Jan. 30, 2008

By Ken McDowell Sports Editor

The first crack of the bat of baseball season may be heard this weekend as the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen are scheduled to open their 2008 season.

Field conditions permitting, NJC will host Colorado State University (CSU) Club at Plainsmen Park Friday at 12 p.m. in double-header action. On Saturday the first game of another twin-bill will start at 2 p.m. However, if the games cannot be played in Sterling the weekend double-headers will be played at CSU.

Coach Bryan Shepherd and the Plainsmen return 11 sophomores from last year's team that posted a 28-25 mark and was 2-2 in the Region IX Tournament.

Sophomores returning who hope to lead the Plainsmen to a Region IX Tourney title this year are second baseman Curtis Burback of Arvada; catcher Rhett Welsh of Denver; infielder/ right handed pitcher Danny Brock from Loveland; infielder/right handed pitcher Darren Chavez from Lafayette; shortstop/right handed pitcher Colton Williams from Chandler, Ariz.; outfielder Josh Warren from Laramie, Wyo.; catcher/right handed pitcher Sam Feiner from Las Vegas, Nev.; right handed pitcher Arvin Perez from Ponce, Puerto Rico; right handed pitcher Mike McClaren from Las Vegas; right handed pitcher/ infielder Zak Enriquez from Denver and left handed pitcher James Quisenberry from Parker.

Last year Warren was selected to the All-Region IX Team and Brock and Quisenberry were named Second Team All-Region IX. Brock is also the son of former Major League Baseball player Greg Brock, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1982-1991.

This year's talented freshmen class includes second baseman Juan Silva from Immokalee, Fla.; Jordan Kessler, utility player from Broomfield; infielder Chad Gerald (red shirt {RS}) from DeForrest, Wis.; right handed pitcher Bryan Kruse from Denver; left handed pitcher Javier Banuelos from Denver; outfielder Joey Steger (RS) from Sterling; outfielder C.J. Hunt from Phoenix, Ariz.; infielder Robert Lewis from Westminster; outfielder Sean Flaherty from Sachse, Texas; outfielder LaDarian Poole from Kennesaw, Ga.; right handed pitcher Luke Oeltienbruns from Delta; catcher Andrew Belew from Phoenix; catcher Scott Dalrymple from Beaverton, Ore.; right handed pitcher Danny Garcia from Denver; right handed pitcher Taylor Swift from Stinson Beach, Calif.; outfielder Billy McHenry from Cheyenne, Wyo.; right handed pitcher Jeff Patten from Arvada; infielder/right handed pitcher Ashley Scott from Johanassburg, South Africa; shortstop David Broshious from Rio Rancho, N.M; first baseman Hector Gallegos from Denver and left handed pitcher Garrett Miller from South Park.

Scott competed for the South African team in the Baseball World Cup in Taiwan in November.

Shepherd reported that Quisenberry, a 6-7 lefty, will get the ball in game 1 on Friday. The coach added McClaren would be the number 2 starter and the rest of the rotation is up for grabs between Swift, Chavez, Banuelos and Oeltienbruns.

"We have five or six pitchers who we can put out there at any time," Shepherd said. "We haven't made any decisions yet who will be our three, four and five starters, so it will be a pitching-by-committee thing until we figure it out."

Brock returns as the starting first baseman, and was NJC's third leading hitter last year, according to Shepherd. Burback started at second base most of last year, and will hold down that spot this season.

Feiner was a back-up catcher last year and will start at third base, replacing Sterling native Jeff Squier. Warren returns in the outfield and was the second leading hitter on the team and stole 37 bases. Mike Mendenhall, who was NJC's leading hitter last year and All-Region IX leftfielder, will also have to be replaced since he graduated.

Shepherd expects Poole, Flaherty and McHenry to step up in the outfield. Welsh returns as the starting catcher after having a solid season last year and will handle the pitching staff.

Shepherd said the shortstop spot is up between two or three solid players, observing, "We have a good core of experienced players back, along with several talented freshmen who are ready to step in."

Since the Region IX has used wood bats the past few years, Shepherd predicted speed and "small ball" will be a big part of the NJC offense this season.

"With wood bats, small ball is always a big thing," he said. "We have pretty good speed in the outfield, and when those guys get on base other teams better be ready for them," he observed. "We also have kids who don't have blazing speed, but they have baseball savvy. When our guys get on base they are going to be in motion so we'll be able to do a lot of different things this year."

The Empire Conference is once again loaded with talented teams, including Lamar Community College, Western Nebraska Community College, McCook, Neb., Community College, Trinidad State College, NJC and Otero Junior College. Western Nebraska is the defending Region IX Tournament champions.

"You have to figure that Western Nebraska will be good again this year," Shepherd reported. "You also have to throw in Lamar and Trinidad in the mix as well as any one of the other teams. "But we go into each year with the goal of winning the Region IX title. I think we are right up there at the top, and anybody you ask will also put us right up there." "We have been close to winning several times, but I'm not going to be satisfied until we hold up that Region IX championship trophy." NJC is also scheduled to host Colorado Northwestern Community College Feb. 8-9.