Gering's Smith, Marquez headed to play baseball at WNCC

               Gering's Zach Smith and Nate Marquez didn't have to look far to continue playing in college. The two Bulldog standouts will be playing baseball for Mike Jones at Western Nebraska Community College next season.

               Smith, who signed a letter of intent Thursday afternoon, fall, said it is a relief that the decision is not lifted from his shoulders.

               "This is a lot of pressure released in going through the recruiting process," Smith said. "I am happy with my choice to be able to play baseball here and play for Coach Jones. Hopefully, I can come in and contribute right away in working hard and getting the time in that I need to do to produce and hopefully get to the next level and step in right away and contribute."

               As for Marquez, who committed to play baseball for the Cougars on Thursday, said the biggest reason he elected to stay home was because of Coach Mike Jones, who has coached him in American Legion in the summer.

               "I choose WNCC because I thought this was a great way to start my baseball career and I have a good relationship with the coach," Marquez said. "i have been playing for them [Gering coaching staff] and they are good coaches. They know how to push us and make us play. I just want to carry that on to the next level."

               Both players are looking to get even better when they enroll at WNCC in the fall. Jones said that Smith is projected to see action at third base and pitcher, while Marquez will see action in the outfield.

               "Zach brings a lot of things to our program. You are talking about a guy that is very athletic and can play multiple positions," Jones said. "Getting a guy that can pitch, play the infield, and if we have to we can move him to the outfield and you don't get that every day. He is just very athletic. As a coach, it is great; we have a lot of options. i am curious to see what happens to him in the next two years. Does he become a Division I third baseman or a Division I pitcher. it will be fun working with him.

               "As for Nate, he brings two different things. At Gering for the Legion team, he brings the lead-off hitter mentality that can run and is real aggressive on the bases. He tracks down everything in the outfield. There were multiple compliments at the state tournament a year ago about when a ball is hit to centerfield, Nate was going to go and catch it. Now when he goes to the college level it will be different. He will have to grow and add some strength. Defensively he is ready but he has to get better offensively."

               Jones said that it is neat that he keeps coaching players that he watched grow up in the valley.

               "It is really cool for me now that these guys are graduating high school and coming into my program," he said. "I remember when Nate was just a little guy and he would come to camps in the summer. I have seen him develop all these years. it is nice now to bring in a guy that I have seen grow and step into our program."

               Smith, however, had the biggest decision in colleges as he had options playing other sports. He received football interest from Doane and Concordia, but decided that he wanted to play his favorite sport in college -- baseball. Football, he said, was third on his list of favorite sports ranking behind baseball and basketball.

               "Baseball just fell in place with my goals to carry on and I could pass up playing for Coach Jones since he has been bugging me for three years know," he said. "Baseball would have to be favorite sport and basketball is a close second. i have been playing baseball for a long time. I just love the game and I love the atmosphere of being on the field and just playing."

               Both players have dreams of trying to get to the next level and felt WNCC was a perfect stepping stone.

               "My dream is to play Division I baseball and I felt that Coach Jones and the coaching staff can provide that to me of getting to the next level," Smith said. "However, I haven't thought that far ahead."

               Marquez, who also plays basketball and soccer at Gering, is happy that he gets to continue playing a sport that he played since T-ball.

               "I would say so this was an easy decision for me because of the way I feel about baseball," he said. "I don't feel that same way about any other sport. it was an easy decision for me. i pretty much want to get better so I can go to the next level."
               Both players have one more season on the Gering American Legion team and they say the sky is the limit for this year's team.

               "Our goal is to win a state championship," Smith said. "We should put in the time and effort. We have the right materials as a team to definitely contend for a state championship."