Rochester, MN-
With much of the early portions of the season affected by late spring snow, fans, families and followers of baseball the in Minnesota College Athletic Conference certainly earned the right to watch some highly competitive baseball in sunny, 80-degree temperatures at the recent 2018 MCAC State Baseball Tournament held in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
The 2018 All-State Baseball Teams reflects the top performances across all three MCAC Divisions. With a reduced number of head-to-head comparisons available, the MCAC has named a 21-player First Team and 21-player Second Team, recognizing the top 42 baseball student-athletes, fourteen apiece from the Southern, Central and Northern Divisions, respectively.
In addition to player recognition, each Division tabbed a Coach-of-the-Year honoree, as voted by Division skippers. The Southern Division Coach-of-the-Year, was Riverland head coach Scott Koenigs, while SCTCC's Jason Fischer picked up the Central Division COY honor and Josh Koenig of Rainy River was tabbed Northern Division Coach-of-the-Year.
| 2018 | MCAC ALL-STATE BASEBALL | FIRST TEAM |
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Pitcher
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Joel Barker Minnesota West CTC Freshman Russellville, Arkansas
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Barker finished second in MCAC in overall ERA at 1.63. The Russellville, Arkansas product threw 49.2 innings for the MnWest BlueJays, racking up 40 strikeouts and only nine earned runs over the course of the 2018 season. |
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Pitcher
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Austin Gohl St. Cloud Technical & Community College Freshman Sartell, Minnesota |
Gohl was the leading pitcher in the Conference in terms of ERA, with a 1.53 mark this past season for SCTCC. The Sartell, Minnesota product had 40 K's over 29.1 innings for the Cyclones and was key in helping lead SCTCC to 2018 NJCAA Division III World Series and the sweep of the MCAC Central Division and State Tournament hardware. |
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Pitcher
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Brady Beyl Itasca Community College Freshman Fargo, North Dakota |
Beyl was tops in MCAC in total wins (7) over 11 appearances, tossing 39.1 innings total for the Vikings. Itasca Community College finished the 2018 season with the most regular season victories (32) of all MCAC baseball squads and Beyls performance on the mound was a major factor in the strong 2018 season for ICC. |
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Pitcher
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Tristan Lawrence Rainy River Community College Sophomore Tucson, Arizona |
RRCC sophomore Tristan Lawrence pitched a total of 46.1 innings for the Voyageurs with a 3.11 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 2018. Had a 6-2 regular season record in ten total appearances, nine of which were starts for the MCAC Northern Division champions. |
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Pitcher / Infield
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Kevin Alicia Rainy River Community College Sophomore Winter Haven, Florida |
Alicea helped RRCC earn the 2018 Northern Division regular season championship at both first base, and on the pitching mound. He hit for a .355 average with 39 total hits in 33 games. As a pitcher, his 50.0 innings tossed for RRCC was second-most overall in the Conference, and averaged a strikeout per inning over that time. |
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Pitcher /Infield
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Josh Molina Riverland Community College Freshman Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
Molina was able to sting MCAC Southern Division opponents from both the batter's box and the pitching mound, helping lead Riverland to a unbeaten Divisional record. In 114 plate appearances, he hit .384 with 5 home runs and 34 RBI's. As a pitcher, the sophomore hurler held opponents to a .186 batting average, collected 29 strikeouts in 24.2 innings and was 3-1 as a starter. |
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Infield
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Mason Ruhlman Riverland Community College Sophomore Algonac, Michigan |
Ruhlman, from Algonac, Michigan, led the Southern Division champion Riverland Blue Devils to an undefeated Divisional season record, hitting for a .423 average in 104 at-bats. The sophomore had 44 hits, including 14 doubles and six home runs in 2018. |
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Infield
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Anthony Azor Itasca Community College Sophomore San Francisco De Marcos, DR |
Azor hit for a .417 average with 46 RBI's and scored 50 runs for the 32-win Itasca squad. The Viking sophomore infielder stole 13 bases, helped turn nine double plays and was strong defensively, leading the MCAC in assists with 94. |
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Infield
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Blake Fetting Northland Community & Technical College Sophomore Ada, Minnesota |
A key component of the strong season for NCTC, Blake Fetting led the Pioneers with 114 at-bats, hitting .351 with six home runs and 41 RBI's. The Ada, Minnesota, product only struck out six times while scoring 34 runs for Northland in their 2018 campaign which included a trip to the MCAC 2018 State Tournament. |
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Infield
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Dylan Montagna Hibbing Community College Freshman Anchorage, Alaska |
The Dimond (AK) High School product hit for a .362 average with three home runs and 20 RBI's for the 2018 MCAC State Tournament qualifying Hibbing Cardinals. Montagna smacked four doubles and had 20 RBI's while turning in a .975 fielding percentage and only three errors on the season. |
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Infield
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Mitch Martin Western Technical College Sophomore Watertown, Wisconsin |
Western Technical College sophomore Mitch Martin was solid defensively and productive offensively for the Cavaliers in 2018, committing only three total errors on the season while batting .394 with a triple and only two strikeouts on the year. |
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Infield |
Lukas Adelman Vermilion Community College Freshman Clinton-Graceville, Minnesota |
Adelman appeared in 25 contests for the Ironmen, both as a middle infielder and pitcher. He tagged opposing pitchers for six home runs and 30 RBI's in 94 plate appearances, while drawing 12 walks and racking up 60 total bases. Had a team best .741 slugging percentage for VCC in 2018. |
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Outfield
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Jeremie Garcia Minnesota West CTC Sophomore Miami Lakes, Florida |
Garcia led Minnesota West in most offensive categories in 2018 and was tops in the MCAC with 35 stolen bases on the season. The Florida product was only thrown out twice in 37 attempts, while batting for a .442 average and knocking in 28 RBI's and scoring 37 runs. |
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Outfield
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Luis Massa Ortiz St. Cloud Technical & Community College Freshman San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico |
Ortiz - the Region XIII Tournament MVP - was a big part of the Cyclone's run to the 2018 NJCAA Division III World Series. Ortiz hit for a .420 average, led the Conference in home runs (7) and had the best slugging percentage in the league at .855. As a baserunner, the San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico native was 9-of-11 in attempted steals over the course of the spring for the Central Division and MCAC State Tournament champions. |
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Outfield
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Alex Ciola Riverland Community College Sophomore Austin, Minnesota |
Alex Ciola hit .441 with two home runs and 23 RBI's, while scoring 40 runs for the Blue Devils. In 120 plate appearances, the Austin, Minnesota product smacked 14 doubles among his 45 hits; RCC was unbeaten in MCAC Southern Division play during the regular season. |
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Outfield
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Matt Pietsch M State-Fergus Falls Freshman Fargo, North Dakota |
A freshman outfielder, Pietsch consistently hit for average and key RBI's for the Spartans over the course of the regular season. The Fargo North High School product hit .452 with a home run and 21 RBI's, and stole three bases for M State Fergus Falls in 2018. |
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Outfield
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Josh Fussy Central Lakes College Freshman Buffalo, Minnesota |
Fussy helped lead Central Lakes College in 2018 from his role in the outfield, hitting for a .382 average over 32 games, collecting 23 RBI's and scoring 26 runs. He also stole five bases for the Raiders; the freshman from Buffalo, Minnesota also accounted for a home run for CLC. |
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Outfield
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Jace Lang Rochester Community & Technical College Sophomore Cedar Falls, Iowa |
A RCTC sophomore, Lang turned in a .404 batting average this past season, while drawing ten walks and scoring 22 runs. He had five doubles among his 38 total hits and stole five bases for the Yellowjacket squad across 28 total contests. |
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Catcher
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Carlos Turpo Northland Community & Technical College Sophomore Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico |
Carlos Turpo gave Northland a dependable backstop who hit .386 in 2018 while throwing out five would-be base-stealers from behind the plate. As a base-runner, the Pioneer sophomore stole five bases himself and collected 43 total bases during the 2018 season. |
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Catcher / DH
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Tanner Shepard Itasca Community College Sophomore Grand Rapids, MN
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In 40 games over the 2018 season, Shepard hit .432, collected 35 RBI's and scored 31 runs for ICC. From behind the plate, he threw out 8 runners and only had 3 passed balls the entire spring. Shepard earned the Northern Division MVP nod from Conference coaches for his efforts this past spring. |
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Designated Hitter
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Joe Lescarbeau Hibbing Community College Sophomore Chisholm, Minnesota |
Lescarbeau led the 15-team MCAC in batting average in 2018, coming in at .511 in 100 plate appearances. The Chisholm, Minnesota product collected 57 total bases and had 46 hits while scoring 24 runs for the Cardinals, who earned an at-large bid into the 2018 MCAC State Tournament. |
| 2018 | MCAC ALL-STATE BASEBALL |
SECOND TEAM |
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Designated Hitter
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Patrick Taylor Anoka-Ramsey Communinty College Freshman Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Taylor had a strong 2018 season for Anoka-Ramsey Community College at the plate, hitting for a .390 average across 19 games. The Minneapolis Southwest High School product collected six RBI's on 16 hits in 52 plate appearances for the Golden Rams. |
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Catcher
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Cole Benson Anoka-Ramsey Communinty College Freshman Hastings, Minnesota |
A freshman catcher at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Benson hit for .381 average in 22 contests. The Hastings High School product knocked in seven RBI's and scored eight runs for ARCC in 2018. He also notched a stolen base for the Golden Rams. |
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Infield/Pitcher
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Jakob Masterson Western Technical College Freshman La Crescent, Minnesota |
In 16 games, Masterson hit .317 while also drawing 12 walks and collecting 18 total bases. Masterson had five doubles this past spring and proved to be solid defensively for the Cavaliers during the 2018 season. |
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Infield / Pitcher
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Casey Welsh Central Lakes College Freshman Peqout Lakes, Minnesota |
Welsh, a freshman from Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, put together a strong season for Central Lakes College, hitting .400 in 31 contests with a pair of home runs. He collected 25 RBI's, scored 19 runs himself and swiped four bases. He also tossed 13.2 innings for the Raiders, striking out seven batters. |
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Infield
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Louis Aguinaga Hibbing Community College Sophomore Capac, Michigan |
Aguinaga, a freshman from Capac, Michigan for the Cardinals, helped ICC earn an at-large berth in the MCAC State Tournament in 2018. In 24 contests, Aguinaga hit for a .419 average, collected 15 RBI's and scored 13 runs. He also belted a home run and notched a stolen base. Of his 26 hits, seven were doubles; he only struck out five times in 76 plate appearances. |
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Pitcher/Infield
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Ryan Schmitz M State-Fergus Falls Freshman Perham, Minnesota |
Schmitz batted .301 over the course of the regular season, knocking three home runs and collected 32 RBI's for the Spartans. The Perham, Minnesota product scored 16 runs in 91 plate appearances, which also yielded three doubles and 34 total bases for M State-Fergus Falls. |
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Infield / Pitcher
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Brad MacDougall Mesabi Range College Freshman Duluth, Minnesota |
MacDougall homered twice for Mesabi Range College in 26 games and batted for a .328 average. In 76 plate appearances, the Denfeld High School graduate cracked five doubles and two triples while collecting 37 total bases. Solid defensively, MacDougall earned a .981 fielding percentage in 2018 for the Norsemen. |
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Infield / Outfield / Pitcher
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Christian Houle Mesabi Range College Freshman Cloquet, Minnesota |
Houle had 80 plate appearances for Mesabi Range College in 2018, hitting for a .299 average and scoring 14 MRC runs. Among his 20 hits on the season were a home run, two doubles and 25 total bases. The South Ridge High School product played several positions for the Norsemen in 2018. |
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Pitcher
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Jean Perez Minnesota West CTC Freshman Bayamon, Puerto Rico |
Perez finished in the top five of MCAC hurlers in ERA, coming in at 2.93. He tossed three complete games for MnWest in 2018 and routinely drew the toughest assignments in a highly-competitive Southern Division. Perez struck out 63 batters in 55.1 innings of work. |
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Infield / Pitcher
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Gavin Roosen Riverland Community College Freshman Kenyon, Minnesota |
Roosen finished with a 2.52 ERA in 2018 for the Blue Devils, good for third overall in the league. He held opponents to a .146 batting average and the Kenyon, Minnesota product notched two shutouts and two complete games over the course of the season for Riverland, the Southern Division regular season champion. |
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Pitcher
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Gregory Diaz Northland Community & Technical College Sophomore Santo Domingo, DR |
Pioneer sophomore pitcher Diaz separated himself as a top bullpen performer in 2018 for NCTC, accumulating 64 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched and a 2.72 ERA. He earned six wins on the year and held opponents to only 13 earned runs over the course of the 2018 season. |
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Infield
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Mitch Thomas Rochester CTC Sophomore Menomonie, Wisconsin |
Thomas led RCTC in at-bats with 103 and hit for a .340 average with 18 RBI's and five doubles. The Menomonie, Wisconsin product drew 14 walks and had a .424 on-base percentage over 28 contests for RCTC during the course of the 2018 season. |
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Catcher
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Jordan Hauser Rochester CTC Sophomore Trempeleau, Wisconsin |
Hauser batted .394 in the 2018 regular season, knocking a pair of home runs and driving in 17 Yellowjackets. He scored nine runs himself, belted two home runs and notched a triple for Rochester Technical & Community College. Defensively, the Trempaeleau, Wisconsin product turned in a .981 fielding percentage over the course of the spring. |
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Pitcher
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Ashton Knutson Ridgewater College Freshman Necedah, Wisconsin |
Knutson made nine appearances for Ridgewater on the mound and a team-leading 41.1 innings pitched. Knutson struck out 34 batters, only walked 15, and averaged 7.40 strike-outs per nine innings. He tossed a complete game in 2018 and held opponents to 32 earned runs over the course of the season. |
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Catcher
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Joseann Rios Ridgewater College Sophomore San Sebastian, Puerto Rico |
In 23 games for Ridgewater, Rios hit .441 with two home runs and 11 RBI's. He stole four bases and scored nine runs, while knocking in 11 RBI's. Rios finsihed 2018 with 26 hits, 3 of which were doubles. |
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Infield
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Keanu Calamayan Rainy River Community College Sophomore Tucson, Arizona |
Calamayan led RRCC in at-bats with 122 during the 2018 regular season, hitting for a .344 average and a .525 slugging percentage. He had 13 extra-base hits, with seven doubles, three triples and three home runs. Calamayan struck out only ten times while drawing 17 walks and stealing seven bases for Rainy River. |
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Outfield
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Luis Rodriquez Rainy River Community College Freshman Yabucoa, Puerto Rico |
Rodriquez, a freshman outfielder for Rainy River Community College, appeared in 37 games for RRCC, batting .342 and earning a .556 slugging percentage. He had 40 total hits, with 12 doubles, two triples and three home runs. On the basepaths, he also swiped nine bags and scored a team-leading 36 times. |
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Infield
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Matt Quade St. Cloud Technical & Community College Sophomore Paynesville, Minnesota
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An integral part of the SCTCC State Tournament Champion team, Quade hit .417 during 2018, belting four home runs and knocking in 25 RBI's. He scored 27 runs, stole a base and defensively, was a part of eight Cyclone double-plays during the year. The Cyclones advanced to the 2018 NJCAA Division III World Series in Greeneville, Tennessee. |
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Designated Hitter
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Alex Jinkins St. Cloud Technical & Community College Sophomore Altoona, Wisconsin |
Jinkins had 82 at-bats for the Cyclones in 2018, hitting .341 with a .549 slugging percentage. Nine of his 28 hits were for extra bases, with five doubles and four home runs for the MCAC Tournament Champion and NJCAA Division III World Series-bound Cyclones. Jinkins also drew eight walks and stole a base for SCTCC. |
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Pitcher |
Connor Knettel Vermilion Community College Freshman Brainerd, Minnesota |
Knettel tossed forty innings for Vermilion in 2018, averaging 3.15 strikeouts per outing and collecting four wins on the season. He started three games, collected a save and appeared in seven contests total for the VCC Ironmen. |
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Pitcher
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Nicholas Johnson Itasca Community College Sophomore Grand Rapids, Minnesota
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Itasca Community College sophomore Nicholas Johnson was one of only a handful of MCAC pitchers to notch six wins on the season. He finished the regular season with a 6-2 overall record, 24 strikeouts in 33.1 innings of work and an ERA of 2.97 in ten appearances for the Vikings during the 2018 campaign. |
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.