WNCC opens fall season against Reno Astros

Fans will have a chance to see the 2007 version of the Western Nevada Community College baseball team when it opens its fall season today.

WNCC will scrimmage the Reno Astros at 4:30 p.m. at John L. Harvey Field. The Wildcats have 14 players back from last year's team that won the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title.

The Wildcats return eight pitchers and six position players, including five position starters. Among them are first baseman Thomas Miller and shortstop-second baseman Kyle Bondurant, who both earned all-SWAC second team honors last year.

Taylor Meiras, who made the all SWAC-tournament team last year, returns along with two starting outfielders, Pat Grennan and Brad Carlsen. Douglas High's Chad Walling, part-time starter who was a utility player and even a pitcher, also returns.

WNCC returns three of its starting pitchers from last year in ace Justin Garcia, Cole Rohrbough, who was taken in the 22nd round of this year's Major League draft, and Josh Brink. The top relief pitcher in Dan Grubbs, who was named to the all-SWAC second team, is back along with Stephen Sauer, who was second on the team in wins and led the club in saves a year ago.

"He's been as good as anybody we've got so far this fall," WNCC coach D.J. Whittemore said.

Other pitchers who return are Jake Bottari, T.J. Wohlever and Wooster's Jesse Rasner, who redshirted last year.

WNCC lost three of its top recruits it signed in Davis Banks, who signed with Oregon State, the College World Series champions, Kyle Smit, who signed with the Dodgers and Kevin Creier, who signed with the Cubs.

"We've still got plenty of real good players in this recruiting class," Whittemore said.

The class includes Carson High's Logan Parsley, last year's Northern 4A Player of the Year. "He's doing a real good job," Whittemore said.

There's also Carson's Kevin Schlange. "He's playing great," Whittemore said. "He's battling Bondurant for the shortstop job."

Other impressive newcomers have been outfielder Cliff Shephard, catcher Chuck Howard and pitcher Jose Barajas.

"He's been amongst our best hitters so far this fall," said Whittemore about Shephard.

"He's got as good of stuff as anyone on the staff," Whittemore also said about Barajas.

In addition, there's Carson's Wes Osmer, a left-handed pitcher who has recovered from Tommy John surgery. Whittemore said Osmer will pitch today against the Astros.

There's also Josh Creveling, WNCC's only two-way player at the present time who's seeing action as a pitcher and position player, and Douglas High catcher Roman Davis, pitcher Ryan O'Dell and Truckee's Jason Chapman, an outfielder who was drafted by the Reds, Whittell's Jeff Young, a third baseman and first baseman Andrew Reid.

WNCC also has a large number of sophomore transfers, including Wooster's Jeremy Joustra, pitcher who's coming from the University of Nevada. Ryan Simpson is transferring from Chico State.

Whittemore said Simpson is "going to be a hitter we're going to have to put in the middle of the order."

Other transfers include Anthony Garcia from UNLV, another player who will be give a shot to replace Tyson Jaquez, who went to Nevada, at third base, and Andrew Ferguson, the 2005 Northern 4A Player of the Year, who's transferring from San Mateo.

There's Chris Rickey as well, a left-handed pitcher who was a Major League draft choice and is transferring from Nevada. Rickey is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Whittemore said Mike Hartley, a former Big Leaguer and the pitching coach for the Golden Baseball League champion Reno Silver Sox, may pitch today for the Astros. WNCC assistant coach Mike Gilles will play third for the Astros.

The Astros roster has also featured two former Carson standouts in Joe Mercer and Cisco Melendez.