Heartland has transformed itself into a perennial power in the NJCAA Division II ranks on a national scale under head coach Chris Razo. The Hawks captured the 2023 National Championship and have returned to the World Series in each of the past two seasons afterwards, totaling 90 wins in that span. Since Razo has taken over as the head coach of the Hawks, Heartland has a 229-61 record. 

You can basically write this in pen on a year-to-year basis, but Heartland enters the 2026 season as the prohibitive favorite in the MWAC again, and their roster is plenty capable on both sides of the ball to propel them back to Oklahoma in late May. 

POSITION PLAYERS

There will be a void left to fill by a few key pieces who are no longer at Heartland, like OF Kaden Griffitts, who was a first team All-American last spring, and INF Brady Davidson, who owned a career batting average over .400 as a two year starter for the Hawks.

As has become the norm for Heartland, however, this lineup is loaded, and it’s home to one of the top JUCO talents in the Midwest in INF Jimmy Anderson. The Kentucky commit was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in last year’s MLB Draft, but returned to Normal after an excellent freshman campaign. In 187 at-bats, Anderson hit .439 with a 1.226 OPS, totaling 29 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs, and he only punched out 12 times. He’s a high level talent on both sides of the ball that figures to be the engine on one of the Midwest’s top offenses and is a likely MLB Draft selection again this time around. 

Another sophomore returner of note is OF Bennett Summers, an uncommitted right-handed bat that was all over the barrel in our in-game looks this past fall. It’s a short, strong, and compact right-handed swing with minimal swing-and-miss that profiles nicely at the top of a lineup. Last spring, in 89 at-bats, Summers hit .348 and drove in 23 runs, and he should only continue to track upward from a production standpoint this spring for the Hawks. C Jake Parpet (Central Michigan) was an All-Region selection as a catcher last season and returns after a successful spring where he hit .363, had a 1.091 OPS, had 22 extra-base hits, and drove in 43 runs. 

Bennett Summers

Two more sophomores that did not get extended run last spring but are expected to be consistent contributors this year are OF Cal Darling and C Daniel Bastidas (Middle Tennessee). Darling swings a strong, athletic right-handed barrel that he flashed consistent feel for in our looks this fall, including swatting a home run at the Dinger JUCO Showcase. Bastidas is a consistent worker behind the plate with arm strength to pair that is likely to see plenty of time behind the dish this spring for Heartland. 

Turning to the newcomers, the Hawks will gladly welcome the addition of R-Soph 1B/OF Dominick Kooistra, now committed to Austin Peay after an excellent fall. There’s no shortage of physicality for the left-handed hitter, who immediately stands out each time he steps onto the field. It’s a power-packed, uphill barrel path that’s almost certainly going to hit for a high amount of power this spring, but the competitiveness of his at-bats and low in-zone swing-and-miss this fall were standouts to our staff. If Kooistra is the middle-of-the-order bat this season that he proved capable of this past fall, the Hawks will add another premier offensive threat to the middle of their lineup. 

Dominick Kooistra

MIF TJ Jakubowski is a freshman that should see plenty of run early into his collegiate career for the Hawks. He’s a long, lean, and lanky left-handed hitter that has advanced bat-to-ball skills and will only continue to grow into more power as he adds strength to his frame, all while profiling as a steady up-the-middle defender on the infield. Two more left-handed hitters to know are R-Freshman 1B Jake Troyner, who transfers in from Illinois-Chicago, and sophomore CIF Tyler Pippin. Both have physical frames and flashed in our looks this fall, deepening this lineup even more so.

Jake Troyner

PITCHERS

Returning for the Hawks this spring is one of the top JUCO arms in Illinois with sophomore RHP Dylan Nagle, a Charlotte commit. Nagle was excellent last year as a freshman, earning All-Region honors, and he was also the MWAC’s Pitcher of the Year. He logged a team-high 68 innings and was absolutely brilliant, pitching to a 2.38 ERA while punching out 61. In several looks this fall, Nagle pitched in the low-90s, touching 93 mph, and he has all sorts of confidence in a hard, tight, low-80s slider that he turned to often when we saw him. Back as the anchor of this pitching staff, the Hawks are certainly going to have a chance to win each game that Nagle gets the ball. 

Dylan Nagle

The Hawks did graduate a multitude of innings with last year’s sophomore class, but they do have a bulk load returning as well. RHP Trevor Rehnstrom (Lindenwood) tossed 57 innings as a freshman last spring, walking only 17. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore pitches in the upper-80s with his fastball, with the ability to climb into the low-90s, and spinning a mid-70s slider off it. Sophomore LHP Jacob Gimbel (Northern Kentucky) is also back, serving in a swing-type role last season, where he made five starts and four relief appearances. In 25 innings last spring, Gimbel punched out 31 across 25 innings of work, walking only nine. He’s a mid-to-upper-80s southpaw that can land a slurvy mid-70s breaking ball for strikes. 

Trevor Rehnstrom

One arm that is capable of taking a big leap for the Hawks, particularly as a dominant high leverage reliever, is sophomore RHP Lance Kiesewetter (Illinois State). A highly physical 6-foot-4, 240-pound athlete, Kiesewetter showed plenty comfortable challenging hitters this fall with a bullying upper-80s to low-90s fastball, touching 93 mph in our looks. His heater is likely to be his calling card, but Kiesewetter also spins a sharp, tight slider at 78-81 mph that gives him another avenue to continue racking up whiffs. 

Lance Kiesewetter

Sophomore RHP Ryan Anderson (Lindenwood) was somewhat of a relief ace for the Hawks as a freshman last spring, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in 40 innings, walking just nine. The long, lanky sophomore right-hander filled up the strike zone in our only look this fall, pitching at 86-87 mph with his fastball and landing a tight low-70s curveball for strikes. Sophomore LHP Tyler Ledvina (Central Michigan) is another talented option for the Hawks, owning a fastball that can play in the upper-80s to low-90s from the left side.

Ryan Anderson

As far as their freshman class goes, Heartland does have several youngsters that should see time on the mound this spring. RHP Tyler Dowling has a strong, athletic, well-proportioned frame with room to continue growing and was a mid-to-upper-80s arm when we saw him this fall. RHP Kasey Griffin poured in strikes in his outing at the SC JUCO Invite in early October, pitching in the upper-80s with his fastball and spinning a hard, downer slider at 80-81 mph. RHP Andy Antonacci was the driving force behind Sacred-Heart Griffin’s 2A state championship this past spring and bumped his fastball into the low-90s several times in front of our staff.