Fourteen recruits commit to Wildcats baseball

Nevada Appeal Staff Report

Fourteen high school baseball players from Nevada and the Northwest have committed in writing or verbally to the Western Nevada College Wildcats in the fall.

Damonte Ranch High School shortstop Cody Stevens and Reed shortstop Casey Yocom are the two the Northern Nevada products who have signed letters of intent.

Tyler May, a pitcher/outfielder for Douglas and Bishop Manogue pitcher Ryan Baker have previously verbally committed.

"We are extremely happy to successfully recruit the best players in the Northern Nevada," Western Nevada coach D.J. Whittemore said. "Cody Stevens, Casey Yocom, and Tyler May are all outstanding two-way players that lead some of the top high school programs in Northern Nevada.

"Ryan Baker will again have major role on the mound this year for Bishop Manogue as the Miners are hoping to make a run at the state championship."

Whittemore said WNC recruiting coordinator Kevin Edwards "scoured the state of Nevada and the Pacific Northwest to land an outstanding group of student athletes."

The new crop of players includes three pitchers, five infielders, one catcher, and five outfielders, with several of the players adept at both hitting and pitching.

The Wildcats will beef up their left-handed hitting considerably.

The current roster has two left-handed positional players, but five of the 11 positional players joining the program are southpaws.

Many of the position players will be expected to play pivotal roles as freshmen, Whittemore said, because as many as seven of this year's starters will be lost to graduation.

He said the class is light on pitching due to the outstanding crop of freshman hurlers the Wildcats have on the 2009 roster.

Three players are from Las Vegas " pitcher/outfielder Kody Gordon and pitcher/outfielder Taylor Doyle are from Cimarron Memorial High School, and outfielder Brooks Klein is from Sierra Vista.

This marks the fifth straight year the Wildcats have signed a Sierra Vista player.

"Some of the best Wildcats of all time have come from Coach (Nate) Selby's outstanding program," Whittemore said, "including 2006 Team MVP Thomas Miller, 2006 Pitcher of the Year and 2007 Wildcat Award Winner Justin Garcia, 2008 Team MVP and NJCAA All-American Chuck Howard, and current Wildcats Andrew Garcia and 2008 All-Region XVIII performer Lance Ray, just to name a few."

The rest of the players are from Oregon and Washington.

"The out-of-state players represent some of the best talent WNC has ever landed," Whittemore said.

Whittemore credited Jeff McKay and Mike Brooks, of Baseball Northwest, and Pete Wilkinson, of the Wilkinson Academy, for providing the Wildcats with a fertile ground for recruiting players out of Washington.

Other players who have signed letters of intent to play for the Wildcats include infielder Kevin Taylor (Sunset High School, Portland, Ore.), infielder Jonathan Sigado (South Salem High School, Salem, Ore.).

From the State of Washington, outfielder Tyler McLeod (Burlington-Edison High School, of Burlington), catcher Patrick McMeel (North Thurston High School, Lacey), second baseman Zach Hendrix (Emerald Ridge High School, Puyallup), center fielder Kyle Conwell, Tahoma High School, Maple Valley).

Outfielder Kris Bliven, of Snohomish High School (Wash.), also has verbally committed to play for the Wildcats.