With several local players leading the way, the Dana College baseball team has gone on a hot streak to take the lead in its conference.
The NAIA school stands in first place in the Great Plains Athletic Conference at 8-0. Dana of Nebraska is 17-15 overall and ranked No. 4 in NAIA Region IV.
On April 1, Dana swept conference foe Nebraska Wesleyan 17-5 and 13-5. Carson High graduate Craig Martin homered in the opener and Douglas High graduate Kenny Nicoll went 3-for-5 in the second game.
In other recent action, Yerington High graduate Nate Landa pitched a shutout in an 8-0 win over Dordt. Nicoll also went 2-for-4 in that game.
Dana began conference action by sweeping Doane 1-0 and 12-5. In the second game, Nicoll and Martin each homered.
In an 8-6 loss to Central Christian, Nicoll went 2-for-4 and Martin was 2-for-2.
In a doubleheader split with William Jewel, Nicoll went 6-for-9 as Dana lost the opener 6-2 and won the nightcap 13-5. Douglas High graduate Chad Cooke went 3-for-3 in the second game. In an 11-1 loss to Newman, Nicoll went 3-for-3.
For the season, Nicoll is hitting .362 (42-for-116) with four home runs and 28 RBI. Cooke is hitting .359 (23-for-64) with 14 RBI. Martrin is hitting .286 (24-for-84) with four home runs and 17 RBI.
Landa is 3-3 on the season. Nicoll has also appeared in five games and hasn't allowed an earned run with seven strikouts in 5.1 innings and two saves.
