The No. 2-seeded North Central Missouri College Pirates baseball team battled through a competitive NJCAA DII Region 16 Tournament on May 7-8, showing resilience throughout three postseason contests. NCMC opened tournament play with an offensive-heavy matchup loss to host East Central College on Thursday before fighting back with an elimination-game victory on Friday over the Falcons.  Then they narrowly fell to Moberly Area Community College later that day in the Championship game.

In the tournament opener against East Central, the Pirates generated offense throughout the lineup despite falling in a high-scoring contest. NCMC collected multiple timely hits early in the game to stay within striking distance, with several Pirate hitters delivering RBI performances and extra-base production. The middle of the lineup helped keep pressure on East Central pitching, while North Central continued battling offensively into the later innings despite the deficit. Defensively, the Pirates turned key outs to limit damage at several points, but East Central capitalized on big innings late to secure the win.

Facing elimination on Friday, the Pirates responded with one of their strongest all-around performances of the postseason in a 3-1 victory over East Central. NCMC received a standout effort on the mound from Koby Wagers and Eduardo Chourio, as Pirate pitching controlled the game and limited scoring opportunities throughout the afternoon. The defense backed the pitching staff with clean defensive play and several important outs in pressure situations. Offensively, NCMC executed in key moments, manufacturing runs through timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. The Pirates took advantage of scoring opportunities in the middle innings and protected the lead the rest of the way to extend their tournament stay.

Later Friday, the Pirates squared off with Moberly Area Community College in another tightly contested matchup. The Pirates battled throughout the game and remained within one run into the final innings. NCMC again received strong performances from several offensive contributors, with Pirate hitters producing clutch at-bats and keeping constant pressure on MACC pitching. The Pirates' pitching staff competed well against a potent Greyhound lineup, working through multiple high-pressure situations to keep the game close. North Central had opportunities late to rally but ultimately came up just short in a 4-3 defeat.

Throughout the Region 16 Tournament, the Pirates showed the toughness and competitiveness that helped earn them the tournament's No. 2 seed. North Central continued to battle through adversity, responded after early setbacks, and played competitive baseball against some of the top teams in Region 16 to close out the 2026 season.

All-Region honors went to the following Pirates.

1^st Team All-Region

Jose Bedoya – Outfield

Eduardo Chourio – Infield

Eduardo Chourio – Pitcher

JP Gonzalez – Infield

Alejandro Somaza – Catcher

Javier Suarez – Outfield

2^nd Team All-Region

Leonel Dominguez – Outfield

Koby Wagers – Designated Hitter

Koby Wagers – Pitcher

Max Wagers – Pitcher

All-Defensive Team

Eduardo Chourio – Shortstop

Ismael Medina – 2^nd Baseman

Javier Suarez – Centerfielder

RECORD BREAKERS

The following players set career and single season records for NCMC Pirate's Baseball this season.

CAREER HITS:

Javier Suarez – 159 Hits

Previous record was held by Enrique Madera with 152.

CAREER WINS:

Max Wagers – 10 Wins

Previous record was held by Nolberto Rondon with 9.

SINGLE SEASON SAVES:

Eduardo Chourio – 8 Saves

Previous record was held by Wilmer Jimenez with 7.