March 29, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Jared Berkenpas and Zacarias Salinas of the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team were named Michigan Community College Athletic Association Northern Conference Players of the Week after helping the team sweep its first conference opponent of the season.
"Jerad has been pitching with great confidence and pounds the strike zone," head coach Mike Eddington said. "He gives our team great confidence when he pitches."
Berkenpas earned his second win of the season, shutting out Delta College on Friday. He allowed just two base hits and struck out 12 while walking none. Berkenpas, who earned NJCAA All-American honors last year, is now 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Opponents are batting just .148 against him.
"After the offseason Z had, I don't think anyone is surprised by his performance to start the season," said assistant coach and former teammate Brady Owen.
In seven games last week, Salinas, a sophomore from Canton, Mich. went 9-for-20, including four doubles and his second home run of the season.
The outfielder and first baseman has played and started in 18 of GRCC's games and leads the team with 21 hits and is second on the team with a .412 batting average, an OPS of 1.714, four doubles and two home runs.
The baseball team is now 9-9 overall after starting the season 2-8 in a tough spring break down south.
GRCC is scheduled to resume conference play next at Mid Michigan College on Thursday at 2 p.m.
This story was reported by Ben Brown.