Four WNCC players receive honors for classroom work

The volleyball court isn’t the only place the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team has experience success. The team now is receiving success in the classroom.

WNCC coach Giovana Melo has instituted the Scholar Baller program that many NCAA Division I schools, including the Nebraska football program, use to recognize the athlete’s work in the classroom.

“Scholar Baller is a program that reinforces the connection between sports and academics,” Melo said. “I was fortunate to be a part of the program at Arizona State as a player and I think that it has helped many athletes across the country. I am hoping to help our girls as well.”

This year’s first recipients of the WNCC Scholar Baller awards include Emily Hoehn of Kearney (4.0 GPA), Ariel Austin of Woodland Park, Colo., (3.69 GPA), Kathryn Stock of Thibodaux, La., (3.94 GPA), and Tania Torres of Camuy, Puerto Rico, (3.87 GPA). Also receiving recognition for academics was student assistant coach Cesar Benatti, who has a 3.5 GPA. Melo said Benatti has been a good example of excellence in the classroom for the girls.

“I think they have been working extremely hard in the classroom but it is not just a semester award. It is a 2 year thing,” Melo said. “I want to see it grow within our program and see more players to achieve the same honor. I want to see them competing to get it every semester.”

To become a Scholar Baller athlete, athletes must have a 3.6 GPA. The four recipients received a T-shirt to wear and next fall, they will get to wear a patch on their uniform to indicate their work in the classroom.

"I think they have been working extremely hard in the classroom but it is not just a semester award. It is a 2 year thing," Melo said. "I want to see it grow within our program and see more players to achieve the same honor. I want to see them competing to get it every semester."

The volleyball team, as a whole, also excelled in the classroom, finishing with a combined 3.28 GPA, which is the highest grade point average among any WNCC team this season. The team was recognized for its honors at the annual awards ceremony earlier this month.

Individually, though, the four volleyball players that received the first WNCC Scholar Baller recognition, said they are honored to be the first recipients.

" I worked really hard to get the academic honor. I was really excited when I received it," Stock said. "In my opinion I think academics are more important than athletics. I put that before even volleyball. I think that it is more honorably to excel in the classroom than on the court because you are not going to play volleyball for life. I will have to get a job one day and get through school. I think it is really important for an athlete to excel in the classroom and on the court."

Hoehn said that she wasn't surprised in getting it; it was something that she knew she wanted because of her past academic accolades in high school.

"After she mentioned the award, I made it my goal to be a Scholar Baller," the Kearney native said. "It is a nice award and something that you can put on your resume and show that you are not only an athlete, but you are also a scholar and not only an athlete. I really expect myself to keep and maintain a 4.0 all year. That is one of my biggest goals here. Whatever amount of study that I need to keep my 4.0, I will keep doing it."

Hoehn said this Scholar Baller program is good for the team.

"I think it is a great program because so many people are focused on athletic ability and it is nice to prove that you are here for something else than sports ability," she said. "I think it puts pressure on the athletes of the school to help maintain a GPA. If sports didn’t work out for me, I would be able to rely on my grades."

Hoehn, who is a biology major, said that keeping that high GPA next year will be even tougher when she takes calculus, chemistry and trigonometry.

"It does take dedication to stay on top of your studies because it is pretty easy for you to want to slack off and not do homework," she said. "But in order to keep the high GPA that the Scholar Baller asks for, you really have to buckle down and get your work done."

Hoehn said having good study skills is the ingredient to getting good grades.

"I learned to study in high school," Hoehn said. "When it comes down to slacking off and having fun compared to getting good grades, you really have to buckle down and get your work done. If you don’t understand something or if you need help, you really need to go and talk to the teachers. You shouldn’t be ashamed to go and talk to your teachers to help explain stuff to you."

Torres is another volleyball player that has excelled in the classroom and she had the same study habits as Hoehn. She said don't leave things to the last moment.

"Since I was little, my parents told me that every time I get new material, to read a little bit and then the next day read it again. By the time the tests come, I will know what I need to know for the tests," she said. "Studying might take some of your time in having fun, but it is also important to take time to study. You just need to divide your time to be successful. You can’t have more time to have fun then to study. You have to know where your priorities are and that is how you are going to get good grades."

Torres is a perfect example of getting good grades as she came to WNCC in August with a slight language barrier just like her coach did. Torres, though, put that behind her for a 3.87 GPA. Torres is planning on obtaining her bachelor's degree in biology and then transfer to a medicine school in either the states or Spain to be become a surgeon cardiologist.

"Being a scholar baller is not easy because you have to be doing good in volleyball and also do good in your classes; you have both sides of the pressure," Torres said. "It shows that it is not only sports but that academics is a really important factor in our lives. We love volleyball but we also choose that we also need to study to achieve our goals."

Torres definitely believes this program is something that other colleges or other WNCC athletic teams should consider.

"I would recommend the program because it tells athletes how important it is to be a good athlete and a good student at the same time," she said. "It shows how much you can achieve in being both at the same time. You can only be an athlete for a certain amount of time, and when you get old, you won’t be able to keep playing, you will have to do something else. That is when academics come into play. That is why it is important to be good in school, too."
Austin said that the honor this year shows that she can buckle down and get her studies done.

"I am kind of honored because I was really motivated to work for it and I got it. It is all about focusing on your work," she said. "I was surprised because I have not been the best academic person. It is kind of surprising."

Austin said that what helped her to her 3.69 GPA was the mandatory study halls.

"I think having mandatory study halls is what really helps so you can just sit down and focus," she said. "In high school I really wouldn’t have time because I didn’t have a set schedule. Now study halls is mandatory and I just sit down and do my work. I get it done and you can definitely tell it has improved my grades."

Stock just missed a perfect 4.0 GPA, receiving an A minus in English Composition in the fall. It was a grade that made her mad. Stock said to get good grades, you have to be motivated and set goals.

"I just work really hard and academics mean a lot to me," she said. "I get mad at myself if I don’t do well. That is how it has always been because my parents think school is also important. I just say to myself and others to keep working hard the whole time and don’t give up.

"I am not awesome and I don’t easily do well in school. I work really hard studying and I go and see my teachers and ask for help if you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask other people for advice. You have to learn to put your priorities in order first and that will help you succeed in life in general and not just school."

The volleyball players have a perfect motivator in getting good grades in their coach. Melo was a Scholar Baller recipient when she played volleyball at Arizona State. Melo came to WNCC to play volleyball in 2001 and 2002 when she spoke very little English. Still, she overcome everything to do well academically, as Hoehn said she told her that she received just one C in all of her college courses.

Melo said she stresses academics first and foremost.

"It was a long journey for me starting from learning the language, getting good grades, and earning a master's degree," she said. "It is not easy to be a student-athlete in America. I think it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It demands a lot but I also think it prepares you for the future and that is what I try to pass to them all the time. I believe the hard work will pay off in the future."

WNCC baseball team falls to Lamar in regional championship series

LAMAR, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team's bid for a regional championship came to an end Saturday in Lamar, Colo., in the Region IX championship series after dropping a 2-0 contest to Lamar Community College.

Despite the loss, the Cougars still will compete in the district playoffs as two teams from Region IX qualified for regionals. Districts open up Thursday in Lamar and WNCC will face College of Southern Nevada and projected No. 1 draft choice in next month's major league baseball draft Bryce Harper.

"We are back down there next week and we will play Thursday afternoon and we will be playing Southern Nevada, who won Region I8. It is OK," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "We didn't win a regional championship, but we are still have a chance at a district championship. It is important to keep our heads held high and go after this district championship."

Even with the loss, Jones said his team played well as Armani Gonzalez gave another gallant effort on the mound, going seven innings and allowing six hits while striking out two.

"We played really well. Armani was really good," Jones said. "He has really picked it up in the last two weeks and pitched really well for us and shown a lot of leadership. He is a guy that is out there every single inning to win. I wish we could have got him some runs and got him the win today. Unfortunately we couldn't come up with the big hits when we needed them."

Lamar played single runs in the second and fifth inning and that was all the Cougar defense gave up. In the second, Lamar scored their lone run on three hits. In the fifth inning, Lamar had a lead-off single and then two batters later scored on a double.

The Cougars had opportunities to score as well. Their biggest threat came in the fourth when they had runners at second and third with just one out, but couldn't get the run across to tie the game. WNCC had another prime scoring opportunity in the sixth after Jason Sloan led off with a double, but was left stranded on base.

Jones said that they need to cash in on those scoring opportunities.

"We have runners at second and third with one out and unfortunately we strike out and pop up," Jones said. "Then, Jason Sloan leads off with a double later in the game and gives an opportunity to score a run, but we just can't back it up behind him. We had our opportunities, not a lot of them, but we had opportunities where we could have gotten some runs on the board, but we just couldn't come up with the big hit."

WNCC managed just four hits in the contest, including doubles by Sloan and Elvis Garcia. The other two hits came from Nelson Quintero and Oscar Rodriquez.

Jones said that even though they didn't win the regional tournament, they still have a change to be district champs and qualify for the NJCAA College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., the end of the month.

Districts, however, won't be easy as Lamar, Southern Nevada, and Central Arizona College will take to the fields in Lamar next weekend along with WNCC. Jones said that all four teams are good and anybody can win it. But, for the Cougars to win it, they will need to play well both offensively and defensively, especially since they will be swinging aluminum bats instead of wood bats they swung during Region IX play.

"Southern Nevada is going to be really good. Central Arizona won out of Region I and they will also be really good. We know Lamar is good, but we are a good team also," Jones said. "We are a good baseball team. We need to take advantage of our scoring opportunities and when we pick up the aluminum bats during this district, maybe we will be able to capitalize on some of those opportunities."

WNCC (24-37) 000 000 000 -- 0 4 1
Lamar (47-10) 010 010 00x -- 2 6 2
LP -- Armani Gonzalez; 2B -- Jason Sloan, Elvis Garcia.

WNCC baseball falls to Lamar in game one of championship series

LAMAR, Colo. -- The Lamar Community College Lopes scored six times in the first three innings and then held off a late Western Nebraska Community College to earn game one of the Region IX Championship series Friday 9-5 in Lamar, Colo.

Both teams will be back in action Saturday at 10 a.m. for game two in a game that WNCC needs to force a deciding third game on Wednesday. The winner of the regional series will host the district tournament next weekend. No matter what happens on Saturday, the Cougars have still qualified per the fact that Lamar, the Empire Conference champion, earned an automatic bid into districts.

For the Cougars on Saturday, Armani Gonzalez will get the nod on the mound. Gonzalez will need to pitch better than Friday's starting pitcher Tim Beard, who allowed eight runs in the first four innings.

"Beard struggled today. It was the worst outing he has had all year and it was a bad time for that," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "But, we were able to work through it and make a run at it at the end. We just dug ourselves such a big hole early that we couldn't quite get out of it."

Lamar scored three times in the opening frame to take a 3-0 lead. WNCC cut the lead to 3-1 with a single run in the second, but the Cougar defense couldn't keep the Lopes off the bath paths as they vaulted to an 8-1 lead after four innings.

WNCC made a comeback late as Elvis Garcia smashed a solo home run in the sixth inning. Then, in the eighth, the Cougars scored three runs to slice the deficit to 9-5. The big hit was a run-scoring double by Jason Sloan.

The Cougars managed eight hits on the day. Kevin Sanford was the only player with more than one hit as the finished with two singles. Garcia and Sloan had the only extra base hits for the Cougars.

Beard suffered the loss, lasting just four innings in giving up eight runs and striking out one. Julio Davila finished off the game, going four innings, allowing a run and striking out six.

Jones is hoping they can carry some of their late-inning momentum from Friday into game two.

"I am hoping we can take some momentum from our offense getting hot there at the end," he said. "I hope we can stay hot in [today's] game."

Jones said that they will need to shut down Lamar in order to force a game three on Sunday.

"I think it will be important that Armani comes out and is able to keep Lamar from scoring or maybe gives up just one run in the first three or four innings," Jones said. "He really needs to shut them down and give us a chance to get the lead early."

WNCC (24-36) 010 001 030 -- 5 8 1
Lamar (46-10) 321 201 00x -- 9 13 1
LP -- Tim Beard; 2B -- Jason Sloan; HR -- Elvis Garcia.

WNCC baseball team ready for Championship Series against Lamar

The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team enters this weekend’s Region IX Championship series with Lamar Community College with a lot to play for.

The winner of the series will host the district playoffs next weekend and earn the Region IX trophy. The loser of the series will still qualify for districts, but will have to travel.

The series opens up Friday at 1 p.m. with Saturday’s contest slated for 10 a.m. The Sunday start time, if necessary in the best 2 of 3 series, will begin at 1 p.m. WNCC coach Mike Jones said his team will need to manufacture runs and play errorless ball to come away with regional championship.

“For us we have been real successful all season long with pitching and defense. That will definitely have to continue. Tim Beard will pitch the first game and we are expecting another good performance out of Tim. We will have to try to manufacture runs.”

Bringing home a regional title would mean a lot to this team, and Jones gives his player credit from turning the season around. WNCC dropped its first nine games of the season and was 1-13 at one time. Since then, the Cougars have gone 23-21. They enter the championship series with a 24-35 record while Lamar is 45-10.
“This team has come a long ways from where we were at after the first month of the season,” Jones said. “I give the guys all the credit in the world for that. They could have laid down and given up early, but they never did. They kept showing up and practicing, and getting better and better and better. At the time when we were really struggling, I really couldn’t see us competing for a regional championship, but I knew the talent was always there. It was just a matter of us getting better, stronger and smarter and putting it all together.”

Pitching has been the driving force of the Cougar’s success this season. Tim Beard is the ace of the team. The freshman from Australia is 9-2 on the season and is in 27^th in the nation in earned run average at 1.95. Beard has thrown 78.2 innings with 62 strike outs and just 22 walks.

The Cougar’s other pitcher in sophomore Armani Gonzalez is also a threat on the mound. The big right-hander is 33^rd in innings pitched in the nation with 79.1. He is just 6-6 on the season, but has struck out 58. Gonzalez had one of his best pitching performances of the season on Sunday as he went 5 1/3 innings in relief in striking out seven and allowing just one run on three hits.

The key for the Cougars this weekend is to find a way to get to a Lamar pitching staff that has five pitchers with ERA below 3.00. The Lopes’ top arm is reliever Brandon Ward-Hersee, who is No. 1 in the country in ERA and saves. The sophomore had a 0.745 ERA with 22 saves. He had pitched in 48.1 innings with 56 strikeouts and just 12 walks.

Sunday against Trinidad State, the Cougars finished with 17 hits in a 10-7 win against the Trojans to give them the first-round playoff win. Jones doesn’t expect that kind of output with the talent that Lamar will bring to the mound.

“I don’t expect the kind of offense that we had Sunday coming up this weekend. Lamar has five or six real solid pitchers. Their closer is one of the best in the country. I think it will be a much closer game, but we definitely will take 16 hits if we can do that.”

What matters most about this weekend series is the winner will be the Region IX champs, including hosting districts. That happened the last time the Cougars won regionals back in 2007 as they hosted Western Nevada Community College and Central Arizona College. Jones said it would be great to do that once again.

“Our record at home is real good this year,” he said. “We really enjoy playing at home. We really enjoy Cleveland Field, the hometown crowd. We enjoy being able to sleep in our own beds and have our own routine. Winning a Region IX championship is something we are always shooting for. We have only been able to get that accomplished once so far and to get another regional championship would be great.

“Another banner in the gym and another plaque on the wall, it would be something that this group of guys can leave the program with and be proud of. It is something we have been talking about since the season begun, and now they have an opportunity to go out and get it done.”

Seven WNCC softball players named all-region, Schoepflin named Player of the Year

Several Western Nebraska Community College softball players earned all-region honors that were announced earlier this week.

Cougar freshman Jordan Schoepflin of Arvada, Colo., earned the top honor as she was picked as Region IX Player of the Year. This season, Schoepflin is batting .392 with 58 runs scored, 57 RBIs, seven home runs, four triples, and 12 doubles.

Cougars that made first team all-region include pitchers Taylor Anderson of Riverton, Utah, and Stephanie Townsend of Roosevelt, Utah; catcher Ashton Hughes of Regina, Saskatchewan; infielders Schoepflin and Katie Groves of Bluffdale, Utah; outfielder Adena Hagen of Birch Hills, Saskatchewan; and utility player Megan Bourdon of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.

The rest of the Region IX first team include pitcher Shannon Traxinger of Otero; catcher Shelbi Long of Trinidad State; infielders Sheena Hardman and Brittani Richins of Lamar, April Freier of Otero, Leah Hanson of Trinidad; outfielders Michelle Brunelli of Lamar, Jordan Bailey and Erica Christie of Otero, and Vanessa Brogdon of Trinidad; and designated player Courtney Leslie of Lamar.

Second team all-region members include pitchers Jordan Randolph and Sara Parmenter of Trinidad; catcher Casey Plowman of Lamar; infielders Jenna Will of Dawson, Hillary Hunter of Lamar, Laura Abellanida of Otero, and Katie Kerr of Trinidad; outfielders Mariah Griego of Otero, and Amanda Snyder and Cecely Rodriquez of Trinidad; utility player Jessica Apodaca of Trinidad; and designated player Chelsea Blais of Trinidad.

Other awards that were handed out saw Lamar’s Richins selected as Freshman of the Year. The outstanding coach of the year went to McCook’s Liz Jacoby while the coach of the year went to WNCC’s Maria Winn-Ratliff. The McCook softball team won the Sheila Worley Sportsmanship Award.

Public celebration for Cougar softball team on Wednesday

Western Nebraska Community College will have a public celebration on Wednesday, May 12 for the Cougar softball team at 3 p.m. in the pit area of the college. The softball team captured their second regional title in three seasons over the weekend by beating Trinidad State Junior College 11-2 in the championship game. WNCC will now compete in the national tournament next week.

The Cougar team, 43-19, will depart Monday morning for St. George, Utah. Their first game will be Thursday, May 20.. Tournament pairings will be released later in the week. The national tournament will be video streamed via the Internet at http://www.sgcity.org/recreation/njcaa_2010.

WNCC softball team is Region IX Champions

Western Nebraska Community College's Stephanie Townsend couldn't have asked for a better 20th birthday present on Sunday than what she received.

All the sophomore pitcher for the Cougar softball team wanted was a Region IX championship. Her teammates delivered that present to her in dramatic fashion with an 8-run seventh inning that helped WNCC capture its second championship in three years with an 11-2 win over Trinidad State Junior College Sunday at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff.

Townsend was also the driving force in the Cougar's victory Sunday in Region IX tournament as she was the winning pitcher in the title game, scattering eight hits and striking out three, including the final out of the game, to send the players in a frenzy in mobbing Townsend and each other.

"All I asked for was to win a regional title. That is all I wanted," the right-handed pitcher from Roosevelt, Utah, said. "We are extremely happy right know. We worked so hard for this. We have been through some rough times and through some easy times. We just had to push through today [Sunday]."

It wasn't an easy road to the title for the Cougars against a hot-hitting Trinidad State squad that pasted the Cougars 13-2 in the first championship game, setting up a second if-necessary championship game.

"It was a little scary after the first game that we lost," Townsend said. "We just had to believe in each other because we knew we could do it as long as we came together like we have all year. We just had a rough game the first game."

Rough is an understatement as the Cougars gave up nine hits and committed six errors in letting the Trojans run all over them. The second game, was a totally different Cougar team as the team used some clutch hitting and a solid defense. WNCC pounded out 12 hits and used a key double play in the sixth inning to thwart would could have been the go-ahead run for Trojans.

Townsend, who found herself in a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning and up 3-2, got out of the pickle by snaring a line drive back to her and quickly threw to first base to finish the double play and end the inning. That play was a huge motivation in the team's win.

"That was a big motivation factor for us because she [the batter Amanda Snyder] had three balls already on her and I just threw it on the plate to make sure she could hit it because I didn't walk a run in to tie it. It was nice to have that out and shoot our confidence way up."

That inning-ending double play lifted the Cougars' intensity heading into the top of the seventh inning. Before that, though, the Cougars found themselves in a dogfight with the Trojans. Trinidad scored twice in the first inning as Snyder singled and scored on a Shelbi Long double. Long came around to score on a Leah Hanson single for a 2-0 lead.

WNCC didn't tie the game until the fifth inning when they manufactured two runs. Allie Alverson led off with a double that nearly cleared the fence for a home run. Brittany Chacon followed by reaching base on an error. After a sacrifice bunt, Megan Bourdon unleashed a towering shot that hit the top of the fence and came back in for a double, scoring Alverson and Chacon to tie the game at 2-2.

The Cougars went ahead in the fifth inning with a single run. Jacqui Cappucilli led off by getting plunked by a pitch. Pinch runner Amanda Saldivar then scored on an error in the outfield to put WNCC up 3-2.

Trinidad had a prime scoring opportunity in the sixth inning as Ariel Navarro walked and Katie Kerr and Krysten Lopez had singles to load the bases with just one out. That was when Townsend helped turn the inning-ending double play.

After that, the Cougars' opened up its offense by scoring eight times on five hits in the seventh inning. It all started as as Region IX Player of the Year Jordan Schoepflin lined a shot down the thirdbase line. Cappucilli followed in dramatic fashion, taking the first pitch from Trinidad pitcher Jessica Apodaca and planting it 225 feet over the left-centerfield fence for a 2-run home run.

The Cougars continued excelling offensively as Adena Hagen delivered a 2-run scoring single to right field. Katie Groves and Shoepflin followed with doubles that plated the final three runs of the inning.

Cappuccilli, who said she was due to break out of her hitting slump, said her home run was just part of a team that woke up offensively.

"That home run was phenomenal," the freshman shortstop from Las Vegas, Nev., said. "I hadn't been hitting very well so I went up there thinking I might as well go and swing for it. I did it, but without everybody else doing what they did, it wouldn't have meant nothing."

Cappuccilli is right, there were a number of players that stood out in the win, whether it was offensively or defensively. The Cougar defense left six Trojans stranded in scoring position as they stopped potential threats in the second, third, fourth and sixth inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars pounded out 12 hits, including five extra base hits. Groves led the way with a 4-for-5 game, including a double, a run scored, and two RBIs. Also collecting two hits in the contest was Bourdon, Schoepflin, and Alverson. Bourdon went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs, while Schoepflin went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and a RBI. Alverson went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Schoepflin, who was lost for words in describing her player of the year honor, said it feels good to be Region IX champs.

"This win feels awesome. We went out and gave it our all so we couldn't feel better," the freshman from Arvada, Colo., said. "We wanted to come out and show them that we weren't going to back and we wanted this win. We deserved to win this. We have practiced real hard and we really wanted it."

Trinidad State also wanted the win as well and they fought back through elimination to get a chance to play for the regional title. The Trojans started the day with a 4-0 win over Otero Junior College as Jordyn Randolph baffled the Otero hitters in allowing just three hits while striking out 10. Trinidad also pounded out eight hits in the win.

The Trojans kept that hitting alive against WNCC in the first championship game as they had nine hits, including a six-run second inning on four hits. Long nearly hit for the cycle as she was a home run short from accomplishing that feat.

WNCC, 43-19, will next take part in the NJCAA national tournament scheduled for May 20-22 in St. George, Utah. The players are ready for the trip as one of the top 16 teams in the nation.

"It is going to be exciting because I am from Utah," Townsend said. "There will be a lot of people there supporting all the Utah people on the team and others."

Cappuccilli said that this team is beyond excited.

"Winning regionals is huge. It is amazing and it is tradition in the making," she said. "The first game against Trinidad we didn't play Cougar ball at all and the second game we played Cougar ball. This was definitely a good birthday present for her [Stephanie]."

Game One
Trinidad 100 210 0 -- 4 8 1
Otero 000 000 0 -- 0 3 2
WP -- Jordyn Randolph, LP -- Shannon Traxinger. 2B -- Otero (Yolanda Montano), 3B -- Trinidad (Amanda Snyder).

Game Two
Trinidaid 060 205 -- 13 9 1
WNCC 000 200 -- 2 6 6
WP -- Randolph, LP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- WNCC (Allie Alverson), Trinidad (Shelbi Long, Cecely Rodriquez, Ariel Navarro); 3B -- Trinidad (Long); HR -- Trinidad (Leah Hanson).

Game Three
WNCC (43-19) 000 210 8 -- 11 12 1
Trinidad (33-23) 200 000 0 -- 2 8 4
WP -- Stephanie Townsend, LP -- Sara Permenter; 2B -- WNCC (Alverson 2, Megan Bourdon, Katie Groves, Jordan Schoepflin), Trinidad (Long); HR -- WNCC (Jacqui Cappuccilli).

WNCC baseball drops Trinidad State, wins playoff series

The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team rode the strong-arm pitching of Armani Gonzalez as they advanced to the Championship Series next weekend in Lamar, Colo., after dropping Trinidad State Junior College 10-7 at Cleveland Field on Sunday.

Gonzalez, who threw 5 1/3 innings in striking out seven and allowing just one run on three hits from the bullpen, gave the Cougar offense the lift they needed. The offense responded as they pounded out 17 hits, including four runs in the seventh and eighth inning to earn the win.

"Our starting pitching wasn't real strong. but we went to the bullpen and to Armani Gonzales, who pitched a little for us yesterday. He was outstanding on the mound," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "He came in the game and really took control of the game, which I think was key. The way Armani came in and started dominating their hitters let everyone on our team know that if we could put together some runs, we have a good chance to win the game.

"Then, our offense definitely showed up. We had 16 hits or something like that and offensively, we really busted out and hit a lot of balls hard. There weren't really a lot of cheap hits in there. We really stepped up and hit the ball well."

The Cougar offense was potent all game long, but it was late that the Cougars needed the run. WNCC offensive power started early as Elvis Garcia had a solo home run in the first inning to tie the game at 1-1.

WNCC took a 4-1 lead after two innings as they plated three runs on four hits in the second inning. Trace Marsden started things with a one-out single. Kevin Sanford followed with a two-out single that scored Marsden.

Sanford scored the second run of the inning n a Jared Baros single. Baros came around to score on a double by Shane Wade for the 4-1 lead.

Trinidad fought back taking control of the game by scoring twice in the third and four times in the fourth for a 7-4 lead.

WNCC fought back by slicing the lead to one, 7-6, with two runs in the fifth as Garcia singled and Camilo Baldelomar doubled. Each later scored.

WNCC took the lead for good in the seventh with three runs on four hits. Baldelomar started things with a double and came around to score on a Marsden single. Marsden came around to score on a Baros single, and then Sanford scored on a Wade single for a 9-7 lead.

The Cougars scored an insurance run in the eighth inning on two hits for the final margin.

Jones said that his team didn't want to end their season and dug down deep. Last year, the Cougars were eliminated in two games in the first round by Northeastern Junior College at home. This year, the players wanted this win to get last year's miserable finish out of their mouth.

"We played with a lot of heart and we played with a lot of guts," Jones said. "We were down in the ball game early and we were able to fight back. We showed a lot of character and it showed the attitude of the guys and their desire to win."

WNCC was led from the plate by Shane Wade, Elvis Garcia and Nelson Quintero, who each went 3-for-5. Wade finished the game with a double and two RBIs, while Garcia had two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run.

Also collecting multiple hits were Camilo Baldelomar going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, and Jared Baros, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.

The victory not only sends the Cougars to the Region IX Championship series this weekend in Lamar, Colo., but it guarantees them a berth in the district playoffs because of the fact that conference champion Lamar won their series against McCook. At stake this weekend is a Region IX title and as well as a chance to host the district playoffs the weekend of May 20-22.

Jones knows that his team won't be scoring 10 runs or pounding out 17 hits against Lamar.

"We will have to find good pitching," he said. "Our pitching has been there throughout conference play. We also need to play solid defense because I don't expect us to go there and put up 16 hits in a game against Lamar. i expect us to go up to find our hits, or our key hits, or our two-out hits, and find ways to manufacture runs."

Trinidad 102 400 000 -- 7 10 5

WNCC 130 020 31x -- 10 17 4

WP -- Armani Gonzalez. 2B -- Shane Wade, Camilo Baldelomar 2; HR -- Elvis Garcia.

WNCC baseball falls short in reigonal playoff, will host Trinidad Sunday in a third and final game

Submitted by By Jeremy Woznick, Star-Herald Sports Reporter

A long season of hard work and dedication will come down to just one game for the Western Nebraska Community College and Trinidad State Junior College baseball teams.

The two squads will meet in the deciding game of their Region IX first-round playoff series today at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field in Scottsbluff to decide who will meet Lamar Community College in next weekend's championship round.

Today's third game was made necessary after Trinidad State held on for a 7-6 win over WNCC in Saturday afternoon's game two. WNCC won the first game of the series on Friday.

Despite not being able to close out the series in two games, WNCC coach Mike Jones said his team remains confidant entering today's contest.

"This team's hungry. They want this series," Jones said. "They want to move on and they want the opportunity to play for a regional championship. I know we'll come out and give it our best effort [today]."

With its season on the line, Trinidad State took early control of game two by plating three runs in the top of the third inning. Derek DiCarlo drove in Adam Anderson with a single to open the scoring before Gavin Purvis later pushed home two runs with a double.

"Trinidad was playing for their season today," Jones said. "They came out and played really well. I expected them to and I expect them to do it again [today]."

After stranding runners at third base in each of the first two innings, the Cougars got the clutch hit they needed in the fourth when Scottsbluff High School graduate Trace Marsden lined a single into center to score Elvis Garcia and Camilo Baldelomar. Both Garcia and Baldelomar reached with singles.

WNCC continued to threaten in the inning with runners at second and third with just one out. However, Trinidad State first baseman Vinnie Mattivi came up with a web gem of a double play to end the threat. After making a diving catch of a foul ball beside the Trojan dugout, Mattivi had the quick sense of mind to jump to his feet and fire home to gun down Josh Parker, who was trying to tag up from third on the play.

The Trojans rode that defensive momentum into the top of the fifth. After a single by Jacob Anderson, Bryer Mueller deposited a hanging breaking ball over the leftfield wall to make it 5-2. Trinidad State's advantage grew to 7-2 in the seventh on run-scoring hits by Mattivi and Luke Rodi.

Just when it looked like the Trojans had things on cruise control, WNCC mounted a thrilling rally to make things interesting. The Cougars' charge began in the bottom of the seventh when Shane Wade blasted a two-run home run over the leftfield fence. Jared Baros scored on Wade's long ball, which cut the Trojan lead to 7-4.

WNCC continued threatening in the bottom of the eighth. After Marsden walked and Kevin Sanford reached on an error, WNCC's Baros roped a double off the wall in left to score both base runners. Baros then moved to third on a wild pitch with two outs.

It looked like Baros would stroll home with the tying run a couple pitches later when Wade lined a rocket into left. But Trinidad State's Mueller flew through the air to make a diving catch for the third out.

Down to their last out, the Cougars managed to get the tying run on base again in the bottom of the ninth. After fouling off a number of good pitches, Baldelomar worked his way to first with a sharp single. Parker then followed with a hot shot to third that was snagged by DiCarlo. DiCarlo threw across the diamond to first for the final out.

"We struggled offensively early in the game and then we really came alive there late. We just came up one run short," Jones said. "It was a good effort. We got real aggressive there late in the game so let's hope that it carries over."

Wade paced WNCC at the plate. He went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in. Baldelomar was the only other Cougar with multiple hits in the game as he went 2-for-5. Jacob Anderson led Trinidad State offensively by going 3-for-5. Both teams had nine hits.

Bo McLavey earned the win on the mound. The side-arm hurler struck out four in seven innings of work. Kevin Hand pitched the final two innings for the Trojans.

JC Morales took the loss on the mound for WNCC. Morales struck out eight and scattered seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Armani Gonzalez went the rest of the way out of the bullpen. Gonzalez allowed just two hits and struck out seven. He retired the final seven Trojans in a row.

"I thought our pitching was good again," Jones said. "We just made a few mistakes with some off-speed pitches. We left them up in the zone and Trinidad was able to put some good swings on them."

Sophomore Rodil Martinez will get the starting nod in today's game for WNCC. The southpaw has plenty of big-game experience for the Cougars.

"He's been good for us all year," Jones said of Martinez. "The key for Rodil is to come out and throw a lot of strikes early."

Today's winner will travel to Lamar next weekend for the regional championship series. Lamar swept its first-round playoff series with McCook Community College Saturday with an 11-9 win.

Trinidad State 003 020 200 - 7 9 2
WNCC (23-35) 000 200 220 - 6 9 0
WP - Bo McLavey. LP - JC Morales.
HR - Shane Wade, Bryer Mueller. 2B - Wade, Jared Baros, Jacob Anderson, Gavin Purvis, Vinnie Mattivi.

WNCC softball moves into championship game

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team is one win away from capturing its second Region IX championship in three years after getting by Otero Junior College in the Region IX tournament at Volunteer Field on Saturday.

The 20^th-ranked Cougars rode the strong-armed pitching of Taylor Anderson and some clutch defensive plays, including a running catch by the fence by Adena Hagen, to drop Otero 4-1.

WNCC moves into today’s 1 p.m. title game against the winner of the 11 a.m. game that pits Trinidad State Junior College against Otero. The winner of the tournament advances to the national tournament May 20-22 in St. George, Utah.

WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff is proud of the way her team scraped and stayed focused to send them into the championship game.

“I am extremely proud of them and this is huge momentum going into [today’s championship],” she said. “We just need to continue what we are doing and that is get a nice performance out of the circle, play good defense, and have good plate appearances.”

What made Winn-Ratliff pleased was the way they stayed in the game, from clutch base-running, good plate appearances, and clutch defensive plays.

“I felt like we had opportunities to score early but we just couldn’t push a run across. I told the kids to keep doing what they are doing and something will happen for us. They scored first and I think that gave them some momentum. We came right back; we had good plate appearances and found a way to put up some runs. Taylor did what she needed to do. She started to work ahead in counts later in the game. She worked out of jams early in the game, but in the fifth, sixth and seventh she did what we needed her to do and that was to get outs.

WNCC’s win Saturday was a win that plenty individuals stepped up in, whether it be offensively or defensively. On the offensive side, Ashton Hughes went 3-for-3 on the day, but it was her head-first slide into first base that ignited the team in the fourth inning. Hughes said this team did the things they needed to win.

“The little things are the most important and we have to keep coming out and doing the little things to win,” the freshman catcher said. “It really is about getting into the game. We have to start off a little harder each time.”

Another player that stepped up big defensively was centerfielder Hagen, who snagged a fly ball from going over the fence for a clutch out in the second inning. It was a play that was a big momentum swing for the Cougars, that saw pitcher Anderson strike out the next two batters to thwart a prime scoring opportunity for the Rattlers.

Winn-Rartliff lauded, not only Hagen’s play, but all the players that stepped up in different situations.

“Adena gets a ball hit out to her and she gets it in quickly,” the coach said. “She then gets another out and probably saves it from going out of the park, and then she has a diving catch that she almost makes. She covers a ton of ground and I don’t think she gets enough credit sometimes of how valuable she is and our outfield and what she brings to the table. I am just proud of everyone. Everyone on the team contributed and hope tomorrow we can get the same performance out of them.”

While it wasn’t the Cougar’s best offensive performance – they stranded seven runners in scoring position – it was a game where they shut down an explosive Otero team. Anderson struggled early, but came on strong in the end. The sophomore right-hander scattered five hits, while walking three and striking out six.

Neither team could generate runs across the plate in the early innings. WNCC had plenty of opportunities as back-to-back singles by Hagen and Katie Groves in the first went for naught. WNCC also stranded Brittany Chacon and Megan Bourdon in the second and third innings after each had towering doubles.

Finally, Otero broke the ice with a run in the fourth. Taylor Todacheene singled and later came around to score on a Laura Abellanida 2-out single up the middle that almost was caught by a diving Hagen in centerfield.

WNCC wasted little time in coming back as they plated three runs in the bottom of the inning. Hughes started things by reaching base on her head-first slide into first to beat the throw. Then, with two outs, Otero pitcher Shannon Traxinger had trouble finding the strike zone as she plunked Chacon and then walked Megan Burditt to load the bases.

Bourdon then earned her way on base by a walk, scoring Hughes with the tying run. Bourdon, in her at bat, fouled off a number of pitches to keep her plate appearance alive. Traxinger then walked Hagen to force in the go ahead run before Groves reached on an error to score another run for a 3-1 lead.

The Cougars added an insurance run in the fifth inning as Jacqui Cappuccilli led off with single followed by a perfectly educated bunt by Hughes that caught the Rattlers off guard. Later, pinch runner Amanda Saldivar scored on a Chacon grounder for the 4-1 lead.

WNCC managed eight hits in the contest, led by Hughes with her three singles. Hughes, the freshman from Regina, Saskatchewan, was the only player with more than one hit.

Hughes said they need to play their game to come away with a regional title.

“We definitely have to executing play and getting runners around the bases,” she said. “Our bats have to come alive and we have to play really solid defense. We have to do the little things right.”

In other games in the tournament, Trinidad eliminated Lamar 8-2 as they finished with 11 hits, including a solo home run from Vanessa Brogdon to help tie the game at 2-2 after three innings. Trinidad then scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning and then opened the game with a four-run sixth inning on doubles by Shelbi Long and Brailey Freed.

Dawson then squeaked by McCook 10-9. The Bucs enjoyed a jumped on top 8-4 before McCook cut the lead to 8-7 with three runs in the fourth inning. Dawson added two more runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 10-8.

The Bucs had two doubles each from Jenna Will and Allison Roper in the win, while McCook Dani Minor had three doubles and three runs scored.

The final game of the day saw Trinidad State eliminate Dawson 16-4 with the Trojans pounding out 11 hits in the game, including a 3-for-3 performance from Long, including three runs scored.

Game One
Lamar 002 000 0 – 2 4 1
Trinidad 002 114 x – 8 113
WP – Jessica Apodaca, LP – Krystal Krietemeyer; 2B – Trinidad (Shelbi Long, Cherray Blan); HR – Trinidad (Vanessa Brogdon).

Game Two
Dawson 431 200 0 – 10 11 2
McCook 130 301 1 – 9 13 2
WP – Megan Ries, LP – Emily Schweikert; 2B – Dawson (Jenna Will 2, Bre Grewe), McCook (Dani Minor 3, Kali Lyons, Steph Kuhn, Danae McCorkle).

Game Three
Otero JC 000 100 0 – 1 5 1
WNCC 000 310 x – 4 8 1
WP – Taylor Anderson, LP – Shannon Traxinger; 2B – WNCC (Megan Bourdon, Brittany Chacon), Otero (Taylor Todacheene).

Game Four
Trinidad 430 81 – 16 11 3
Dawson 102 01 – 4 4 5
WP – Jordyn Randolph, LP – Jenna Will; 2B – Dawson (Will, Allison Roper 2), Trinidad (Long, Leah Hanson).

Cougar baseball captures regional-playoff opener

Submitted by JEREMY WOZNICK, Star-Herald sports

Whenever the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team has needed a clutch win this season, the Cougars have handed the ball to freshman pitcher Tim Beard.

That again was the case for WNCC in game one of its Region IX playoff series with Trinidad State Junior College Friday afternoon at a blustery Cleveland Field in Scottsbluff.

The 6-foot-3 southpaw from Canberra, Australia certainly didn't disappoint as his complete-game effort helped the Cougars post a 5-1 win.

Beard struck out a season-high 10 and scattered just five hits in nine innings of work. He is now a perfect 8-0 against Region IX opponents this season.

"He's been outstanding for us all season long. Today was no different," WNCC coach Mike Jones said of Beard. "He threw a lot of strikes on the inside corner, which played into the field conditions with the wind blowing the way it was. He mixed in his changeup away to follow that up and he was being so consistent with it all game long. It was his game to win or lose today."
The win gives WNCC an important 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. WNCC will go for the series-clinching win in game two today at Cleveland Field at 1 p.m. A Trinidad State win today would force a deciding game three on Sunday at 1 p.m.

"It's great to jump out ahead with a win in the first game," Jones said. "It would be nice to get it done and over with [today] and not have to worry about the pressure of a game three. But Trinidad's not going to lay down and let us have it. They have plenty of pitching left and I expect another tight game."

The Cougars staked Beard to an early lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jason Sloan singled and Elvis Garcia followed with a double. Both scored on wild pitches. Josh Parker singled home Camilo Baldelomar with WNCC's third run of the frame.

Trinidad State plated its lone run in the top of the second. Other than that, Beard kept the Trojan hitters under control with his precise command and an efficient pitch count.
Sloan, his battery mate behind the plate, credited Beard for a job well done.

"He really stood tall for us today and did what we needed him to do. I give him full credit," said Sloan, who is also from Canberra, Australia. "With the wind blowing out to right field today, we didn't want to leave any balls over the middle of the plate on the outer half. We really worked on throwing the fastball down and in to these hitters so they couldn't get their hands through. Tim did a really nice job of hitting his spots."

Beard experienced his only real, potential trouble in the sixth and eighth innings. With the Cougars still holding their 3-1 advantage in the top of the sixth, Trinidad State put two runners on base after a couple of WNCC errors. However, Beard responded with a strikeout before inducing a groundout to shortstop Nelson Quintero to get out of the jam.

In the top of the eighth, the Trojans put their leadoff runner at second with no outs. But Beard again got a clutch strikeout before letting the Cougar defense do the rest. He induced a pop up to right field and then watched as Sloan pounced on a dribbler in front of the plate and fired to first to end the threat.

WNCC took advantage of three Trinidad State miscues in the field in the bottom of the eighth to plate two insurance runs. Both Josh Parker and Trace Marsden scored on errors to give the Cougars a four-run cushion.

"This was a huge win for us," said Sloan, who recently signed to continue his baseball career at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo. "We put in a lot of hard work to get where we are today and that's a credit to our team. Everybody puts in hard work and we're one unit together. Without each and every one of us, it makes it really tough to win."

Sloan and Jared Baros were the only Cougars with multiple hits in the game. Sloan, Garcia and Parker all had doubles. WNCC finished with a total of nine hits.

While the Cougars enter today's second game with a good grasp on the series, Sloan said they aren't about to relax against a talented Trinidad State ball club.

"We have to come back out ready to play," Sloan said. "It would be nice to knock these guys out in two games because they had our number last year. But they have a lot of pitching left over there so we just have to come out here and work hard again. Hopefully, we can take care of business."

JC Morales will get the start on the mound in today's second game for WNCC.

The winner of the series will meet the winner of the other first-round series being played this weekend between Lamar Community College and McCook Community College. Lamar, the No. 1 seed, holds a 1-0 lead in that series after earning a 3-0 win over McCook Friday.
Winners of this weekend's two first-round series will meet for the regional championship next weekend.

"To win the region would be something special," Sloan said. "Every single player on this team wants to win a regional championship. We're going to do whatever it takes to take advantage of this opportunity that we have."

Trinidad State (32-24-1) 010 000 000 - 1 5 5
WNCC (23-34) 300 000 02x - 5 9 2
WP - Tim Beard.
LP - David Henrie.
2B - Jason Sloan, Elvis Garcia, Josh Parker.

WNCC softball opens regional with win over McCook

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team opened the Region IX softball tournament in impressive fashion against McCook Community College to advance in the winner's bracket with a 13-0 win Friday at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff.

The Cougars scored all 13 of their runs in the first inning on 10 hits as they sent 19 batters to the plate.

WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said her girls came ready to play

"They were eager to play," she said. "We had a special guest as [former Cougar] Aylssa Hickey showed up to tonight and I thought it was nice for us to see her smiling face and support. But, they were just ready to play."

The 20th-ranked Cougars will need to be ready to play again today in the second day of the tournament as they face Otero Junior College, who won 1-0 over Trinidad State Junior College. That game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.

"We have to make sure we get ready to play tomorrow [Saturday]," Winn-Ratliff said. "Our motto is survive and advance and we are going to do everything we can to do that. I have been saying it all the time that it is not about who we play, it is how we play. We don't really focus on who our opponent is, we try to focus on the things that ew d well."

Against McCook, the Cougars wasted little time in taking control of the game. WNCC quickly loaded the bases in the opening inning. Jordan Schoepflin followed with a 2-run double. Two batters later, Ashton Hughes had a run-scoring triple four a 4-0 lead.

WNCC wasn't through as Allie Alverson and Megan Burditt each had run-scoring singles for a 6-0 lead. Katie Groves later roped a triple to right field to score another two runs. Brittany Chacon later had a 2-run scoring single to go 13-0 after the opening frame.

The 13 runs was all the Cougars needed as Taylor Anderson and Stephanie Townsend combined on a one-hitter. Anderson stated the game and faced just 10 batters, giving up one hit
WNCC pounded out 11 hits in the run-shortened contest. Groves, Adena Hagen, Alverson and Burditt each finished the contest with two hits. Groves was 2-for-2 with a double, triple, two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Hagen was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Alverson finshed the contest at 2-for-2 with a run scored and RBI, while Burditt was 2-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored.

McCook's only hit of the game came as Dani Minor started the game with a leadoff single. That, however was all the Indians mustered offensively in he win.

The Indians advanced with an upset win against Lama Community College, where the Indians Danae McCorkle had a huge game. McCorkle finished the contest with two home runs, two runs scored, two walks and four RBIs.

McCook won the game in the seventh inning as Jackie Stickley and Ashalia Dyer had back-to-back singles with two outs. Kali Lyons then came through with a double that scored the two to put McCook up 7-5. Hay Springs; Stephanie Kuhn added another run with a run-scoring single to put McCook up 8-5 in one of the first round games.

The other first round game sa2 Trinidad State dropped Dawson 4-2. Trinidad scored all four of their runs in the fourth inning on three hits, including a 2-run double by Katie Kerr. Dawson added single runs in the sixth and seventh inning to slice the led in half.

Action today in the Region IX tournament sees Lamar facing Trinidad in an elimination game at 11 a.m. followed by McCook taking on Dawson at 1 p.m. in elimination. Otero and WNCC will battle at 3 p.m. followed by in elimination game as the two earlier winners will battle.

The tournament continues through Sunday.

Game One
Dawson 000 001 1 - 2 8 2
Trinidad 000 400 x - 4 5 0
WP - Sara Permenter, LP - Jenna Will. 2B - Dawson (Inga Mead), Trinidad (Katie Kerr).

Game Two
McCook 130 100 3 - 8 10 1
Lamar 001 040 0 - 5 6 0
WP - Jennifer Zulkanycz, LP - Krystal Krietemyer; 2B - McCook (Kali Lyons); HR - McCook (Danae McCorkle.

Game Three
Trinidad 000 000 0 - 0 2 0
Otero 100 000 x - 1 4 0
WP - Shannon Traxinger, LP - Jordyn Randolph. HR - Otero (Mariah Griego).

Game Four
McCook 000 00 - 0 1 4
WNCC (13)00 0x - 13 11 0
WP - Taylor Anderson, LP - Jennifer Zulkanycz. 2B - WNCC (Katie Groves, Jordan Schoepflin), 3B - WNCC (Katie Groves, Ashton Hughes).

WNCC baseball team opens regional playoffs at home

For the second straight season, the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team will open the Region IX playoffs at home.

Last year, the Cougars faced Northeastern Junior College in the first round of the playoffs at home, before falling in two straight games. This season, the Cougars also earned the right to play at home after finishing second in the Empire Conference with a 16-14 record, just a game ahead of third place Trinidad State Junior College.

WNCC and Trinidad State will open the best two of three series on Friday at Cleveland Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. for the 9-inning contest. The series will continue Saturday and if necessary on Sunday with those games beginning at 1 p.m.

The other first-round regional contest has Lamar Community College (43-10) hosting McCook Community College (29-26). The two winners of the first round contests will meet each other in the best 2 of 3 championship series next week at the site of the higher seed.

WNCC coach Mike Jones said for his team to make that championship series, they have to pitch and play good defense.

“It will be important for us to continue to pitch and play good defense,” he said. “We haven’t been a real explosive offense throughout the season, so we definitely will rely on pitching and defense. I expect them to be close games. When you extend from seven inning to nine inning games, it usually comes down to your bullpen.”

Tim Beard, the freshman from Canberra, Australia, will get the nod on the mound to open the series. The last time Beard stepped on the pitcher’s rubber, Beard shutdown Trinidad’s bats a week ago for a 4-2 on Saturday, which gave the Cougars the No. 2 seed.

In that contest, Beard tossed a 3-hitter, while striking out seven and walking just one. Beard closed out the game in dramatic fashion as he recorded five strike outs in the final nine outs.

“Tim has been outstanding for us throughout the season,” Jones said. “He has been real good for us in conference play. We need another good outing out of Tim and we expect to get a good outing out of Tim.”

WNCC won the series against Trinidad 4-2 as they earned 7-3, 1-0 and 10-6 wins on the road before topping the Trojans last Saturday. The way the Cougars earned the victories was through manufacturing runs, something that Jones said is important for this team.

“We have to find ways to score runs and what I mean by that is we need to get creative,” he said. “We have to steal some bases, bunt some guys over, do some hit and run, and try to take some extra bases when the defense isn’t expecting. We really have to get creative and find ways to get guys in scoring position and then come up with those big hits when we need to.”

WNCC has been playing their best ball during the last half of the season. The Cougars enter the tournament with a 22-34 record. But, that is after they started the season 0-9 and 1-13 through February. Since then, the Cougar men are playing .500 baseball at 21-21.

One of the reasons of the recent success is the team has settled down defensively.

“We made some defensive changes and they seem to be working out just fine,” he said. “We have been playing really good defense and we hope that continues because that will be real important.”

The key, though, is getting that first win to take that must-win mentality from the back of the player’s minds.

“If you win the first one I think it will take some pressure off and allow the guys to maybe relax a little bit,” he said. “But, it will be intense all the way through. I definitely think it will be a little easier with more productive at bats once that pressure is off a little bit.”

The winner of the Region IX tournament will host the district playoffs May 20-23. Lamar Community College has earned an automatic berth into the district tournament, so if Lamar wins its games this weekend, the winner of this weekend’s WNCC and Trinidad match-up also will go. The only thing up for stake in that championship game is where the district tournament will be played as Region IX will send two teams to the district playoffs.

Softball team ready for Region IX tournament that begins Friday in Scottsbluff

When the Western Nebraska Community College softball team enters this weekend’s Region IX tournament at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff, they will be doing so with a little bit of confidence.

At the same time, they are being cautious as they enter the semi-final round game. The 20^th-ranked Cougars, who own the No. 1 seed entering the double-elimination tournament, will open play in the tournament Friday at 7 p.m. against either Lamar Community College (28-31) or McCook Community College (10-31).

“In our region, you can’t overlook anyone,” sophomore Katie Groves, who was named the NJCAA player of the week on Wednesday, said. “It’s one weekend; do or die, all or nothing, and everyone knows that. People play different at regionals. It is now or never; lose and go home.”

The Cougars finished the season with an impressive 40-18 record, including winning 20 of their last 22 games. WNCC has won its last seven games by outscoring their opponents 89-34. WNCC is also looking to capture its second regional title in three years, the last time was back in 2008 when the tournament was held in Scottsbluff.

With all that, Groves said they are a marked team.

“We have to play our game because we have an X on our backs and everyone wants to beat us at home,” she said. “We can’t get caught up in the other team and their emotions. We have to play Cougar ball and play under control.”

WNCC has saved its best softball for the final month of the season. WNCC is hitting a team batting average of .360 with 56 homes runs, 127 doubles and 24 triples. Groves leads the team in home runs with 15 followed by freshman Ashton Hughes at 11. Groves also leads the team with 82 RBIs and 89 runs scored, followed by freshman Jordan Schoepflin with 53 RBIs and 55 runs scored. Schoepflin is second on the team in average at .417, while pitcher Taylor Anderson is hitting .410.

While the Cougars have been playing well both offensively, Jacqui Cappuccilli said this team knows they are beatable.

“Anyone in our conference can win on any given day,” the freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., said. “We can’t underestimate anyone and we just have to go and play Cougar ball. That is playing as a whole and leaving our hearts on the field when we walk away.”

Any team is capable of capturing the regional tournament. WNCC finished conference play with a 16-4 record, falling twice to Lamar Community College, and once each to Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College.

“We have seen our competition numerous times and not overlooking them is crucial,” sophomore Anderson said. “Anything can happen in this game and we need to just focus on our team and not worry about the competition. Playing well is necessary in order to come out victorious. If we play the way we know how, there is no question that we will keep playing well in the future.”

The tournament kicks off Friday afternoon with No. 3-seed Trinidad State (28-21) battles No. 6-seed Dawson Community College (5-33) at 1 p.m., followed by No. 4-seed Lamar (28-31 taking on No. 5 McCook (10-31). Otero, the No. 2 seed (27-21) will face the winner of the TSJC/Dawson winner at 5 p.m.

Groves, who leads the team with a .497 batting average, said they can’t worry about the other teams; they just need to play their game.

“We need to play our game, stay focused and put more runs up than the other team,” she said. “The team that makes the least amount of errors and executes fundamental softball will win.”

The thing that makes this year’s team stand out is that at one time, the Cougars were just barely hanging on above the .500 mark at 14-11 after a 2-8 spring break trip through Arizona. Since then, they are 26-7. Sophomore Brittany Chacon, who signed recently with Chadron State College, said this team has always had the potential to notch 40 wins.

“Our team has always had a lot of potential,” Chacon said. “We play well together and being a team as a whole is the key to success. It is very important that we keep playing the way we are. We know what we’re capable of. Consistency is the key.”

Defensively the team also has done well. The pitching staff’s earned run average has dropped to 3.03. Anderson leads the team from the circle with a 2.02 ERA with a 19-9 record. Stephanie Townsend has also come on from the circle with a 12-3 mark with 66 strikeouts.

Anderson said this team is capable of anything if they continue playing as one unit. The winner of the regional tournament qualifies for the national tournament in St. George, Utah, May 20-22.

“For this team to come away with a Region IX championship, we need for everyone to come together as a team more than ever,” she said. “We just need to make the routine plays, play Cougar ball and keep our level of competition high. The key to winning then is commitment. You need to be committed in order to be successful. Teamwork is a huge key to winning and leadership as well. You need all those in order to win.”

The Cougar softball games can be heard on the radio at KOZY 101.3 FM or on the web at kozy1013.com.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, May 7
1 p.m. – Trinidad State vs. Dawson
3 p.m. – Lamar vs. McCook
5 p.m. – Otero vs. winner of 1 p.m. game
7 p.m. – WNCC vs. winner of 3 p.m. game

Tournament continues Saturday and Sunday.

WNCC's Groves named NJCAA player of the week

Western Nebraska Community College softball player Katie Groves. a sophomore from Bluffdale, Utah, was named the National Junior College Athletic Association player of the week on Wednesday for her performance last weekend against Luna Community College.

Groves had a standout week for the Cougars as she helped them go 4-0 in capturing their 40th win of the season by hitting .769 (10-13) with 12 runs, 4 doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI's, three walks, and three stolen bases. She had an astonishing .825 on base percentage last week as well.

Western Nebraska played a four game set against Luna Community College last week. In the doubleheader on April 30, Groves hit a combined 6-for-8 with five runs, four doubles, one home run, four RBI's, one walk and three stolen bases. In game one, Groves was 3-for-5 with her three hits coming in the form of doubles.

On May Day, Groves was back at it again in the Cougars doubleheader going 4-for-5 with seven runs two home runs, six RBI's, and two walks.

On the Season and after the two games on Monday against Black Hills State, Groves is hitting .497 on the season with 82 RBIs, 86 runs scored, 20 doubles and 15 home runs.

Groves is the second Cougar to be honored as player of the week as Jordan Schoepflin earned the honor on April 21.

The Cougars will next be in action on Friday night during the Region IX tournament which they host at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff against the winner of the Lamar Community College and McCook Community College contest, which will be played earlier that day.

WNCC softball picks up 40th win with sweep of Black Hills State

SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured their 40^th win of the season after taking a doubleheader from Black Hills State College Monday in Spearfish, S.D.

The Cougars rode the strong-arm pitching of Taylor Anderson in the opening game as the sophomore struck out six in leading the team to a 9-3 win. The second game saw the Cougars scored seven early runs to post the 7-4 win.

WNCC, 40-18, will now turn their attention to the Region IX tournament, which kicks off Friday through Sunday at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff.

Monday’s contests definitely were a warm-up for the regional tournament. In the opening game, The Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Katie Groves connected on her 15^th home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the third inning.

WNCC opened up the game in the sixth with a six-run inning behind a 3-run double by Groves and a run-scoring double by Brittany Chacon for a 9-0 lead.

The Cougars managed just six hits in the contest as Groves was the only multi-hit batter, going 2-for-3 with a home run, double, and five RBIs.

Anderson picked up the win as she went seven innings, walking one, striking out six and scattering six hits.

WNCC was just as dominate in the second game against the Yellow Jackets. The Cougars quickly went up 3-0 after the first inning on singles by Megan Bourdon, Groves, Jordan Schoepflin and Jacqui Cappuccilli. The Cougars added single runs in the next four innings to hold a 7-0 lead before Black Hills made a comeback with three runs in the fifth.

The Cougars connected on 11 hits for the game as Cappuccilli and Bourdon each went 2-for-3. Bourdon scored two runs. Groves and Chacon went 2-for-4 with each getting a RBI.

Stephanie Townsend picked up the win for the Cougars, going five innings, walking six, striking out five and scattering seven hits. Anderson pitched the final two innings by walking one and allowing one hit.

The Cougars next action will be Friday at the regional tournament. The tournament begins Friday at 1 p.m. when Trinidad State faces Dawson, followed by Lamar meeting McCook at 3 p.m., Otero facing the winner of Trindad State and Dawson at 5 p.m., and the Cougars meeting the Lamar/McCook winner at 7 p.m.

Regionals continue with four games on Saturday and the championship game slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Game One
WNCC 102 006 0 – 9 6 1
Black Hills 000 002 1 – 3 6 1
WP – Taylor Anderson; 2B – Katie Groves, Brittany Chacon; HR – Groves.

Game Two
WNCC (40-18) 311 110 0 – 7 11 0
Black Hills 000 031 0 – 4 8 4
WP – Stephanie Townsend.

Baseball earns number two seed with split of Trinidad State

Western Nebraska Community College freshman pitcher Tim Beard knew exactly what he and the rest of the Cougar baseball team needed to do in order to host a first-round playoff game next weekend -- win just one of two games against Trinidad State Junior College.

Beard did just that as the left-handed pitcher from Canberra, Australia, struck out seven including the final three batters giving the Cougars a 4-2 win in the opener. WNCC dropped the second game 8-2 in a game that meant very little in Empire Conference standings since the first-game win gave the Cougars the No. 2 seed in the regional playoffs.

"It definitely is a very big win for us," Beard said. "It is good to play our first-round playoff game at home. We definitely are playing really well at home and it will be good to have the hometown support."

WNCC coach Mike Jones said that Beard pitched well and kept his team in the game.

"I thought Tim pitched an outstanding game for us. He has been so good for us all year long and he gave us another really good performance today," Jones said. "We were able to find a way to scrape across some runs there in the fifth inning. We didn't play our best baseball, but Tim threw us a really good game and we played good defense behind him."

Beard said that even when they were behind 2-0 early, he still had confidence in his team to come back.

"Our team definitely has a lot of fight in them," Beard said. "Our hitters never give up, and our fielding and pitching is good. No one ever gives up. We are strong in that aspect."

Jones said that it was a batter of time for his team to knock off that goose egg on the scoreboard, which they did in the fifth inning when they took a 4-2 lead.

"We got down a little bit, and we made a defensive mistake behind Tim and Trinidad was able to capitalize on it and get two runs on us," he said. "We continued to stay positive, continued to fight for our at bats, and then we got a big two-out hit from Camilo [Baldelomar] to drive in two more runs to give us that 2-run lead."

Trinidad held a 2-0 lead through four innings on just two hits. WNCC came back with a huge fifth inning against the Trojans' ace Bo McLavey. Trace Marsden got to McLavey first with a lead-off single. A couple batters later, Kevin Sanford had a clutch one-out single to right field to put runners on the corner. Jared Baros followed with a single to score the first run.

With two outs, Trinidad elected to intentionally walk Jason Sloan to load the bases. McLavey then plunked Elvis Garcia with the pitch, bringing in the tying run. The very next batter, Baldelomar, then singled to left field to score Baros and Sloan with the go-ahead run.

That was all the Cougars needed as Beard was simply sparkling on the mound. Beard closed out the game by recording five strike outs of the final nine outs. He also allowed just one hit in that span -- a lead-off double to Tyler Jensen.

Beard finished the contest tossing a three-hitter, while striking out seven and waling one.

WNCC managed six hits in the contest. Marsden led the way with a 2-for-3 performance.

The second game saw Trinidad's David Hennie shut down the Cougar bats in limiting them to six hits. He also struck out eight in getting the win.

Trinidad struck first with a run in the second and then had four runs in the fourth for a 5-0 lead. WNCC added a single run in the fourth as Baldelomar had a single and scored on a Kevin Sanford sacrifice fly.

WNCC managed just one more run in the game as Sloan doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on a ground ball.

No Cougar had more than one hit in the contest.

Armani Gonzalez took the loss on the mound by going four innings in giving up five runs and striking out four.

WNCC finished the regular season at 22-34 and will turn their attention to the Region IX playoffs starting Friday and running through Sunday with the if-necessary game. WNCC's first-round opponent will be Trinidad State. First pitch for the games is slated for 1 p.m. each day.

"Now the regional playoffs start and Trinidad has to come back to us again," Jones said. "Tim will have a lot of confidence going into game one and I am sure Trinidad will try to figure a way to get to him. for us it will be letting Tim throw game one for us and let him do his thing and play good defense behind him. We will figure out game two and three after that."

The other first round game in the playoffs has No. 4-seed McCook Community College visiting No. 1-seed Lamar Community College. The second round of the playoffs will be played May 13-15 at the higher seeded team left.

Game One
WNCC 000 040 0 -- 4 6 0
Trinidad 002 000 0 -- 2 4 0
WP -- Tim Beard, LP -- Bo McLavey; 2B -- WNCC (Jason Sloan), TSJC (Adam Anderson, Tyler Jensen).

Game Two
Trinidad (32-23) 010 420 1 -- 8 11 2
WNCC (22-24) 000 110 0 -- 2 6 0
WP -- David Hennie, LP -- Armani Gonzalez; 2B -- WNCC (Sloan), TSJC (Gavin Purvis), 3B -- TSJC (Jensen).

WNCC softball team pounds five home runs to sweep Luna

LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team continued swinging a mean bat Saturday against Luna Community College in Las Vegas, N.M., to the tune of 28 runs, 25 hits and five home runs.

The 20th-ranked Cougars had four runs, including a grand slam from Allie Alverson, in game two where they won 18-8. WNCC won the first game 10-2 as Katie Groves had a home run.

In the four-game series against Luna, the Cougars had 59 runs 52 hits and 12 home runs. Groves and Megan Bourdon each had three home runs in the four games against Luna.

In the first game, the Cougars dominated from start to finish, both offensively and defensively. After a 2-2 first inning, the Cougars went to work, scoring twice in the third and then ending the game with five runs in the fifth for the 10-2 win.

The Cougars pounded out 10 hits led by Ashton Hughes with a 2-for-2 performance. Groves, Bourdon and Jacqui Cappuccilli each went 2-for-3. Groves had a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs, while Bourdon had a double, a run scored and a RBI. Cappuccilli finished with a double, two runs scored, and three RBIs.

Adena Hagen went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a triple, followed by Jordan Schoepflin going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a RBI.

Taylor Anderson picked up the win in the circle by going five innings, scattering five hits and striking out two.

The second game saw the Cougars pound out 15 hits, including four home runs and two doubles.

The home run parade started right away as Bourdon started the game with a leadoff home run. Groves followed Bourdon's shot with a 2-run home run also in the first to take a 3-0 lead. Luna, however, came back to take a 6-3 lead after two innings.

WNCC turned the momentum its way in the third with eight runs, including two home runs. The first blast was a 3-run shot from Cappuccilli that scored Hagen and Groves. A few batters later, Allie Alverson unloaded the fully-loaded bases with a grand slam to put WNCC up 11-8. WNCC added seven more runs in the fifth and sixth inning for the win.

Cappuccilli paced the team by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, four RBIs, and a home run. Also collecting multiple hits were Hagen going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double, Groves going 2-for-2 with a home run, four runs scored and three RBIs, Schoepflin going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a RBI, and a double; and Hughes who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.

Alverson finished the contest going 1-5 with a home run and four RBIs, while Bourdon went 1-for-1 wiht a home run.

Stephanie Townsend started the game going just 2 1/3 innings while striking out two, walking six and allowing five hits. Anderson picked up the win, finishing off the game by tossing the final 3 2/3 innings and striking out two.

WNCC, 38-16, will finish off the regular season Monday evening as they travel to Black Hills State College to face the Hornets in a doubleheader. They will then host the Region IX tournament starting Friday at Volunteer Field.

First round action Friday in the regional tournament has Dawson facing Trinidad State at 1 p.m., Lamar Community College meeting McCook Community College at 3 p.m., Dawson/Trinidad winner facing Otero at 5 p.m., and the Lamar/McCook winner facing Western Nebraska at 7 p.m. The tournament is double elimination will continue Saturday and Sunday.

Game One
WNCC 202 15 -- 10 10 0
Luna 200 00 -- 2 5 0
WP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- MeganBourdon, Jacqui Cappuccilli; 3B -- Adena Hagen; HR -- Katie Groves.

Game Two
WNCC (38-16) 308 043 -- 18 15 3
Luna 242 000 -- 8 5 3
WP -- Anderson; 2B -- Hagen, Jordan Schoepflin; HR -- Groves, Cappuccilli, Bourdon, Allie Alverson.