Wenthe, Bone Headed to NJCAA Division II World Series

Parkland College's baseball team is headed to the NJCAA Division II World Series for the first time since 2010, and the Cobras' roster features a couple local products in Bobby Wenthe and Braydon Bone.

Wenthe, a sophomore at Parkland, played his high school ball at Teutopolis, while Bone, a freshman, attended Effingham High School. Both are listed as pitchers on the school's website, although it was Wenthe's hitting that played a big role in the club's World Series berth.

Parkland (45-14) punched its ticket to the World Series in Enid, Okla., by winning last week's Region 24 tournament in Springfield. The Cobras entered play as the top seed, although Heartland Community College was ranked No. 7 in the latest national poll compared to Parkland's No. 9 standing. It should also be noted that Lincoln Land Community College, for whom St. Anthony graduate Ben Hecht has had a strong season as both a pitcher and position player, was ranked 17th in that poll and also competed in the Region 24 meet.

Wenthe homered in Parkland's Region 24 opener on Friday, a 5-4 comeback victory over Danville Area Community College. His two-run shot completed the comeback from a 4-1 deficit and set up a Saturday meeting with Heartland.

Heartland knocked off the Cobras 6-2 in Saturday competition, but Parkland defeated John Wood 12-0 later in the day to stay alive in the double-elimination tourney and set up a Sunday rematch with Heartland. In the win over John Wood, Wenthe doubled, walked twice, and scored three times.

A nine-run first inning in the Sunday opener set the tone for a 15-5 victory; Wenthe hit his 14th home run of the year as part of a three-RBI game. The title game was much tighter, but ultimately a 3-2 triumph for Parkland.

For Parkland, World Series play begins Saturday when it takes on Western Oklahoma State (46-16) at 4 p.m. If you want to follow the action, make sure you check out the World Series website!