Ankeny Centennial senior Kohen Bollwinkel has verbally committed to play baseball at Southwestern Community College in Creston.
Bollwinkel said he picked the Spartans over a handful of other programs.
“I had a few schools in mind–some four-year schools around Iowa and several junior colleges–before I made my decision,” said Bollwinkel, an outfielder. “There were some things that made the decision difficult like distance away from home, cost, coaching, and most importantly to me, a place that felt like home.”
The Southwestern coaching staff led by head coach Chris Piperno proved to be the deciding factor.
“I felt like I could be myself around them,” Bollwinkel said. “I also liked their goals–win a national championship, prepare players to be better men in the future, and get their players to where they want to be. It also helped knowing I had a former teammate (Carter Smalley) there and a friend going with me.
“Overall, it felt like a place I could call home,” he added.
Bollwinkel helped the Jaguars to a 29-11 record last season. He was named to the CIML Conference third team.
Bollwinkel batted .306 as a junior with two triples and 18 RBIs. He scored a team-high 30 runs.