After inconsistent play in the beginning of the season for the HCC baseball team, the Hawks have battled back to a winning record for the first time all season. Timely hitting and dominant starting pitching have led to the Hawks’ longest winning streak of the season, taking their first six games of the month of April.

  The streak comes on the heels of an average at best month of March going 6-8 during that stretch. The Hawks had dug themselves into a hole going into the last month of the regular season, ending the month five games under .500. A loss on the road, 14-4 in 7 innings at Polk State, because of the NJCAA’s 10 run mercy rule, capped the Hawk’s play in the month of March.Since that eye opening loss, the Hawks bats have awoken to outscore their opponents 47-20 in the month of April, including a 10-9 upset victory on the road over 6-time NCAA Division II National Champions, the University of Tampa.

  Along with the recent upswing in offensive production, the Hawks have matched that with consistent pitching, led by starter Chase Ingram. Ingram, whose 10 wins leads the nation as of April 14, has been dominant in every start for the Hawks this year. Ingram is also in the top 10 of the NJCAA for innings pitched (72), and earned runs, with a staggering 0.88 ERA.

  The bullpen has also picked up the pace coming into the last month of the regular season, throwing 18 innings over the six game win streak.

  “We have finally started putting complete game efforts together,” says reliever Robert Garcia-Quiroz of the Hawks recent success. Garcia is part of a bullpen that has been inconsistent at times this season, but has finally hit their stride in the last few weeks. Garcia has 17 strikeouts in 16.2 innings, and has yet to yield an earned run in 12 appearances this season.

  “We would have games where we would pitch well and not score, and then there would be games where we would score enough, but not pitch well enough to keep us in games. We’re just finally putting together both of those in the same game, and now we’re winning,” says Garcia.

  The team finishes the month of April and the regular season with a three game series against Polk State. Although the Hawks gave up 24 runs to the Eagles in their last series at the end of March, these two teams appear to be heading in opposite directions. After only losing two games in the month of March, Polk State has lost 4 of their last 6 games in April while the Hawks appear to have fixed whatever kinks they may have had in their approach.

  Although their record earlier in the season may not have reflected it, the Hawks quest of winning another state title and a chance at playing for a national championship has always been the goal.

  “We are starting to really play like a team, a team with the same goal to win the state tournament in Lakeland,” says an optimistic Garcia.

  The Hawks will hope to take their recent positive momentum through the end of the regular season and into the state playoffs, which begins May 8 in Lakeland. Before the Hawks can make it to the postseason, they will need to finish this important month of April as strong as they started it. Be sure to check out the Hawks in their final remaining home games, all of which are free to attend HCC students with a valid student ID.