The Cornell Rams baseball team has a lot of KCII area flavor this season.
Five area athletes from Southeast Iowa have chosen the Rams as their collegiate sports destination including former Washington Demons Walker Breard and Collin Zear, former Winfield-Mt. Union Wolves Darren Hunter and Matthew Niebuhr and former Lone Tree Lion Ross Swinton.
Breard has had a big career for the Rams. Now in his senior campaign he holds the all-time record for most RBI, driving in 129 runs in 113 career games. The first baseman and outfielder has also been named First Team All-Region, Midwest Conference South Division Position Player of the Year, Team Most Valuable Player and Twice the Male Athlete of the Year at Cornell. Most recently he was named Midwest Conference Baseball Position Player of the Week. He is out to a big start in his final season, hitting .519 with 14 total hits, nine runs scored and four RBI in eight games.
Collin Zear is working out of the bullpen for the Rams. He has a 1-0 overall record on the year, notching his victory in relief during a come-from-behind 11-10 win over Marian University last week. He worked one inning, surrendered one hit, walked one but did not give up a run in earning the win.
Ross Swinton is also working out of the bullpen for the Rams. He has made one appearance on the season, working 2/3 of an inning, giving up two hits, three runs and walking one in a loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, February 27th.
Mitchell Niebuhr and Darren Hunter have each collected one at bat on the season and are looking for their first hit. The Rams are 4-4 overall and will next be in action Wednesday when they host Iowa Wesleyan in Mount Vernon.