Luther captures IIAC baseball tournament title

CEDAR RAPIDS — Luther Coach Bryan Nikkel recognized something special about his team at the start of the season.

The Norse proved his hunch to be valid.

Czenvic Rojer drove in four runs and Cody Reimer tossed a complete game, helping third-seeded Luther capture its first Iowa Conference baseball tournament championship with a 10-4 victory over No. 1 Wartburg in the title game Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Norse earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.

'We just knew we really wanted to turn the corner this year in our program,' said Nikkel, who is in his second season as Norse head coach. 'We knew we had the ability to do some things. It was fun to see it all come together here at the end.'

Luther improved from 20-23 last season to a school-record 32 victories with two wins in as many days against the Knights. The Norse (32-12) produced their first winning record since 2012 and were confident they could be in position for their first NCAA tournament in nine years.

'We know what we're capable of,' Reimer said. 'We preach it all winter. Every man on this team knows that we can do anything that we want to do as a team. Never once did it cross our minds that we couldn't do this.'

The Norse found a successful formula, posting a 4-0 tournament mark, including three wins over ranked foes Wartburg and Buena Vista. They used timely hitting and gutsy pitching performances. Rojer provided the former, giving the Norse the lead for good.

With Wartburg ahead 3-1 in the fifth, Rojer stepped to the plate with bases loaded. The senior from Curacao delivered, clearing the bases with a shot off the base of the right-field wall. Rojer scored on Bryce Hingst's opposite-field single to left for a 5-3 edge.

'Early in the game I saw they were trying to work me with off-speed pitches,' Rojer said. 'I was trying to sit back, wait for my pitch and drive a run in.

'It was kind of elevated so I put the barrel on it. It was off the wall. It was just clutch for us since we were down at the moment.'

Rojer did it again the following inning. He added an RBI double, splitting two defenders in the right-center field gap. Luther was in control, 7-4. He said he was just trying to lift the ball into the outfield and get the bat barrel on it.

'I like to be in that position to drive some runs in and help the team any way I can offensively,' said Rojer, who is second on the team with 45 RBIs. 'It's what I like. It's exciting to be in a position like that where your teammates are counting on you and you're delivering for all of them.'

To think, Rojer was focused more on soccer as a youth. When his mother feared injury in soccer, Rojer was forced to find an alternative.

'I had to find me a different sport to play,' said Rojer, who began his college career at Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill. 'I came across a great guy that gave me an opportunity to play baseball, along with my dad and grandfather taught me the game, I've been playing ever since. It's been fun. I just go out there every time and play the game.'

Nikkel said, 'That's a pretty good decision he made right there. He's a great player.'

Hingst added a solo home run in the ninth, finishing with three hits and two RBIs. Jon Opdahl had three hits for Luther.

Once Reimer received his support he began to thrive on the mound. Even though the Norse were down, Reimer knew the offense would eventually respond. Luther scored 39 total runs in four tournament games.

'I trust my team,' Reimer said. 'I knew that they're resilient. They will battle through anything. I knew they had my back on the mound.'

Reimer stifled Wartburg the last half of the game. After allowing one run in the fifth, Reimer allowed just four batters to reach base and none reached third. He retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced with five strikeouts, fanning the final two Knights. Reimer threw more than 130 pitches in what he said was his first complete-game performance.

'Cody is your definition of a bulldog,' Nikkel said. 'He's not going to do anything special out there, but he's going to attack you. He's going to throw strikes and three pitches for strikes.'

The Norse piled on top of one another during the celebration in the infield. They doused Nikkel with a cooler of water in the cold, windy conditions and posed for pictures in the outfield.

Reimer (6-1) was glad to be at the center of it all.

'It's a blast,' Reimer said. 'It's great to know coaches trust me enough to put the ball in my hands when a big game is on the line.'

Jacob Thumann, Milton Croes and Mike Brown had two hits apiece to lead Wartburg. Brown and Zach Hovick had RBI singles in the second and Thumann drove in Blake Mahoney with a single, giving the Knights a 3-0 lead in the third.

Wartburg (33-11) had to battle back just to make the title game. The Knights trailed Buena Vista by two in the bottom of the ninth of an elimination game. Tanner Johnson singled home Ryan Kemp to force extra innings. In the 10th, Cody Hyler drove in Mahoney for the 10-9 victory.

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