CCSN treating playoffs like business trip

Wednesday, May 14, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

Veteran observers of the NJCAA Region 18 baseball championship told Tim Chambers that they were stunned by what they saw at Lied Field Friday night.

Chambers guided the Community College of Southern Nevada to victory against Southern Idaho, but the Coyotes were cool customers after clinching the series.

There was no giddy celebration, ecstatic throwing of gloves into the air or carrying of Chambers on his players' shoulders.

"Like we expected it," said CCSN pitcher Jino Gonzalez.

Chambers said longtime attendees of the tournament told him that his was the first team in recent memory that did not end up in a big infield dog pile upon winning it.

"We just want to act professional, like we have been here before," said Gonzalez's fellow starter Jabe Beard. "We know we have another week to go, and we haven't really reached all of our goals yet. We still have ballgames to play."

Beard is a main reason why the Coyotes (48-8) will play Chandler-Arizona (37-19) in the best-of-three NJCAA Division-I Western District championship in Chandler, Ariz., that begins Thursday. CCSN left via chartered bus this morning.

Chandler beat Central Arizona, which defeated Manatee (Fla.) in last year's NJCAA title game at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo., to reach the district championship this week.

The winner advances to NJCAA World Series, which begins at Suplizio on May 24.

Chambers took his team to view Suplizio during a road trip this season, and a photograph of the field has served as the wallpaper -- and incentive -- for the screens on the four computer terminals in the CCSN clubhouse.

In winning the Scenic West Athletic Conference tournament and the Region 18 championship the past two weekends at Lied, the Coyotes beat Salt Lake and Southern Idaho in similar fashion.

Late-inning, Thursday night comebacks preceded dominating Friday victories that were started by Beard. He improved to 11-0 last weekend and owns a sterling 1.32 earned-run average.

"He spots it so well, throwing it where he wants," Chambers said. "Right now, he doesn't throw it in the 90s. If he picks up two or three miles on his fastball, he's a shoo-in to be drafted (high) next year."

Chambers did not have to go far to woo Beard, a 6-foot-2 right-hander who graduated from Foothill High -- a walk of about five or six football fields south of Chambers' office across Heather Drive -- last year.

Beard, 18, began his CCSN career as a third baseman and led the team's fall workouts in hitting. But he wowed Chambers in two highly effective stints as an emergency reliever in extra-inning games. Since then, the mound has been his home.

"I just go out there to throw strikes and eliminate walks," Beard said. "I've had great offensive support and a great defense behind me. I really don't think about my ERA. Every game is a new game."

In Arizona, aluminum bats will be used. The SWAC has used only wooden bats for two years, and CCSN slugger Don Sutton showed he will relish using the tin during an eight-inning scrimmage Sunday.

One of Sutton's blasts left a ding on the light standard in left field, 20 feet above the scoreboard, that looks like a Howitzer had recently been used at Lied.

"That makes it a whole new ballgame," Beard said of aluminum bats. "A lot of balls will be hit harder, so there will be more hits and home runs. If you miss, they'll catch up to your mistakes. It should be exciting."

In the seventh or eighth inning Friday, Chambers heard his players plotting to keep low profiles when they closed out Southern Idaho. He was pleased to listen to them talk about saving the dog pile for Grand Junction.

"We're thrilled, honored and pleased to be where we are," Chambers said. "On the other hand, our mission isn't over. Our sights are set on the big picture."