Five Trojans earn conference baseball honors

Colby Community College baseball players Garrett Kirkwood, Christian Roduner, Greg Leban, Nick Vickers and Carlos Amador were named to the Division I All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College West Team for their play in 2017. Kirkwood and Roduner are first team selections, Leban and Vickers made the second team, and Amador received honorable mention.

"We are proud of the players that received these awards," said Trojans head coach Ryan Carter. "It is always an honor to be recognized for the hard work put in during the season."

Kirkwood, a sophomore outfielder from Alberta, Canada, hit .379 with five home runs and 48 RBIs. His 26 doubles ranked second in the conference. Defensively, he committed just three errors in 48 games.

Roduner was second on the Trojans in home runs (6) and stolen bases (11). The freshman utility player from Rossville hit .320 and drove in 37. He also had the distinction of leading the team for most times hit by a pitch with 15.

As a sophomore pitcher, Leban was second on the team with 15 appearances while posting a 6-3 record. The Bellevue, Wash. native finished with a 4.05 ERA and struck out 65 batters in 66.2 innings.

Vickers made 13 appearances on the way to a 4-6 record. The Alberta, Canada sophomore posted a 3.58 ERA while striking out 87 in 60.1 innings.

As a relief pitcher, Amador made a team-leading 24 appearances. In 41 innings he struck out 51 batters. The sophomore from Thornton, Colo. had an ERA of 5.05 and led the Trojans with five saves. 

All-conference players were nominated by their coaches and selected by opposing coaches who did not vote for their own players.

The Trojans finished 28-25 for the season. They placed fourth in the Jayhawk Conference Western Division and hosted a Region VI first round playoff game for the second consecutive year.