OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Two-time defending Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference East Division baseball champion Johnson County Community College has been picked to win a third-straight KJCCC East Division title in the annual KJCCC East Division baseball preseason order of finish as voted on by league head coaches.   

The Cavaliers picked up five of eight first-place votes and earned a total of 68 points to edge Cowley College who was picked second with 64 points as neither Johnson County nor Cowley was picked to finish lower than third in the voting. Kansas City Kansas Community College was picked to finish third and earned a total of 56 points with one first-place vote to finish ahead of Fort Scott Community College who was picked fourth with 47 points after finishing fourth last season in the division. Following the Greyhounds was Coffeyville who was picked fifth with 40 total points and the lone remaining first-place vote followed by Neosho County (35 points), Labette (19 points), Highland (16 points), and Allen (15 points). 

Since 2016, the KJCCC east division has represented the KJCCC at the JUCO World Series in six of the last seven tournaments (no tournament in 2020 due to COVID) with either Johnson County or Cowley winning the Plains District Tournament in those six seasons.

Last season, Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA D-I World Series for a second straight year, and fourth time overall. The team ended the year ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA Poll and were awarded the No. 1 seed in the World Series, a first in program history.  JCCC went to place sixth in World Series, their highest finish ever. They closed out the year with a record of 53-13, including a 28-4 mark in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference East Division to capture the program's 12^th title. 

Johnson County led the conference in batting average (.355), doubles (142), extra base hits (238), total bases (1099), slugging percentage (.561), strikeouts by pitchers (583) and K/9 (10.67). They were second in hits (696), triples (27), RBI (539) and runs (612), and third in home runs (69). Nationally they ranked third in strikeouts, fifth in hits, tied for fifth in triples, sixth in average and runs, seventh in doubles, total bases and RBI. 

Four seasons into his tenure, head coach Eric Horner has topped 40 wins all four years highlighted by a program record 56-10 mark in 2023 and a 53-13 mark in 2024, with both teams earning a spot in the NJCAA World Series.  Overall, Horner stand 198-50 (.798). All four of his teams have opened as a top-20 program and in 2023 the team ended the year rank No. 2 nationally and last year finished ranked No. 1 overall, a first in program history. 

Horner did lose a lot of talent from last year's team, among them KJCCC East MVP Dagen Brewer and KJCCC Pitcher of the Year Brandon Stone, but he reloaded the roster and JCCC will again be a national contender. 

Horner returns nine players from last year's squad, among them second-team all-conference outfielders Ryker Edwards and Jake McClure, and catcher Miken Miller and right-hand pitcher Josiah Golden, both all-conference honorable mention selections in 2024.

Edwards batted .350 (56-for-160) with 10 doubles, a team high six triples, nine home runs, 48 runs and 52 driven in. He tied for the team lead with 24 stolen baes, only getting caught one time. His six triples also tied for the most in the conference and ranked 12^th in the NJCAA. He produced 15 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI games. Edwards was chosen the KJCCC East Player of the Week in the 13^th week of the season. 

McClure was one of three outfielders who was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove by the KJCCC and Region 6 last season. He played in and started 64 games, batting .342 (78-for-228) with 13 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 68 runs and 42 RBI. His 78 hits tied for the team lead. He had 19 multiple-hit games and nine multi-RBI games. 

Miller batted .380 (62-for-163) with 16 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 48 runs and 49 RBI.  He tallied 17 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI games and his 16 doubles were second-most on the team. 

Golden, who was twice selected as the KJCCC East Pitcher of the Week during the season, appeared in 15 games all as a starter. He finished 10-1 with 80 strikeouts in 65 innings of work with an ERA of 4.57. His 80 strikeouts ranked seventh in the conference his 10 wins tied for fourth. 

Also back are infielder Carter Kelley, outfielder Kamryn Link, first baseman Easton Roe and pitcher Sam Novotny.  

Horner also has brought in two sophomore transfers, outfielder Bo Shinkle from Kent State University, and first baseman Max Towchik from Dodge City Community College. Towchik earned KJCCC West Division honorable mention last season after batting .349 (52-for-149) with nine doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 39 runs and 51 RBI.

Johnson County opens the 2025 season in Texas February 1 with a four-game series against Amarillo College followed by a four-game series against Crowder College with the final double header at JCCC on February 8.