The Marshalltown Community College baseball team opens up Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play on Friday afternoon at Southwestern Community College for a four-game weekend series.
Originally scheduled for a Saturday/Sunday series, first pitch was moved up to 2:00 PM on Friday for a doubleheader due to impending weather. Saturday's twinbill is set for a 1:00 PM start.
MCC, who finished second in the ICCAC in 2016 and reached the Region XI Tournament championship game enters Friday's conference-opener with a 9-11 record. Southwestern, who made the jump up to NJCAA Division I status for the first time since 2012, holds an 11-13 record through the opening portion of the season.
The Tigers have won the previous five meetings against the Spartans and eight of the last 10 matchups. Over the course of the last 10 meetings, MCC has outscored SWCC 103-44.
MCC has been paced offensively by a series of hitters batting .350 or better on the year. Freshman Jose Mieses (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Prepara) boasts a team-high .400 batting average thanks to a current seven-game hitting streak. Sophomore Enmanuel Lopez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Prepara) holds a .371 batting average and is tied atop the home run leaderboard in the ICCAC with five round-trippers.
On the mound, sophomores Juan Carlos Gonzalez (Piedra Blanca, Dominican Republic/Salome Urena de Henrriquez) and Diogen Ceballos (La Vega, Dominican Republic/Lice la Romana) have led the rotation, combining for five wins with 47.0 innings pitched. Gonzalez ranks second in the ICCAC with 34 strikeouts.
The Spartans enter Friday's matchup with a pair of hitters ranked in the top 15 in the ICCAC in batting average with Victor Perez (.368) and Manuel Hazoury (.356). Ian Torres has served as the Spartans' top pitcher with a 3-2 record to go along with a 3.91 earned run average and 20 strikeouts.
BY THE NUMBERS (2016-17 Totals)
| Category | MCC | SWCC |
| Overall Record | 9-11 | 11-13 |
| Conference | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Non-Conference | 9-11 | 11-13 |
| Home | 2-2 | 8-2 |
| Away | 7-8 | 2-11 |
| Neutral | 0-1 | 1-0 |
| Team Batting Average | .309 | .282 |
| Team On-Base Percentage | .425 | .375 |
| Team Slugging Percentage | .462 | .399 |
| Runs Scored | 139 | 117 |
| Home Runs | 15 | 7 |
| Team Earned Run Average | 7.79 | 5.59 |
| Pitching Strikeouts | 135 | 137 |
| Fielding Percentage | .935 | .940 |
LAST 10 MEETINGS
| Year | Result | Location |
| 2016 | W, 8-0 | Marshalltown, IA |
| 2016 | W, 13-9 | Marshalltown, IA |
| 2016 | W, 10-0 | Creston, IA |
| 2016 | W, 10-3 | Creston, IA |
| 2015 | W, 8-7 | Creston, IA |
| 2015 | L, 7-5 | Creston, IA |
| 2015 | W, 16-2 (5) | Creston, IA |
| 2013 | W, 12-2 | Marshalltown, IA |
| 2012 | W, 11-8^ | Centerville, IA |
| 2012 | L, 14-4 (5)* | Marshalltown, IA |
* ICCAC DI Game
^ Region XI Tournament
