LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three programs from each National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I and II were voted ATEC/NFCA NJCAA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, the Association announced on Tuesday.
Representing NJCAA DI is Grayson College in the Midwest, Odessa College in the West and Florida SouthWestern State College in the South. Potomac State College (East), Rock Valley College (Midwest) and Murray State College (South) earned NJCAA DII honors.
Top-ranked Murray State is a perfect 56-0 and earned the South Region selection in Division II for the second straight season. Head coach Aaron Mullens and assistants Charlie Crawford and C.J. Crane have led the Lady Aggies to 103 wins over the last two seasons, including finishing runner-up to three-time defending national champion Phoenix College a year ago. Murray State starts play at the national tournament on Tuesday in Spartanburg, S.C.
Eight-time NJCAA Division III national champion Rock Valley earned Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors in its first season in NJCAA Division II. The 10th-ranked (43-10) Golden Eagles, led by co-head coaches Darin Monroe and Vivi Marquez, and assistants D.J. Johnson and Kelsie Packard, won their first two games in the NJCAA Region IV playoffs and host Madison College again today in the final game of that bracket.
Under the direction of head coach Craig Rotruck and assistants Rich Thompson, D.J. Anderson and Chris Shoemaker, Potomac State (43-3) captured the Region 20 Tournament title on Saturday with a 12-3 triumph over Hagerstown Community College. The Catamounts are the No. 19 team in the latest NJCAA Division II rankings.
2023 NFCA Junior College Leadoff Classic champion Florida SouthWestern (49-5) is heading back to the NJCAA tournament to try to defend its national title — after capturing the Florida College System Activities Association state championship with an 8-2 win over Northwest Florida two Sundays ago. Head coach Robert Iamurri and assistants Kellie Quarles-Webb, Brett Sauerwein and Pat Carosone have their No. 3-ranked squad batting .355 overall and well-positioned for nationals with a 20-3 record in neutral-site games this season.
Head coach Jeff Jackson and assistant Melanie Jaegers have guided top-ranked Odessa to 50 victories for the second season in a row. The (51-4) Wranglers have won 29 straight, including a pair of victories over Midland earlier this week. Odessa finished a program-best third nationally in 2022.
Grayson (46-7) has won 24 of its last 27, including its last seven in a row. The No. 5-ranked Vikings, under the direction of head coach Michael McBrayer and assistants Jason Miller and Taylor Harris, are coming off a 5-0 triumph over McLennan Community College last Sunday in the Region V championship game.
The NFCA NJCAA Division I & II National Coaching Staffs of the Year will be announced on June 5.
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