By David Galvan
Coyote Baseball at College of Southern Nevada saw former player Bryce Harper sign a $330 million contract this week. His success and the strong lineage of players going pro is a reason for attracting 15 new players to join the team this season.
Harper, who played outfield for CSN in 2010, left the program recruited into the Washington Nationals. He was just drafted into a 13-year $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. ESPN’s article titled “What sealed Bryce Harper’s deal with the Phillies” stated, “The signing, which will become official upon the completion of a physical set for Friday, could tip the power balance in the division toward the Phillies who put a cherry on top of an already-fruitful offseason with the game’s most recognizable player.”
CSN’s past players were remarkable and new players hope to follow their footsteps.
Head Baseball Coach Nick Garritano said the quality and the history of the program is what draws new players to CSN. “I do believe that the history of the baseball program is one of the main reasons why players are interested in the program. It is very enticing to players.”
“We’ve had 18 players drafted in the last eight years,” Garritano said. “In our eight years here, we’ve had 88 players move on to Division I and Division II in the NAIA program and it’s also very traditional-rich program to come to and that is what players want when they join a team.”
Fresh new faces arrived to play with the Coyotes.
According to the CSN baseball roster on the CSN athletics’ website, there are 15 new players that are comprised of freshmen and transfer students. Newer players include Infielders Jack Pineda and Dax Fellows and Right-Handed Pitcher and Infielder Johnny Cuevas and Right-Hand Pitcher Chase Bauerle.
Pineda came to CSN from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He said he wanted to play for the team because of the coaching staff and because he thinks he can win a national championship. He said CSN is the school to do it. “The coaches have done a great job at getting everything right from top to bottom in the infield.”
According to the archives on the CSN athletics’ website, CSN won 15 championships in the Western District, SWAC and Region XVIII with a national championship in 2003.
Fellows, who was born in Las Vegas, played for Silverado High School. What brought Fellows to the program was the coaching staff. “The coaches are the main reason I came also for one specific coach: Coach Sean Larimer,” Fellows said. “The coaches have done an outstanding job of making sure our offense and defensive play on the field and batting improves with every game. It’s been amazing so far creating chemistry and meeting other players who have played in another state and getting close to the coaches. It’s just family here.”
Cuevas came to CSN from Palm Desert, California for the coaches and championships. “The coaching staff has done a great job bringing that leadership to the players that have played at CSN and that’s what brings a whole team together. Coach Bryan Gidge has helped me out a lot on pitching and adjusting how I play.”
Bauerle is from Syracuse, Utah and joined the team as a transfer student from University of Utah. He wanted the chemistry that the players and coaches share. “It’s just a family here. We’ve developed a special family bond that doesn’t compare to some of the colleges I played at.”
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 