LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three highly successful programs earned 2017 NFCA National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors, the Association revealed on Tuesday.  

Repeat national champion Louisiana State University Eunice was voted by its NFCA peers as the top team in the South Region, while Des Moines Area Community College earned Midwest Region accolades and Lansing Community College again garnered recognition in the East Region.

South Region recipient LSU Eunice scored its fifth national title in program history — and fourth in the last five years — with an 8-7 walkoff victory over Jones County on a squeeze bunt on May 20 at Traceway Park in Clinton, Miss. That capped a 53-11 campaign for head coach Andy Lee and assistant Logan Hebert, who led the Bengals to victories in 18 of their first 19 games, including a stretch of 17 straight.

Des Moines Area collected Midwest Region honors after going 47-9 and amassing three win streaks of seven or more games, including a run of 24 straight just before the postseason. Head coach Bob Ligouri and assistants Daron Harris, Brittany Martin, John Wilkinson and Riley Fisher guided the Bears to their fourth straight NJCAA Division II Championship appearance and fifth in the past six seasons.

In the East, Lansing was the honoree for a second consecutive season after finishing seventh nationally. The Stars went 42-15-1 in their sixth season under head coach Marc Kibby and assistants Carl Chaffee, Janet Hengesbach and Tom Smith, winning 12 straight before a day two loss to Phoenix College at the NJCAA Division II Championship.

The NFCA NJCAA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year will be announced on June 9.