Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada is creating a media stir that Coach Tim Chambers isn’t quite used to.
“I don’t know if I like it,” joked Chambers, referring to the season so far and the amount of attention they’re getting due to Harper’s presence. “In all of my years of coaching I have never coached, or seen, a talent like this. Every day he gets better.”
Due to the amount of attention that Sports Illustrated coverboy Harper has received, and the number of media requests that have followed, Chambers has placed a temporary ban on interviews with Harper so that he can focus on being not only a good baseball player, but also a positive member in the clubhouse.
“We wanted him to learn how to be on a team first, and we saw what happened to him last summer when all of the attention was on him,” said Chambers. “He lost 15 pounds.”
That ban may be lifted once the team begins conference play, but it will depend on how well Harper continues to handle himself on the baseball field. Once baseball becomes the primary focus again, everything else will fall into place.
Has Harper been a distraction? It certainly doesn’t sound like it, as his coach lauded him for his ability to fit into the clubhouse. His teammates don’t seem to mind, either.
“His teammates take (the added attention) as ‘whoever comes to see him are going to see us,’” Chambers said in recognition of the amount of professional talent on his roster and how many scouts will be filling the stands on a game-by-game basis.
During his first weekend of play, Harper’s performances drew mixed reviews. His hitting mechanics were off, something Chambers worked hard with Harper to correct, and he also didn’t quite seem to be himself.
“He has his times where he shows some body language when he’s frustrated, but he’s a junior in high school really,” Chambers added. “I told him, ‘You know, what do you have to lose? Put your war paint back on and do everything that Bryce does.’”
The advice seemed to have paid off, as Harper caught fire during a weekend series against Yavapai College (PGX’s 14th ranked juco team in the nation) the first weekend in Feburary. His best game came last weekend in a contest against Central Arizona (PGX’s seventh ranked juco team) when he went 3-for-5 with a pair of two-run doubles and a two-run home run.
He now is hitting .361 with 15 RBI in 12 games, and 10 of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases. He already has hit three home runs, including one that Chambers will never forget.
“He hit a ball over the Green Monster in straightaway centerfield like I’ve never seen before. The wall is 420 feet away; the ball easily traveled 460 feet.”
Surrounded by Talent
Harper is far from the only reason the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes entered the year as PG Crosschecker’s (and their joint effort with the National Junior College Athletic Association) number-one ranked team to open the Junior College season. The team is loaded from top to bottom, with a strong starting staff, bullpen and starting lineup.
“Twenty freshmen are back, the highest number of returnees we’ve had,” said Chambers. “The experience helps keep the pressure off of (Harper) and allows him to be productive.”
Among those returnees are outfielder Trevor Kirk, who led the team in batting a year ago. This year he has moved from the three-hole in the batting order to the leadoff spot, serving as the catalyst for a powerful Coyotes offense.
Taking over the three-hole is first baseman/designated hitter Trent Cook, who has returned from missionary work in Finland and is currently the team’s leading hitter. Fellow sophomores Daniel Higa (shortstop), Scott Dysinger (second base) and Marvin Campbell (left field) round out the Coyotes’ everyday lineup.
The bench is also made up of experienced sophomores, including utility player Gabe Weidenaar, first baseman Ryan Thomas, outfielder Josh Demello and catcher Ryan Scott.
There are a few holes on the diamond, which has led Harper to be used in an expanded, versatile fashion. Of the team’s 12 games so far, he has started six behind the plate, four at third base and two in centerfield.
As much excitement as his powerful left-handed swing creates, his powerful right arm leads some to believe he could settle in at right field at the next level. Currently his transfer and his footwork behind the dish need work, certainly not uncommon for a player his age, and many scouts believe those problems are easily correctable with added experience. Having him move to another position may be more of a matter of allowing his bat to carry him as quickly as he can advance at the next level.
Whoever starts behind the plate, whether it be Harper or Scott, there is a wealth of arms to manage.
Right-hander Joe Robinson has returned for his second year with the program after leading the Scenic West Athletic conference as a freshman with a 1.54 ERA in conference play (1.99 overall). Robinson didn’t start pitching until January of his senior year in high school and has proven to be a quick study. His fastball can touch 95, and he comfortably sits in the low-90s with a solid three-pitch repertoire, making him a good bet to be drafted in the top three to seven rounds come June. If he doesn’t, he may head East to pitch for the Georgia Bulldogs next year.
Arizona transfer Donn Roach takes over as the staff’s number two starter. Roach was a promising right-handed pitching prospect coming out of high school who sat routinely in the low-90s. He didn’t fare as well for the Wildcats during his freshman year, when he suffered a significant loss in velocity, throwing in the 84-86 range. The CSN staff has worked with him to help him re-discover the arm slot that allowed him to pitch consistently in the 90s, and he has been clocked as high as 96 this winter. He also throws a good curve and split-fingered fastball.
Kenny McDowall is the team’s third primary starter, who carves up hitters by mastering the lower-half of the strike zone with a low-90s sinker.
Cal State Northridge transfer Bryan Harper, Bryce Harper’s older brother, has really blossomed this year. At 6-foot-5 he offers a projectable presence on the mound as a left-handed pitcher. He works in the upper-80s and can touch 92. Like McDowall, Harper is at his best commanding the lower-half of the strike zone, and his tall stature and long limbs make it look as though he throws harder than he actually does. He has made two consecutive starts after opening the year out of the team’s bullpen.
Armed with the best fastball on the staff, many felt flame-throwing righty Tyler Hanks, who consistently pumps his heater in the 94-97 range with a wicked slider, would assume the role of the team’s closer. Bouts with wildness have pushed Hanks to a set-up role, which has allowed Air Force transfer Aaron Kurcz to step up and shine as the team’s late inning stopper, already notching five saves to his credit.
Generously listed at 6-feet and 175 pounds, the mild-mannered Kurcz has a lightning-quick arm that easily produces 91-95 fastballs and a plus-plus breaking ball.
Affectionately labeled the team’s “left-handed donkeys” by Coach Chambers, freshmen Taylor Jones (6-foot-five and 215 pounds) and Taylor Larsen (six-foot-four and 220 pounds) have filled key roles in middle relief with solid, mid-to-upper 80s fastballs.
The wealth of pitching has pushed Gabe Weidenaar, the staff’s second best pitcher from a year ago, into a more versatile swing role. He also provides a valuable switch-hitting bat off of the bench.
Sophomore lefty Chasen Shreve, the younger brother of Colby Shreve, a sixth-round pick by the Phillies out of CSN two years ago, has been shut down for a month due to a shoulder impingement. He’s yet another arm on the staff who has lofty professional baseball aspirations.
Up next: Coyote Slugout
Starting on Thursday of this week, CSN hosts two of the most successful juco baseball programs in the nation as Chipola College (Florida) and Cypress College (California) travel to Las Vegas. Chipola opened the season as PG Crosschecker’s third-best team in the nation with Cypress sitting as the sixth-best.
Given the strength of the teams located all in one place, scouts will have the opportunity to watch five of the top 10 professional prospects from the junior college ranks, 11 out of the top 100 and 18 of the top 150.
Harper, of course, is the top rated prospect of those eligible for this year’s draft, and Chipola had its own boon of talent when unsigned first- and second-round picks LeVon Washigton and Jake Eliopoulos joined the team. Washington, a former Aflac All-American and the second-best juco prospect, has missed a little over a week due to a wrist injury he suffered while sliding into third base. He is expected to make his return to the field during this event.
Among the players listed in PG Crosschecker’s top 200 juco prospects, Chipola also boasts third baseman Michael Revell, first baseman Cody Martin, outfielder Joey Rapp, right-handed pitcher Chris Ellington and left-handed pitcher C.J. Reifenhauser.
Cypress is highlighted by towering staff ace Ray Hanson (who is coming off of a fine 11 strikeout performance over Merced College last weekend), reliever Travis Garrett and first baseman Ben Waldrip.
Please stay tuned to Perfect Game and PG Crosschecker in the coming days as I will provide first-hand reports and pictures from the Coyote Slugout.
The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.