LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three highly successful programs earned 2019 NFCA National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors, the Association revealed on Wednesday.  

CCBC Catonsville was voted by its NFCA peers as the top team in the East Region, while Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) earned Midwest Region accolades and East Central Community College garnered recognition in the South Region.

Head coach Chuck Slater, along with his assistants Bob Baxter, Jess Dubbs and Bill Saunders, guided the Cardinals to a 38-10 overall record and 17-1 in Maryland Junior College Conference (MJCC) play. CCBC Catonsville captured the MJCC title and reached its highest national ranking (No. 11) in 10 years. The Cardinals also earned the top seed in the NJCAA DII Region XX Tournament and currently leads Division II with a .433 batting average and .507 on-base percentage.

DMACC earned Midwest Region honors and are headed back the NJCAA Division II National Championships for the sixth consecutive season. Head coach Bob Ligouri, along with assistants Thana Heller, John Wilkinson and Molly Bolibaugh, guided the Bears to a 48-6 overall mark and 26-2 in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play. DMACC collected three titles - NJCAA District G, NJCAA DII XI-A and ICCAC - on its way to the national tournament. The latter two were the program’s third straight titles.

In the South, East Central finished its 2019 campaign with a 28-14 record, 21-8 in Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) play. Steered by head coach Eric Neel and assistant coach Emily Church, the Lady Warriors enjoyed a 13-game winning streak and were ranked No. 12 nationally in the final NJCAA DII poll of the regular season.

The NFCA NJCAA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year will be announced on June 7.