The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team have big shoes to fill this season after capturing the Region IX tournament year ago for only the second time in school history.
Don't worry, though, this year's Cougar team is just as talented as a year ago as this year's Cougar team gets ready to open the 2022 season Saturday and Sunday when WNCC travels to Roswell, New Mexico, to face New Mexico Military Institute.
"They are excited to get going," WNCC head coach Mike Jones said. "Our focus is on getting everyone some playing time, getting outside and trying to play as a fast pace while staying under control."
Quinn McCafferty, a sophomore infielder from Big Horn, Wyoming, said this team is ready to get the season going as they strive to become repeat Region IX champs.
"We are super excited to get back outside, get on the road, and start playing some ball again," McCafferty said. "I think we need to get ready for this long trip coming up and realize we have a long ways to go to where we need to be in May."
McCafferty added that the expectations are definitely high for the Cougars this season after winning the regional title a year ago. WNCC has won just two Region IX titles in 2007 and 2021. This year, the Cougars are looking to repeat as regional champs.
"Obviously that is the goal," McCafferty said. "But we need to take it one week at a time and just keep working to improve each week and play our best ball toward the end of the season."
The Cougars enter this weekend's game without having played a contest while New Mexico Military will have seven games under their belt. The Broncos are 4-3 on the early season having won one of three games against Trinidad State College January 29 and 30 and going 3-1 against Otero Junior College on Sunday and Monday.
To come away with wins this weekend, Jones said it will take a team effort.
"It will take a team culture of discipline, fun, and desire to win every day," he said.
Jones said the early part of the season is trying to get players experience and come up with a good pitching rotation and bullpen.
"Our pitching staff has a lot of depth and we will give everyone a chance early in the season to earn rotation spots and bullpen roles," Jones said.
The pitching staff seems solid once again this year despite losing some key hurlers from last year's Region IX championship team including Scottsbluff's Paul Panduro, Trent Richter, and Chandler Young. Panduro is now pitching at Pittsburg State in Kansas while Richter is at Dickinson State in North Dakota. Young is at Jamestown University in North Dakota.
Jones said this year's pitching staff is just as deep.
"We have Dawson Hurford, a right-handed pitcher, with experience and a great teammate," Jones said. "We also have Harold Baez, a right-handed pitcher, who competes every day, and Corbin Kirk, a left-handed pitcher, who has a tough mentality with a lot of talent."
A few names to watch with the newcomers include Thibault Mercadier, a right-handed pitcher from Rouen, France, who Jones said should be a good pitcher. Eli Hernandez, a pitcher and infielder from Ontario, California, will be another player that will be a player that can pitch and play either outfield or firstbase with plenty of power.
Other pitchers on the roster this season include returners Will Potter, a LHP from Kincardine, Ontario; J.J. Garza, a RHP from Alliance; Caden Eymann, a LHP from Byers, Colorado; Noah Baumann, a LHP from Firth, Nebraska; Owen Vanthillo, a RHP from Antwerp, Belgium; Brian Bruxvroot, a RHP from Ft. Collins, Colorado; and Corbin Kirk, a LHP from Casper, Wyoming. WNCC also had a transfer in Aiden Schultz, a RHP from Loveland, Colorado.
Other newcomers on the pitching rotation besides Mercadier and Hernandez, include Wyatt Zsidisin, a RHP from Longmont, Colorado; and Archer Blumenschein, a RHP from Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.
What wins games, though, is offense and defense, and the Cougars have plenty of depth at fielding positions.
McCafferty said there is a lot of talent on this year's team.
"We have a lot of talent," he said. "I am very excited to see what we can do in the actual spring season."
The Cougars return six players who started in the position spots a year ago. The returners that saw plenty of action a year ago besides McCafferty include Jack Jones, an outfielder from Scottsbluff; Joe Kinneberg, an infielder from Sandy, Utah; Sergio Tarango, an infielder from Wellington, Colorado; Jordan Rollins, an outfielder from Miami, Florida; and Dillon Fabricus, a catcher Riverton, Wyoming.
Other returners that should see time include Spencer Ohu, an infielder from Aurora, Colorado; and Drew Book, a utility player from Sterling, Colorado.
The Cougars also have a couple transfers in Dalton Nelson, an outfielder from Omaha, Nebraska; and Dylan Howard, a catcher from London, Ontario, Canada.
The newcomers include Joseph Toubeaux, an infielder from Rouen, France, and Maxine Adam, an outfielder from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jones said the position players will provide plenty of leadership in the lineup this year.
"Jordan Rollins is a great hitter and Jack Jones is a competitive player with no fear," Jones said. "Dillon Fabricus is a great catcher who works well with the entire pitching staff. Quinn McCafferty is a great defensive shortstop with a strong competitive attitude, and Joe Kinneberg is a solid hitter with a strong desire to help the team win."
These early-season games are more-or-less like a preseason tune-up to the Empire Conference schedule that will determine the seedings for the Region IX tournament. The one thing the Cougars are looking to do this season is start February strong. Past Februarys have not been kind to the Cougars. The 2019 team went 5-3 during the month while the 2017 team went 4-8 and the 2016 team went 3-11. Most of the schedule in February are against Kansas teams or fair-weather teams.
Miles Community College always makes an appearance at Cleveland Field in February and this year is no exception as the Cougars will host the Pioneers on February 25 and 26.
McCafferty said it will be nice to get off to a strong start, but February games are about finding each player's role on the team and get ready for the crucial March and April conference schedule.
"That (playing well in February) could be a huge confidence booster, especially looking in and making sure our hitters are where we are at, and for us to be where we are," he said. "It will be huge if we can get everybody playing well and add to the depth that we already have."
McCafferty said after the two weekends on the road, the team is looking forward a home series with Miles the end of February.
"Hopefully we can get a couple nice days out here in Scottsbluff in February and get a 4-game series in," he said. "We are definitely excited to take it to each team we play."