Wait is over for state baseball hopefuls

Nick Christensen

Thursday, May 19, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

Today

Lied Field at Morse Stadium, CCSN Henderson campus

4 p.m. -- Green Valley vs. Centennial

7 p.m. -- Sierra Vista vs. Spanish Springs

It's the day that couldn't have come soon enough -- except for the pitchers that had to help their teams through up to four games in last week's regional tournament.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association 4A state baseball championship tournament begins tonight at Lied Field at Morse Stadium, on the CCSN Henderson campus north of the College Drive exit on U.S. 95.

Sunrise Region champion Green Valley will play Sunset runner-up Centennial at 4 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by Sunset champion Sierra Vista against Northern winner Spanish Springs.

It's Sierra Vista's first trip to the state tournament, and this year's Spanish Springs team won the school's first-ever Northern Region title in any sport. The elder statesmen of the tournament come from Green Valley, which last won a state title in 2003 and has claimed eight of the past 12 NIAA large-school baseball championships.

Gators coach Nick Garritano said the week leading up to the tournament has a common thread.

"Honestly, the waiting game is a long time because they've heard about the experience, they just want to experience it," he said. "This week in practice is sort of tough, with the tournament not starting until Thursday."

Garritano tried to make practices extra tough on his group, noting 100 degree heat is forecast for all three days of the tournament.

Aside from the late May heat of Las Vegas, though, Garritano said he emphasizes that this week is just like any other -- except for the wooden plaque handed out Saturday afternoon.

"It's just realizing it's another baseball game," he said. "The only difference here is if you go on a three-game winning streak you walk away with the ultimate prize."

Greg Krause will start today's game for Green Valley. Centennial coach Charlie Cerrone could not be reached Wednesday, but Bulldogs ace Tyler Lavigne seems to be the probable starter for the opener.

In the late game, top-ranked Sierra Vista will play Spanish Springs. The Cougars will almost certainly start Steve Masten, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefthander who can hit 92 mph with his fastball.

"They probably know a little more about us than we know about them," Sierra Vista coach Nate Selby said. "They've got a couple guys that can hit and they've got the big kid that can throw... We'll have to pitch well. They're going to have to do the same thing to us."

Chad Riddle, who went 9-2 with a 1.31 ERA in 2005, will start for the Mountain Lions.

"This is going to be fun," he said. "We've been waiting too long to get here. We're finally here and we're going to take advantage of it."