WESTCO baseball honored three former players on Friday night as Steve Ysac, Jason Blanco, and Carlos Escamilla were inducted into the WESTCO Baseball Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Hampton Inn. All three left lasting marks on the Zephyrs program during their playing careers and, in Blanco's case, through coaching as well.

                All three players that were inducted were players for the Zephyrs and then came back to serve as assistant coaches. Blanco and Escamilla are current coaches with the program.

                Ysac, who played for the Zephyrs in 1993 and 1994, was one of the most electric players in program history. He hit .388 in 1993 and posted even stronger numbers the following season, leading the team in 10 offensive categories. After his time with WESTCO, Ysac continued his career at Garden City Community College and later at Fort Hays State.

                Ysac said it is a humbling moment to be considered for the Hall of Fame. The Zephyrs started in the early 1990s.

                "It's very exciting to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. You know I know some of the guys that went in before me who are just tremendous competitors," Ysac said. "So, it's very humbling to be a part of that small group of guys. I was very, very excited to play for the Zephyrs and to be a part of a couple really, really good teams. It just means a lot."

                Blanco played for the Zephyrs in 1992 and 1993 before returning years later as an assistant coach. He now serves again on the coaching staff. As a player, Blanco was the starting catcher on the first Zephyrs team to reach the Area 7 championship game and is widely regarded as one of the program's best teammates and coaches.

                Blanco, who has been a part of the program as a player and coach and became a good friend of Zephyr coach Mark Moran, said it is an honor to be inducted.

                "I'm humbled by it. I mean, obviously, been part of the program for a long time," Blanco said. "Like I said earlier, there's a lot of guys probably more deserving as far as players. I just stuck around and they just haven't gotten rid of me. I was able to coach with Coach Moran, learn from him, and he's such a wonderful coach and teacher. I talk to him probably once a week during the season."

                Escamilla, who starred for the Zephyrs in 2000 and 2001, put up some of the strongest numbers in program history. In 2001, he hit .418, scored 82 runs, and stole 33 bases. He also helped lead the Zephyrs to a third-place finish at the 2000 state tournament.

                After his Zephyrs career, Escamilla became part of history again as a member of the first-ever WNCC baseball team in 2002 and 2003. He earned all-conference honors as a Cougar and finished his college career with a .340 batting average, 67 RBIs, 67 runs, and 74 singles. His .379 average in 2003 remains one of the program's top single-season marks, and he still holds the WNCC record for most triples in a game with two.

                Escamilla said he was both surprised and grateful when he received the call about his induction.

                "Coach Mark Moran called me about a month, month and a half ago, and told me I was being inducted," he said. "I expressed my gratitude right away. I loved playing for him and for the Zephyrs—it was one of the highlights of my life. I still remember so many of those games. Honestly, I was excited the moment he told me."

                After graduating from Scottsbluff, Escamilla went on to play two seasons at WNCC, where he became one of the most versatile players on the roster.

                "My freshman year I started at first base," he said. "My sophomore year we lost a few pitchers, and Coach Mike Jones asked if I could pitch since I had pitched in high school. I said absolutely. So, I moved to third base and became a third baseman-slash-relief pitcher. I probably pitched in 10–15 games that year. I loved playing for the Cougars. Coach Moran prepared me so well for WNCC. Everything he taught me translated to the college level."

                Escamilla, now coaching in the Twin Cities program, said the transition from natural grass to artificial turf at Cleveland Field has changed the game for today's players.

                "The hops are beautiful," he said. "The ball comes in a lot harder, though. On real grass, the ball slows down. I tell my guys: yes, it's faster, but you don't have to worry about rocks or lips in the grass. The turf is awesome. We enjoy every minute of it, and the guys love it."

                After WNCC, Escamilla didn't continue playing college baseball, though he had opportunities. Instead, he moved to Denver and later lived in New Orleans, Houston, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Austin before returning home.

                "I'm excited to be back in Scottsbluff now," he said. "I bought a house here. I'm here for the long haul and excited to coach the Zephyrs again."

                He said returning to a smaller community feels right at this stage of his life. "I loved big cities for a while, but I'm ready to settle down," he said. "My mom, my sisters, my family—they're all here. And now I get to coach again. I'm excited to be part of the program."

                Escamilla believes this year's Zephyrs team has the potential to compete despite a smaller roster. "We've got some good guys," he said. "We don't have the numbers we want—we're about 35, 36 guys—but we've got talent. With our lineup and our arms at the top of the rotation, we're going to be competitive pretty much wherever we go."

                He also noted how much the culture of baseball has changed since his playing days.

                "Back in the day, there wasn't flipping bats or celebrating doubles. None of that existed," he said. "But now these kids have a little more fun. I was reluctant to accept it at first because baseball seems like an old-school game. But honestly, I see it happening in real time. The kids are just having fun out there. We support it. We want them to be excited to be here."

                For Escamilla, joining the Hall of Fame is a moment he'll never forget.

                "It doesn't matter when you get in, but the fact that I'm in the Hall of Fame for the Zephyrs means everything to me," he said. "I talked to a couple of the other guys who are already in—Jeff Koncaba, Jeremy Becker, Coach Blanco. It's awesome to be part of that group."

                The previous inductees included 2022 inductees Bo Bowman, Doug Mitchell, and Mark Moran; 2023 inductees were Jeff Koncaba and Jeremy Becker; 2024 inductees included Eric Moreno, John Clanton, and Joe Moran; and the 2025 class included Nat Stoner and Herschel Stoner.