JUCO – The College of Southern Nevada has been one of the most dominant Junior Colleges in the country, routinely making deep runs into the postseason with a Junior College World Series appearance in 2017. The winning tradition was started by Tim Chambers and is now carried on by head coach Nick Garritano who is going into his ninth seasons for the Coyotes and they are showing no signs of slowing down. With a retooled roster that was one win away from going back to the Junior College World Series last season, CSN will rely on sound defense, a gritty pitching staff and timely hitting to get them by to the JuCo World Series. We sat down with Coach Garritano to go over what he expects from the 2020 season and discussed his guys who have yet to commit to a four year that should be on more than a few D1’s radars.

Uncommitted Pitchers

Johnny Cuevas, RHP/1B, is a sophomore who sits 90-94.  “Cuevas is a fast twitch two-way guy who brings competitive fire every time he steps on the field.”  Three pitch guy (fastball, slider, and straight change) with tremendous upside who is still learning how to pitch and be a pitcher. Johnny went 7-2 last year with a 3.98 ERA in 13 starts with a .204 B/Avg against.  Originally coming to CSN as a shortstop, he was converted to be a 1^st basemen to protect his arm for the mound where he has shown plus hands and feel for his new position proving it’s always nice to have a shortstop at every position in the infield. He also had himself a great year at the plate hitting .300 last year with 3 homeruns, a team best 13 doubles and drove in 45 runs for the Coyotes.

Nick Thompson is a right hander that sits 82-85. “This guy just knows how to pitch. Velocity is not something you will get with him, but he is a very smart baseball player who can read hitters and pitch in any situation, big or small.”  He throws his fastball, curve, slider and change from different angles in any count. In his freshman campaign, he had a 1.61 ERA, with a .203 batting average against. Thompson will be a nice compliment to the CSN staff that has multiple pitchers living in the 90’s. 

Tanner Lewis is 6’1 southpaw who will be one year out from Tommy John surgery when the season begins this spring.  He attacks the zone with a fastball that is up to 90-91, with an above average slider to go with it. He is still developing feel for his change-up, which shows flashes of being a very effective pitch.  “He has worked very hard to get back healthy.  Going to an absolute steal for someone.” 

Uncommitted Outfielders

DJ Stephens is extremely athletic player and a true centerfielder but can also play all three-outfield positions if needed. As a hitter DJ is a top of the order guy who can spray the ball to all fields while showing power to the pull side. “He is a cognitive hitter with an understanding on how to move runners when the situation calls for it and understands that speed is the best part of his game as a hitter.” Stephens runs a 6.5 60 and been up to 96 with his outfield throws. His best tool is his speed and athletic ability as hitter and outfielder. 

Joey Walls returns to CSN for his sophomore year after starting 38 games for the Coyotes last year and appeared in 49 where he finished with a .276 average. The everyday left fielder for CSN but stepped into the centerfield position when called upon. He is a gap-to-gap hitter who has a great understanding of the type of hitter he is and when situational hitting calls for it. “Walls was a big part of our team last year that reached the western district championship not only as a player but also as a leader on and off the field. Joey currently has 2.7 GPA but will earn his degree for the fall 2020. Joey is a great kid who I truly believe can be a D1 player due to his work ethic, athletic ability and the ability to hit at the next level.” 

Uncommitted Infielders

“Dax Fellows is a phenom. One of the best all-around athletes to play at CSN. He is quick, has great instincts, plays the game hard 100% of the time, and plays the game the right way.” Fellows is 5’11”, 185 lbs. is a true utility guy with time at shortstop, second base, third base and even centerfield in his freshman season for the Coyotes. Dax hit .417 with gap to gap power against elite pitching early in our season paired with a 6.64, 60. He is a high-end prospect that has top level D1 schools and pro scouts buzzing. He is the only remaining Coyote to finish in the PBR JUCO Wire: Top 100 Draft Prospects and will be an exciting guy to track this spring.

The Coyote's roster is riddled with prospects that should draw a lot of attention from Division 1 schools all over the country. A talented freshman class paired with a seasoned and hungry sophomore class has the CSN staff excited for another run at earning a birth into the Junior College World Series with Prep Baseball Report covering them along the way.

Uncommitted high school prospects in the 2020 and 2021 class will have an opportunity to showcase their skills at the Uncommitted Upperclass Showcase at College of Southern Nevada in front of the coaching staff, among other schools in attendance, on Sunday, November 10th. Registration is now open!