CARSON CITY - The road warriors that are the Western Nevada College baseball team are finally coming home to their fans and their field. The Wildcats baseball team opens the Scenic West Athletic Conference season Friday with a two-day, four game series against College of Eastern Utah at WNC's John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.
Doubleheaders are set to begin at noon each day, but schedules may be revised if weather becomes a problem.
The Wildcats had a highly successful road swing to open the season, going 12-3 against strong Arizona and California teams. Coach DJ Whittemore said he's pleased with the way his team handled five weeks of away games right off the bat.
"Winning 12 of 15 games on the road to start the season is a great testament to the strong will of the players and their dedication to preparation," he said. Now, though, "the conference season starts a new season and is obviously much more important than anything we have done to this point." That rings especially true since the Wildcats are the defending SWAC champions, going 33-6 in 2009, then winning a regional title and finishing third at the National Junior College World Series.
College of Eastern Utah will arrive with a 4-7 record, but Whittemore said they have many returning starters from last year's team. College of Southern Nevada, just ahead of WNC in the early standings at 13-3, is the favorite to win the conference. "They are widely recognized as being the top team in the country," due in part to the addition of freshman catcher Bryce Harper, seen by many as the top college prospect in the country.
Whittemore and his team however, remain focused on their own goals. "We are looking to defend the title we won a year ago."
