CCSN likes chances at title

Friday, May 23, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

There wasn't much talk during the Community College of Southern Nevada baseball team's bus ride to the NJCAA World Series in Colorado on Thursday.

That didn't disturb Coyotes coach Tim Chambers, though, because most of his players slept through the majority of a 7 1/2-hour jaunt that began at 4 a.m. For the final 90 minutes, "Jackass: The Movie" ran on the DVD screens.

"They're fired up," Chambers said on his cell phone at a Grand Junction, Colo., high school, where he, an assistant coach and three players, along with members of the other nine teams, ran a clinic for 300 children.

The Coyotes (50-9) begin the World Series on Saturday at 2 p.m. (PDT) against Seminole (Fla.) Community College (41-19) at Suplizio Field. The title game of the double-elimination tournament is Saturday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m. (PDT).

The marquee in front of the Mesa Inn, CCSN's headquarters on Horizon Drive, read "Welcome Coyotes" when the luxury bus pulled into its parking lot just after noon local time.

"At that time, the kids started smiling," Chambers said. "Actually, we've been downplaying it. We don't want them to get caught up in it. I feel like we have a great chance."

Jino Gonzalez starts Saturday for the Coyotes against Zach McCamie, who was named the most valuable pitcher of the Region VIII Florida state championship last week. Jabe Beard will start CCSN's second game, either Sunday at 1 p.m. (with a Saturday defeat) or Monday at 1 p.m. (with a victory Saturday).

Raiders first baseman Donnie Burkhalter, who committed to the University of Miami for next season, won MVP honors at the state tournament. Seminole coach Mike Nicholson guided the program to its first state championship in his third season.

"We'll play our game," Chambers said. "We'll worry about what we do. Hopefully, that's good enough. If Jino throws strikes Saturday, I got to believe that we'll be in the game.

"We drew a tough draw. Win or lose, we'll be playing good clubs. Our first couple of games will be as tough as any in the tournament, but we'll make the most of it."