Following a 2023 NJCAA DII National Championship crown, the preseason top-ranked Heartland baseball team continued its winning ways in Friday afternoon's season opener against Carl Sandburg. The Hawks finished with 14 total hits and yielded just three hits by the Chargers en route to a 10-0 victory at The Corn Crib.
 
The Hawks took very little time to get on the scoreboard, as a miscue by Carl Sandburg allowed leadoff man TJ Williams to reach safely to lead off the bottom-half of the first. Two batters later, Corey Boyette laced a double to center field to score Williams to make it 1-0. A single through the left side by freshman Tommy Atkinson scored Boyette as the Hawks enjoyed an early 2-0 advantage.
 
Heartland would add on to the lead in the fourth, as Kaden Griffitts doubled to center field to lead off the frame before Cale Steinbaugh, Jesse Contreras and Williams followed with three straight singles to make it 3-0. A Beau Polickey RBI groundout and an Atkinson sacrifice fly made it 5-0 in favor of the Hawks.
 
Griffitts followed his double with a two-run bomb to right field in the fifth frame to make it 7-0 before a Polickey RBI single and a Boyette sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 9-0. A Max Hennemann run-scoring groundout ended the contest in the sixth.
 
Griffitts finished going 2 for 3 with two extra-based knocks, two runs and two RBI's. Steinbaugh added three hits, while Contreras, Williams and Polickey all had two hits apiece.
 
Luke Wright registered the win in relief, tossing four innings and yielding no hits while striking out 10. Nick Kolze threw well to start the contest as well, throwing three innings and allowing one hit and two walks with three strikeouts.
 
Heartland returns to action at 2 pm Feb. 23 at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss.