The Hesston College Larks came home regional champions this weekend after traveling to Union, Mo., for the NJCAA DII Region 16 Tournament. The Larks won each of their three games, by a combined score of 29-10. The pitching staff led the way with all three starters completing seven innings or more.

Sophomore Trenton Canaan (Cheney, Kan.) began the weekend pitching seven innings and surrendering five runs. Sophomore Brody Burnette (Kansas City, Mo.) took the hill Saturday and showed why he is the workhorse of the Lark rotation, throwing 133 pitches over nine innings, striking out eight batters and only giving up one run. Sophomore David Lambert (Pueblo West, Colo.) started on Sunday and went seven innings, striking out three batters and giving up one run.

The bats for Hesston remained hot, combining for 30 hits, five home runs and 29 runs over the three games. The leading man was Sophomore Kody Pilor (Honolulu, Hawaii), who in the tournament hit for a .400 batting average, batted in five runs, scored five runs and hit a grand slam home run to seal the championship game.

Hesston travels to Enid, Okla., to play in the 2023 NJCAA DII Baseball Plains District Tournament as the number five seed. It will be an eight-team double elimination format with the Larks up against the four seed Murray State Aggies tomorrow, May 11 at 4 p.m. in David Allen Memorial Ballpark.