IHCC softball schedule released

Jan. 16—OTTUMWA — The Indian Hills softball team has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2024 campaign. Under first year head coach Tarah Rayos, the Warriors open the year Feb. 16.

After a trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball World Series last year, the Warriors return to action with a 54-game schedule in 2024, including 16 home dates at R.L. Hellyer Field. This year's slate features trips to six different states around the country with games against six national tournament teams from a year ago. The Warriors will square off with 14 teams that won at least 30 games last year, including nine that won 40 or more contests.

"We are going to be challenged this entire season and that is going to push us to work harder physically and mentally every day," stated Rayos. "We open up our season with a bang, playing one of the best Division II teams in the country and it's going to be a competitive schedule from there. We have our invite down in Oxford, Alabama and that will test us, but the goal is to start our season there and end our season there."

Indian Hills opens the season at the SCC Turf Tournament in Burlington Feb. 16-18 with games against Kirkwood Community College, North Platte Community College, and Metropolitan Community College.

The Warriors will then begin their southern swing with a trip to Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee on Feb. 21 before heading to the JUCO Extravaganza in Oxford, Alabama, the site of this year's NJCAA World Series, Feb. 23-25. The Warriors will take on the likes of Snead State Community College, Three Rivers Community College, Southern Union State Community College, Marion Military Institute, Wallace State Community College and Shelton State Community College.

March opens up with the Iowa Western round-robin in Council Bluffs with four games Mar. 1-2, including a date against Hutchinson Community College. The Warriors follow up with trips to Kansas to face Johnson Community College on Mar. 10 and Butler Community College, a team the Warriors knocked off in last year's World Series on Mar. 11.

Indian Hills travels to Seminole State College on Mar. 16 for a rematch of last year's World Series opening round that saw the Trojans knock off the Warriors 1-0 in an eight-inning thriller. The Warriors will also take on Murray State Community College, last year's top-ranked NJCAA DII program, Mar. 17 in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

The home opener for the Warriors is set for Mar. 21 against North Iowa Area Community College as part of a six-game homestand at R.L. Hellyer Field. The six-game stretch includes back-to-back Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) doubleheaders vs. Marshalltown Community College and Southeastern Community College. The Warriors are winners of eight consecutive NJCAA Region XI Championships.

"Our conference is making strides and continually getting better, and no game will be an easy slate for us," Rayos added. "Non-conference opponents are no joke either. Nonetheless, to be the best, we need to play the best. I feel this schedule will test us and push us to reach our goals this season."

The Warriors' nonconference schedule also features trips to Lake Land Community College, a 50-game winner from a year ago, as well as North Central Missouri Community College and perennial Division II power Rock Valley College.

Indian Hills closes out the regular season with 10 of its final 12 contests at home, including dates with Butler and State Fair Community College along with conference foes Iowa Western Community College and Southwestern Community College.

The four-team NJCAA Region 11 Tournament is set for May 1-6 with best-of-three series set to determine the champion. The NJCAA Midwest District Tournament, hosted by the ICCAC winner, is scheduled for May 10-11 with the NJCAA World Series at Chocolocco Park scheduled for May 20-25.