WNC, CSN renew their rivalry

It's a rivalry that's not even three years old, yet, and already the series has provided several memorable moments.

Western Nevada College and College of Southern Nevada will renew their rivalry this weekend in the opening series of Scenic West Athletic Conference play. The two teams will play a doubleheader today at CSN, beginning at 4 p.m. and another doubleheader, beginning at noon Saturday to complete the four-game affair.

Not counting forfeits, the Coyotes currently hold an 8-7 edge in the series. While bitter may be too strong of a word, the series has definitely been intense from the beginning when the Wildcats beat the Coyotes at CSN 4-2 in their first ever game two years ago.

There was also last year's Regional finals in which the Wildcats swept the Coyotes 2 games to none again at CSN, a series win that helped propel them to the Junior College World Series.

Since CSN has many players back from the team that had their season ended by WNC, Wildcat coach D.J. Whittemore figures the Coyotes will have plenty of motivation.

"I think that's going to play into the pregame discussion is how their season ended last year," Whittemore said.

But since the Wildcats have just six players back from that team, Whittemore said that series is ancient history as far as he's concerned.

"For us it really doesn't make any difference," he said. "The game doesn't really change. The game's still the same. Three outs in one inning and score more and you win."

There's no question that many of the CSN faithful took offense to the way the Wildcats celebrated that win two years ago. Many of the Wildcat players were from Southern Nevada and weren't recruited by CSN, so they took great pleasure in beating the Coyotes.

Whittemore, though, stressed CSN coach Tim Chambers has always treated him well - to a point.

"Coach Chambers has been helpful to me and certainly cordial - up until the week we play," Whittemore said. "His competitive spirit takes over."

Whittemore has always tried to keep the rivalry in perspective. "Baseball's not a very emotional game," he said. "It's a game that's played with a level head."

And Whittemore noted CSN has had its moments in the rivalry, including last year when Braedon Schlehuber hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Coyotes a 4-3 win and a split of a four-game series at John L. Harvey Field.

"They celebrated quite a bit," Whittemore said. "We've been stung by them as much as we've stung them."

WNC faces a daunting task this weekend in a CSN team that's loaded and is ranked No. 1 by Baseball America. CSN features five pitchers and eight players overall who have signed with Division I schools. "They're pitching staff is probably the best in the country," Whittemore said.

The Wildcats are also coming into the series off a long layoff as last weekend's scheduled games against Feather River Community College were wiped out by the weather.

"The hardest thing about playing junior college baseball in our conference is you wait a week between games every week," Whittemore said. "You have to start it all over again each weekend which makes it that much mor difficult."

Whittemore, though, noted that CSN didn't play last weekend, either. "It should balance out," he said.

Another difference this year that should give CSN an advantage and be a disadvantage to WNC's relatively thin pitching staff is that one nine-inning game will be played in Scenic West series this year. Today, the teams will play a seven-inning game and then a nine-inning contest.

On Saturday, the teams will play two seven-inning games. Last year, Scenic West series consisted of four seven-inning games.

"At least for me there's a lot of uncertainty for how it's going to affect the strategy for the weekend," Whittemore said. "It's going to be a learn on the fly situation.

"We want to make sure we wina game. If we can win two, we feel like we're in the lead in the conference."

The biggest factor affected could be how Whittemore uses his most effective relief pitcher, Jose Barajas. Whittemore said he would like to just use Barajas three to four innings this weekend but also said Barajas may pitch as many as five innings.

The best-case scenario obviously is for Barajas to be in a save situation. "He's been pitching very well," Whittemore said. "He's been tough to hit."

But Whittemore noted something else. "It's going to be tough to get a lead," he said.

Among the daunting pitchers WNC will face will be Colby Shreve, who is allowing 2.5 hits per seven innings, and arguably the nation's top relief pitcher, Tyler Lavigne.

In no particular order, Kyle Starratt, Kyle Farrell and Josh Moody will start the first three games. "We're going to have everybody else in the bullpen," Whittemore said.

As far as the series' final game, Whittemore said, "The best guy that's the most fresh will start the fourth game."

Whittemore said if they're able to go, Javy Perez or Matt Klein would be the most likely candidates to start the fourth game.