Western District tournament sets up as hitters’ paradise

Combine aluminum bats with high elevation and the Western District baseball tournament should provide fans with plenty of offense.

Western Nevada College already has its offense in high gear after stunning College of Southern Nevada to win the Region 18 title last weekend in Henderson. The Wildcats averaged 10 runs per game in their final two games of the double-elimination tournament.

On Thursday, the Wildcats (41-17) began a quest to win the program’s fourth Western District championship and earn a spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament. WNC met tournament host Trinidad State (42-15), Colo., at 3 p.m. (PST).

Yavapai College (41-19) of Prescott, Ariz., and Miles Community College of Miles City (25-27-1), Mont., are also participating in the double-elimination tournament.

“I think this tournament will be especially tough because of the quality of teams playing in it and the location of the tournament,” said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore. “Trinidad State might have the highest-elevation college field in the country. At over 6,000 feet above sea level it should provide for some interesting games and strategy. Add the aluminum bats and the games get even more wacky. Balls that have been outs all year will turn into hits, some hits will turn into outs and some hits will turn into homers.”

Given that WNC’s players used wooden bats throughout their Scenic West Athletic Conference season, they could get an additional boost with metal in their hands this week.

Trinidad State’s outfield dimensions of 360 feet to left, 350 feet to right and 385 feet to center should also favor the hitters.

“Trinidad’s field is notoriously small in the gaps and in center field,” Whittemore said. “This makes games highly unpredictable because hitters who haven’t hit home runs all year are capable of driving the ball out of the park.”

Whittemore doesn’t expect his hitters to have an edge by switching from wooden to aluminum bats.

“I have never felt like it was an advantage for us because our hitters get very used to the weight distribution of a wood bat vs. the very end of the bat heavy feel of aluminum,” Whittemore said.

But the Wildcats have other factors working their way after claiming their fifth Region 18 title, including three in the past four years.

“Working in our favor is our players’ confidence in themselves and each other and our chemistry,” Whittemore said. “Add a dash of grind every pitch and we have a pretty good recipe for consistency, which is the hallmark and calling card of this team.