Former players, coaches react to end of Western Nevada College baseball

Editor’s note: This is the final in a series of articles on Western Nevada College intercollegiate athletics, which are being discontinued after the 2016 season.

As the Western Nevada College baseball program comes near to its end, the reactions are typical, ranging from the memories created by the programs to disbelief its being disbanded to even acceptance and the willingness to move on.

The curtain comes down on WNC baseball and softball when the 2016 season concludes. Back in 2006 when WNC baseball opened play, nobody could have foreseen the immediate success of the program, including then-College of Southern Nevada coach Tim Chambers.

WNC’s opening game of its inaugural season was against College of Southern Nevada in Henderson. Wildcat pitching coach Dennis Banks remembers Chambers being quoted as saying WNC recruited many players who weren’t up to CSN’s standards.

“‘If those guys from Reno beat us, I’ll resign immediately,’” Banks quoted Chambers as saying.

WNC won 4-2, leading Wildcat head coach D.J. Whittemore to do a back flip off the dugout railing and the WNC players to celebrate as if they just won the JUCO World Series. That game definitely set the tone for what has been a memorable rivalry. And about Chambers, Banks said, “but he didn’t resign. Those things like that are just priceless.”

Banks admitted he has a hard time understanding why the program is being let go.

“They have the ability to raise the funds and to not keep it going, that’s too bad,” he said. “It’s a shame. What a ride, though.”

Then came another memorable moment at the end of the 2006 season against College of Southern Idaho at John L. Harvey Field when Brad Carlson of Spanish Springs came through with a game-winning two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Wildcats the Scenic West Athletic Conference title.

“I have a picture of that dogpile,” said Kevin Edwards, who served as Whittemore’s right-hand man as a pitching coach, strength and conditioning coach and recruiting coordinator for the program’s first five seasons. “I just think that really set a high standard for our players.”

Another memorable moment for Edwards came when WNC advanced to the 2009 JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. Edwards also was in charge of positioning the WNC defense and his positioning of the Wildcats players during that World Series was uncanny.

“That was my favorite part of the job, reading swings and moving the defense,” he said. “I loved that.”

About what the program meant to him, Edwards said, “To me, it’s the countless hours, day and night, the amount of sacrifice of coaches, players, families and supporters.

“The value is immeasurable. For me it just breaks my heart. It doesn’t make me mad because people will move on. But it is a shame. It’s kind of like gone, but not forgotten.”

There was also success in 2007 when WNC beat CSN twice in the playoffs on its way to the JUCO World Series. Douglas High graduate Chad Walling was a valuable utility player for that team.

“It was great to keep dogpiling,” said Walling about the run to the World Series. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It was one of the greatest experiences I ever had. That was special no doubt. That whole experience to get through the playoffs and make it through was a blast. It was a great group of guys. It was a family.

“It’s a shame. I don’t pretend to know what’s going on. Obviously, selfishly, I would love to see it go on and continue.”

But Walling added he just reflects on how grateful he was to be a part of the program.

“What an opportunity it was for me,” he said.

And Walling also expressed his gratitude to Whittemore.

“He played an integral part in my life,” Walling said. “He’s a terrific mentor. A man I really admire and look up to.”

Another player from that early era was Jerahmie Libke, who set the standard for shortstops to follow during that 2006 season. Libke went on to be an assistant coach at WNC during that 2009 season in which the Wildcats reached the World Series.

He said 60 to 70 former players are committed to coming to the final regular season home series when WNC plays CSN at John L. Harvey Field today and Friday.

Libke said he’s remained close to his teammates, including two leaders in that early era, Thomas Miller and pitcher Justin Garcia, who helped lead WNC to the 2007 World Series.

“I talk to Miller every day,” Libke said. “I talk to D.J. three or four times a week.”

About the 2009 World Series, Libke said, “That was one of the best teams I’ve ever been a part of. That was a blast.”

On the end of the program, Libke said, “It’s a bummer. I can’t believe they’re going to do it. It’s like a second family. I feel like the baseball players and D.J. put Western Nevada on the map.”

Lance Ray, one of the program’s all-time top players who helped lead WNC to the 2009 JUCO World Series, echoed Libke’s sentiments.

“To me, to not be able to get the funds to keep it going is really disappointing.”

“It meant everything to me,” added Ray about playing at WNC. “It opened up so many opportunities for me. I was able to further my education. That was the most fun I ever had playing baseball.”

Two of WNC’s current assistant coaches, Aaron Demosthenes and Ryan Gonzalez are taking a philosophical view as the program comes to an end.

“I hope it’s just brought the community a little bit of joy,” said Demosthenes, who has been a hitting coach in the program since the beginning.

About Carson City, Demosthenes said, “it’s been a baseball town longer than we’ve been around.”

Demosthenes said he’s trying not to think about the program coming to an end.

“Hopefully we’ll prolong this a little bit,” said Demosthenes about this year’s team making a deep run into the playoffs.

“It’s meant the world to me,” said Gonzalez, a 2002 Carson High graduate, who has served as an WNC assistant coach for the past three seasons. “From day one, it was just something special. It’s made me grow as a person.”

Like Demosthenes, Gonzalez is more concerned about the job at hand.

“I just look at it day-to-day,” he said. “I never look at it year-to-year. I don’t even want to think about the end of it.”

But Gonzalez does believe the program will come back some day.

“I do believe the program will open up once again,” he said.