs. Blackham signed with Middle Tennessee University. Kolarik is headed to Indiana State University, and Hampton inked with Jackson State University.

Blackham (Olathe, Kan.) is expected to be the ace of the Cavaliers staff this season. Last year, he was a fixture in the starting rotation. He started 12 games and pitched 52 innings with 55 strikeouts. He finished his freshman season with a 2.56 earned run average, and held opposing batters to an impressive .223 average. Middle Tennessee State participates in the Sun Belt Conference and is coached by Jim McGuire.

Kolarik (Overland Park, Kan.) will once again be the closer for Johnson County after earning second-team All-East Jayhawk Conference honors last season. He pitched in a team leading 32 games and worked 55 innings. He finished with a 1.78 ERA with 69 strikeouts, 10 saves and a 6-2 record. He also only allowed 13 free passes and held batters to an amazing .157 average. Indiana State participates in the Missouri Valley Conference and is coached by Rick Heller. Last year, Indiana State won the conference and was selected as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA regional at Eugene, Ore.

Hampton (Raytown, Mo.) returns to anchor the Cavaliers defense at shortstop this spring. Possessing some of the best tools by a shortstop under coach Shelley, Hampton posted a fielding percentage of .910 last season. At the plate, Hampton hit .229 with 27 hits, including two doubles and a triple, 30 runs and 14 RBI. Jackson State participates in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and is coached by Omar Johnson.

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