Category: Athletics

Baseball diamond graphic with text: Baseball is back! Sprint 2022

Omir Santos, Former MLB Player, Reflects on ECC Days

February 14, 2022 | Athletics Campus News

In 2001, Omir Santos was the catcher for the last East Central College baseball team to take the field in more than 20 years.

After the 2001 season the ECC baseball field was empty for years to come, but Santos was just beginning his career in professional baseball.

“I was sad when I heard there was no longer baseball at ECC,” said the 40-year-old backstop. “But it is great to hear that baseball is back now.”

In just a few days, a new ECC baseball squad will take the field. The team plays its first game in Harrison, Ark., against North Arkansas College. A home opener at Taco Bell Field had been slated for Feb. 22 at noon, but weather and field conditions could change the date of the first game in Union.

Santos, 40, was recruited in 1999 from his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to play baseball at ECC, where he played two seasons.

Santos was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2001 in the 21st round of the MLB draft. He made his way through the minor leagues with the Yankees affiliate club, and then played in the Majors for four different teams.

Santos is one of just two ECC players to play in the Majors. The other player, Tom Henke, was a dominant relief pitcher in the 1980s and 1990s.

Santos moved onto coaching and managing teams after his playing days and in January he was named the manager of the Lynchburg Hillcats, Virginia League Baseball team, an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

Santos said he is looking into coming to the college to watch a game and show his son around ECC.

All-American Player

Santos attended ECC from 1999-2001, and during his freshman season, he was a key piece of the ECC team winning the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) title.

It was the first and only time in school history that the team won the conference title.

In 2000, Santos was named National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-Region.

He also garnered NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors after his sophomore season. He led the ECC team in batting average and runs batted in during his second collegiate season.

Santos was named a NJCAA Division 1, third-team All-American after his sophomore season in 2001.

At ECC

Santos said his time at ECC prepared him for the big leagues, and life in general.

“It was a cool experience,” he commented. “If I ever had to do it again, I would pick ECC — they gave me the opportunity to play baseball and go to school.”

“It was the first time that I left the house,” Santos remembered. “My parents were not there and being on my own It made me grow fast — I was cooking, doing laundry, things I was not prepared for.”

He added that ECC gave him his first experience being independent, but also a strong foundation for baseball at the highest level.

“When I first arrived at ECC, I did not know what to do,” Santos said, “but everyone made me feel comfortable.”

He was one of nine ballplayers from Puerto Rico, and there were many more international students attending the college.

“I had the opportunity to meet people from different places and cultures who were all going to school — and I got together with other students who also were far from home, so I was not alone.”

Santos still talks with teammates via social media.

“We keep in touch through Facebook and Instagram messages,” he said. “We don’t talk every day, but I still talk with some of the guys.”

East Central Baseball t-shirt back with Santos and number 29

Baseball Career

Santos played at the Major League level with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians (now called the Guardians). He made his Major League debut Sept. 5, 2008, with the Baltimore Orioles.

He had a long professional career, 122 major league appearances where he totaled 80 hits, 41 RBI and 7 home runs. Santos was named to the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team in 2009 with the Mets.

Prior to taking the head spot with the Hillcats, Santos worked as the Akron Rubber Ducks bench coach, which also is a Cleveland Guardians affiliate. He resides with his wife Gelitza and two children in Kissimmee, Fla.

Santos owns and runs the Triple Crown Sports Academy, a baseball training facility and travel baseball organization.

College Launches Online Holiday Apparel Store

November 10, 2021 | Athletics Campus News

The East Central College Bookstore’s holiday online apparel store is now open.

The store offers holiday-themed clothing including “ugly Christmas sweaters,” and “vintage truck” apparel.

Visit the store at https://eccholiday2021.itemorder.com/.

The online store will only be open for a limited time, and it will close Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 11:59 p.m.

The college partnered with MVP Apparel, a Legacy Company located in Washington.

Customers will have access to several holiday items, including:

ECC Holiday T-shirts
Vintage Truck Long sleeve and short sleeve t-shirts
Vintage Truck fleece hooded sweatshirts
Holiday crewneck sweatshirts
“Ugly sweater” long sleeve t-shirts
“Ugly sweater” fleece crewneck sweatshirts

Traditional apparel items include:

ECC Fan Favorite T-shirts
Pullover hoodies
Fleece crewneck sweatshirt
One-quarter zip pullover fleece sweatshirts

Women’s apparel includes:

Flannel plaid pants
French terry hoodies
Soft shell vests

Accessories include:

Soccer scarf
ECC pom beanie

Akot Named NJCAA Region 16 Player of the Year

November 3, 2021 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College sophomore Stephen Akot was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Region (NJCAA) Region 16 DII Men’s Soccer Player of the Year.

The award goes to the player receiving the most votes from the region coaches at the conclusion of the regular season.

Akot, a native of Dronten, Netherlands, is in his third season at ECC. Akot elected to stay one more semester before graduating this December because last year’s COVID-19 impacted season didn’t count against his eligibility, according to Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, ECC Athletic Director.

“His first sophomore year was hampered by an ankle injury and he felt he needed to stay at ECC to prove himself,” he said.

Akot has been a model student in the classroom, student worker and athlete during his tenure as a Falcon.

“He will be graduating with an associate degree and plans to either return to the Netherlands or find a job anywhere in the world,” Mehrhoff added. “He loves his home country, but Stephen is up to exploring more opportunities before he officially has to become an adult with a job.”

On top of his great digital social media work for the soccer team, he has his own fashion line called “Merch,” specializing in casual wear with a design flare as he makes specialty T-shirts and hoodies.

A very talented person, Akot hopes to combine his passions into a future profession in business and fashion.

Akot’s 15 goals this season tie him for No 11 all-time with former teammate Arman Kovac (2019) and NJCAA 2nd Team All-American Jacob Moore (2015.)

Also, Akot’s 21 career goals tie him for ninth all-time in goals scored for a career in the ECC soccer record books.

In 2019, he scored 6 Goals and had 2 assists for a total of 14 points. In 2020, he had 1 goal and no assists for a total of 2 points.

This year, Akot had 15 Goals and 5 assists for a total of 35 points.

Photo by Bill Battle, The Missourian

Clark Named NJCAA Player of the Year

November 2, 2021 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College volleyball player Trinity Clark was named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 16 DII Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year.

Clark helped her team win the region championship and she will continue her impressive defensive play Saturday, Nov. 6, at 3 p.m. at ECC when the Falcons play Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the district championship.

The winner will go onto the NJCAA National Tournament.

“Some may think Trinity to be quiet off the court, but on the court, she commands a presence on defense side for ECC,” said Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, ECC athletic director.

He added that Clark has been a key player in back-to-back NJCAA Region 16 Championships for the Falcons, and she was a two-time First Team All-Region performer in the spring 2021, as well as this fall 2021 season.

“The stat lines for Clark at ECC were super impressive in that two-year span,” Mehrhoff said. “A shortened 2020-21, due to a Covid abbreviated season, had her numbers a little lower in the ECC record books compared to past players, but they still put her in the top 10 for a career in digs with 1,033 to date.”

In 2020, Clark had 393 digs with an average of 5.67 digs per set. This season, she had 636 Digs with an average of 6.24 digs per set.

Clark hopes to graduate this semester with her associate degree and move on to play at a four-year college somewhere in Missouri or close to the area.

Bookstore Opens Online Apparel Store

August 24, 2021 | Athletics Campus News

The East Central College Bookstore has launched an online store of ECC clothing to better serve its customers.

Customers will have access to several items, including:

ECC T-shirts
Pullover hoodie
Sweatshirt
Crewneck sweatshirt
Silk touch polo

Women’s Apparel includes:

1/4-Zip pullover
V-Neck T-shirt
Flannel plaid pants
Performance baseball shirt
Ladies dimension polo

The store also will offer additional inventory and color options not available at the store on the Union ECC campus.

The online store will only be open for a limited time, and it will close Sunday, Sept. 12, at 11:59 p.m.

Visit the store at https://ecc2021.itemorder.com/sale.

The college partnered with MVP Apparel, a Legacy Company located in Washington.

Mills to Coach Success on Baseball Field, In Classroom and Life

August 19, 2021 | Athletics

East Central College Baseball Coach Johnathan Mills said there is much more to a successful team than just winning games.

He explained that the ECC Baseball Falcons will strive to be successful on the field and in the classroom, as well as be ambassadors for the college in the community.

“If we do what we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to do it,” Mills said, “we will build a foundation in which kids from throughout the region will want to come here and play baseball.”

Mills was hired last month to take over the head coaching job when Brandon Rains took a coaching and faculty position in Texas. The team hasn’t missed a beat during the transition.

This year’s baseball team will be the first to take the field at ECC in over 20 years. The regular season begins in the spring of 2022 and preseason games are set to begin in October.

According to Mills, the squad will play some preseason games at Ronsick Field, Washington, to give more community members a chance to check out the team.

“We want to create a buzz in the community. We will play a couple of games at Ronsick Field and get more community involvement,” he said.

Mills noted that community involvement is a major part of the team’s mission:

“To give the community and the Institution the type of baseball program and baseball team they can be proud of and compliment the tradition that this Institution has been so proud of through the years, to take the expectations of everyone involved in making this program a reality and its players and bridge them into the process of what it takes to be successful.”

Success in Life

Coach Mills has been a life-long baseball player and coach.

He said it has always been his goal to coach a college program after years of being in the game.

Now that Mills has attained that goal, he wants to instill the same goal-oriented attitude in his players.

“I want them to wake up every day and be the best version of themselves,” he said.

“The players have two careers — on the field and off the field — off the field is more important,” Mills added. “it will shape who they will be in life.”

He further added that his approach and that of his coaching staff is for the players to be successful as people, in the classroom, on the field and in their careers.

“We want players to be more successful in life because they were involved in our program by the principles and values that we’re able to develop with them to be successful relative to the character and attitude they have as a baseball player here at East Central College.”

The Baseball Falcons are slated to play their first scrimmage game Sept. 15 at Central Methodist University.

Planning is underway for a dedication for the new infield turf and scoreboard at the ECC baseball field.

New Skipper to Lead the ECC Baseball Squad

July 13, 2021 | Athletics Campus News

The East Central College Baseball Falcons will have a new leader in the dugout for the first baseball squad at ECC in 20 years.

Coach Johnathan Mills was hired last week to replace Brandon Rains who took a coaching and faculty position at Amarillo College in Texas.

ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff said Mills is a life-long baseball player and coach.

“It has always been his goal to guide a program at the intercollegiate level after years of being in the game,” Mehrhoff said. “Now he will be at the helm of the ECC Falcons newly reinstated baseball program this fall.”

Mills is familiar with many of the recruits since he was named as a volunteer assistant in the fall of 2020.

Mills is a native of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., but played his high school baseball at Tuscaloosa High School and began his collegiate playing career at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

While finishing up his last two years of his undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama he served as a student assistant on Jim Wells baseball staff for the Crimson Tide. The team had success and participated in the New Orleans Regional and Tuscaloosa Super-Regional in 2005-07.

Following graduation, Mills spent the last 13 years in travel and legion baseball, high school and NCAA Division II baseball in the southeastern part of the United States.

Coach Mills earned a bachelor’s degree in consumer science and health studies from the University of Alabama. He completed a master’s degree in management from Troy University in Troy, Ala.

Baseball Reinstated

In 2019 the ECC Board of Trustees reinstated baseball at ECC beginning the 2021-22 academic year. The team will have a roster of 35 players.

The baseball program was cut in 2001 due to budget cuts after starting in 1974. Notable baseball alumni from that era include former Toronto Blue Jay and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tom Henke and former major leaguer Omir Santos who played with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.

In June, trustees approved a bid for a turf infield on the baseball field at ECC’s main campus in Union. The project will be funded by the ECC Foundation’s baseball campaign funds and matched by the Foundation to cover any amount over budget.

Baseball Coach Taking the “Rains” at ECC

November 9, 2020 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College has hired an experienced skipper to lead the Falcons Baseball team when they take the field in the Spring 2022.

Coach Brandon Rains is ECC’s first baseball coach in 20 years. Last year, the sport was reinstated at ECC beginning the 2021-22 academic year.

Rains has been a head coach in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) since 2010 when he began managing the squad at Brookhaven College, Dallas, Texas.

Coach Rains has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for the 20 years. He was selected as ABCA Coach of the Year in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2013 and 2019 he also was part of the coaching staff of the Texas New Mexico Junior College Coaches Association All-Star Game.

Rains will begin his duties at ECC by recruiting the entire squad over the next year, and preparing them to take the diamond in fall of 2021.

The ECC Athletic Department and Foundation will be raising funds to renovate the baseball field through the winter of 2020 to have the field playable in the fall of 2021.

Rains’ Background

Coach Rains took over head coaching duties at NJCAA DIII Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas, in the Fall of 2010.

During his staff’s first season, the Brookhaven Bears cracked the top 10 in the NJCAA polls for the first time in school history coming in at No. 9. Over the next nine seasons, Brookhaven remained in the NJCAA top 10 polls every year with the exception of one.

The Bears were ranked 3rd in the nation to start the 2020 season. During Coach Rains’ 10 seasons at Brookhaven College the Bears won Metro Athletic Conference (MAC) championships in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Rains’ team was in the Final Four in 2013 and took third place in 2019.

The Bears set school records for wins in 2017 with 35 and topped that with 42 in 2019. Brookhaven College had seven straight 30-plus win seasons dating back to 2013.

While at Brookhaven Coach Rains recruited and coached over 60 players with all conference or other post season awards including six NJCAA All Americans.

A native of Rotan, Texas, Rains came to Brookhaven College after spending eight consecutive winning seasons as the lead assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Coach Rains began his college baseball coaching career at the University of Saint Mary (NAIA) in Leavenworth, Kan. from 2000-2002

Coach Rains has coached summer travel teams in Italy, Amsterdam, Australia, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic.

Coach Rains has a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University and attended graduate school at the University of Kansas and has a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Athletic Association Shifts Start of Fall Sports

July 17, 2020 | Athletics Campus News

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has pushed back competitive, close-contact sports slated for this fall to the spring semester.

At East Central College, that means that the men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball seasons, will be played in the spring 2021, instead of this fall.

The NJCAA Board of Regents voted July 13, to adjust the sport season schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The change impacts other sports that are not offered at ECC, including football.

There will be minimal impact to the spring 2021 Softball Falcon’s season.

Teams may begin practicing in the fall but they must follow a timeline approved by the NJCAA.

“Our greatest focus is and always has been providing the best opportunities for our student-athletes,” said Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA president and CEO.

“As we move forward as an association, we will continue to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, and all those involved with the NJCAA to be safe and successful,” he added.

According to Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, ECC athletic director, student athletes will undergo COVID-19 education, hold team meetings and have concussion testing conducted before practices begin.

Listed below are tentative start and end times for practices, regular season games and tournaments:

Men’s and Women’s Soccer — fall practices can start after Aug. 15. ECC plans to start practices Aug. 30, after the first week of classes. ECC plans to end practices Oct. 30.

Spring practices start March 15, 2021, and games will start April 2, 2021. There will be a 14-game regular season to be completed before May 15. Regional tournaments to begin May 17, 2021.

Women’s Volleyball — fall practices can start after Aug. 15. ECC plans to start practices Aug. 30, after first week of classes. ECC plans to end practices Oct. 30. There could be adjustments to the schedule and begin practices later, such as Sep. 15, and end by Nov. 15, according to Mehrhoff.

Spring practices begin Jan.11, 2021, and games begin Jan. 29, 2021. There will be 21 days that regular season games will be played, to be completed before March 24, 2021, and a regional tournament scheduled for March 26-27, 2021.

Softball — fall practices can begin after Sept. 5. Spring practices can start Jan. 10, 2021. Games can start Jan, 22, 2021. Regular season must be completed by May 4, 2021, and a regional tournament is slated for May 7- 8, 2021. Games will be played on 27 days, a 10 percent reduction from previous years, Mehrhoff said.

Mehrhoff Named NJCAA Men’s Soccer Committee chair

July 9, 2020 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff was named the first National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men’s Soccer Committee chair.

As chair of the men’s committee, Mehrhoff will be responsible for serving as a direct contact between the committee and the NJCAA National Office staff while also leading the committee throughout the year.

This year, the NJCAA introduced the new Division II men’s and women’s soccer. The ECC women’s and men’s soccer teams play in the new division.

According to Mehrhoff, because Division II is new this year there will be challenges in developing rankings.

“It is somewhat of a new era because there is so much uncertainty across the board in college sports,” he said. “I know it will be challenging for my committee to complete rankings without the traditional DI powers in the mix, but there are some very competitive teams at the DII level.”

Previous Role

Mehrhoff is no stranger to NJCAA committees. He was Division I Men’s Soccer Committee Chair from 2015-19.

“I enjoyed serving as the DI men’s chair the past five years. It takes a good amount of time and effort working to be effective in the role. Good committee members make it easier, but the chair has to be the one carrying the bulk of the workload,” he said.

Committee chairs also lead weekly conference calls, participate in national rankings, postseason at-large and seeding selections, and All-America selections. In addition, chairs complete any assignments pertaining to the committee and annual NJCAA Convention and when applicable, chairs attend their respective National Championship.

Mehrhoff oversaw five tournaments for rule compliance and tournament format. He picked the all-tournament team with the coach’s votes and then worked with my committee to select the NJCAA All-Americans at the conclusion of the season.

There are 37 NJCAA Sport Committees.

Mehrhoff was the coach of the ECC soccer team from 1998 until 2000 when he took a full-time job with the college. He became the college’s athletic director 17 years ago.

Mehrhoff has been the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference president and has been recognized during the Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year awards program several times.