WNCC wins conference title

Following Friday's sweep of the College of Southern Idaho, Western Nevada Community College coach D.J. Whittemore said that baseball players are creatures of habit and didn't like things changing.

Perhaps that explains why, needing to split their final doubleheader of the season against CSI Saturday to win the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season championship, the Wildcats trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Perhaps, on a subconscious level, the Wildcats needed things to be dramatic - as they have many times this year - in order to stage yet another exciting comeback.

If that was the case, they got their wish.

Right fielder Brad Carlsen capped a three-run rally for WNCC, drilling an offering from CSI closer Jordan Latham up the middle to drive in pinch runner Aaron Henry and Tyson Jaquez to take a 4-3 win over the Golden Eagles at John L. Harvey Field in front of more than 350 fans.

CSI took the nightcap, 3-2, and second-place Dixie State swept Salt Lake Community College, but it wasn't enough to stop the Wildcats from accomplishing the improbable feat of winning a conference championship in its inaugural season.

Wildcats second baseman Kyle Bondurant perhaps summed it up best as he walked around the concession area hugging people and shaking hands: "Did we really just do that?"

"It was like a state of amazement, I guess you could say," said Bondurant, who finished 1-for-3 in the opener and was the second WNCC batter in a row to walk to open the seventh. "We shocked the whole world, doing what we did. Moving up to win the conference, getting ranked No. 20 in the nation - it was a shock to everyone. None of us know what to feel yet."

Perhaps it had nothing to do with feeling then. Maybe the Wildcats just didn't know any other way.

In a game where nothing was what it appeared, WNCC starter Josh Brink was pitching a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but his team was trailing 3-0. CSI starter Nick Carr gave up only one hit through four innings, but had walked four batters.

Brink hit CSI third baseman Grant Kveder with a pitch with one out in the top of the first.

Kveder stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by WNCC catcher Taylor Meiras, who tried to throw him out at second. A sacfrice fly by Mike Gumeson brought Kveder home.

Brink walked Kyle Resser and Cody Howerton to open the third. But runners advanced on Ken Fuglerud's sacrifice bunt and, one batter later, both scored on a fielding error by WNCC shortstop Jerahmie Libke, who couldn't get a grip on Gumerson's hopper.

WNCC loaded the bases in the first and had no outs, but Carr got out of the inning thanks to a double play and one of his seven strikeouts.

The Wildcats stranded two more runners in the second and Carr found his rhythm until the fifth, when a Brett Mosher's single dropped into left field and Meiras scored from third to make it 3-1.

Carr went six innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking five. Reliever James Wallace entered the game at the top of the seventh and walked Libke (who was replaced by pinch runner Jimmy Pierce) and Bondurant (who was replaced by pinch runner Henry) before being pulled in favor of closer Latham.

After striking out Mosher, Latham surrendered an RBI-single to Jaquez, making it a one-run game, then left fielder Pat Grennan laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Jaquez to second.

Rather than face first baseman Tom Miller - whose home run gave WNCC a 1-0 victory in the second game Friday - Latham issued an intentional walk to load the bases.

Henry scored easily on Carlsen's smoker up the middle, leaving the 5-foot-11, 230-pound Jaquez to hot-foot it to home, which he did, sliding in to beat the off-line throw from center to secure the win for the Wildcats.

Jaquez disappeared under a blue-and-white wave as the Wildcats streamed out of the dugout and dog-piled the jubilant first baseman.

"It was a little heavy (being on the bottom), but I was so happy I really didn't notice it," said Jaquez, who will play for the University of Nevada next year. "I was so jacked - we finally won it."

Carlsen, who last season was on the first Spanish Springs team to win zone and advance to state, said he had a feeling what Latham (2-2) was going to throw.

"I knew he didn't want to get behind (in the count) and I saw a fastball," Carlsen said. "They walked Miller because he ended the game with a homer (Friday). I followed him up and got the big hit. It's awesome. It took four years at Spanish Springs to do it and here it took only one year to win conference."

Stephen Sauer (5-1) got the win for the Wildcats, who ended the regular season with a 36-16 overall record and went 30-10 in the SWAC. Sauer gave up only one hit and pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings in relief of Brink, whose three runs were all unearned. Brink gave up two hits and struck out five, while Sauer struck out two.

The Wildcats will get a first-round bye in the SWAC Tournament, which begins Wednesday at John L. Harvey Field at 2 p.m. WNCC will face the winner of SLCC and the College of Eastern Utah Thursday at 5 p.m. The Wildcats split their four-game series with SLCC and swept their eight games with Eastern Utah.

The tournament features six teams in a double-elimination format. No. 2 seed Dixie State will face the winner of Wednesday's second game, matching CSI and the Community College of Southern Nevada, which begins at 5 p.m.

Carlsen said the secret to the Wildcats' success is their attitude.

"The whole thing is, we play every game like we can win every game," Carlsen said. "We took the opportunity and got it done."

No to mention the ultimate reality of his team's accomplishment, WNCC coach D.J. Whittemore was still trying to grasp the chilling reality of getting doused with Gatorade.

"That's something I've only seen on TV," said Whittemore, who had to change his uniform between games. "I didn't know it really happened in real life. After the way my guys played for me all year, they can do whatever they want."

Whiitemore said it's been a quick season, one filled with many changes both on and off the field.

"I can remember the first game of the year like it was yesterday," Whittemore said. "I was wondering how long it would take us to win a game. We won our first, our second...it began snowballing. We won 11 straight there...they just kept getting better every week, every day.

"It's gone by real fast. I have a 4 1/2 month-old baby daughter. I see her a couple of hours a night. It seems like she's doubled in size. We've really enjoyed the process of this season. We like being around each other. It's fun to work hard. It's fun to be part of this team. We'll keep playing all summer if they let us."

The National Junior College World Series begin in late May. It may not be all summer, but it's doubtful Whittemore would mind if his team could play all the way through those finals.

After all, baseball players are creatures of habit and don't like change - especially if that involves winning games and championships that few - if any - thought that they could.