Image won’t be forfeited

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 | 7:31 a.m.

Dixie State baseball coach Mike Littlewood said it is unfortunate that the Community College of Southern Nevada was dropped last week from first to worst in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

The National Junior College Athletic Association, in a random audit, ruled that CCSN coach Tim Chambers had been using two ineligible players, Cameron Johnson and Craig Heyer.

Both had not started certain classes until March 27. The NJCAA termed the late start date as "minisession" classes, while Chambers argued that the three classes in question were regular eight-week CCSN classes.

"It seems like an obscure rule," Littlewood said. "I think we could all have been guilty of it if we don't watch it. I have more empathy for him than anything, really."

CCSN had been 27-10 and 15th in the country before the ruling. Now, after winning two of three nonleague games over the weekend, it is 2-38 and 0-24 in the seven-team SWAC. The top six teams advance to the conference tournament.

"I don't think it'll matter a whole lot," Littlewood said. "They'll probably finish fifth or fourth. Tim's probably doing what I'd do - I'd tell my team we're still 27-10. I would keep them going that way.

"I would almost expect them to come back from this stronger."

Comeback story

Chambers said focusing on that early season success has been his tack with the team.

"We'll shock the world," Chambers said Monday. "And when we do it, it'll be the greatest baseball story ever written."

The Coyotes trail sixth-place Colorado Northwestern Community College (8-26 overall, 6-16 in league). They play doubleheaders Friday and Saturday against College of Eastern Utah (15-19, 9-15) in Price, Utah.

"I'm not concerned about our image," Chambers said. "We didn't do anything wrong. We don't cheat. We graduate our players.

"Obviously, it's a scar. But I don't feel like it should damage our reputation.

"I don't think the NJCAA feels that way, either, or they would have put us on probation for a couple of years or taken the season away from us. If they felt we were intentionally circumnavigating the system or cheating, they would have (done either)."

Bad news travels faster

For five years Chambers and the rest of the SWAC coaches mailed in their eligibility rosters to the league office. Last year the SWAC began an online transcript-filing system.

Chambers said he was shocked when he received the ineligibility notice via an e-mail on March 27. Two days later, an appeal was denied.

"I was a little emotional," Chambers said. "I apologized to (the players) and said they didn't do anything wrong. When I see the rosters, I see how many credits they're registered for and I move on.

"Our goal is still to win the national championship. We'll find a way to fight into the playoffs. I wouldn't want to be the upper seeds if we get in. We're 29-11 in our minds. Just because we forfeited them doesn't mean we lost them."

Speed E. Coyotes

The main speedsters have been Casey Coon (18-for-21), Nick Sansone (15-18), Cameron Johnson (19-22) and Cole Miles (22-24). Coon, a sophomore out of Silverado High School, is sixth in the conference with a .381 batting average.

Sophomore right-hander Steven Hirschfeld is 7-0 with an 0.58 ERA and has a SWAC-best 54 strikeouts.