Playoff Bracket 

By James Hernandez

Following an epic run to a Region 18 title this past weekend, the College of Southern Nevada now sets its sights on a Western District Championship beginning Thursday afternoon in Yuma, Arizona. CSN (Region XVIII champions) will join the Trinidad State Trojans (Region IX champions) Central Arizona Vaqueros (Region I runner up) and Arizona Western College Matadors (Region I champions) in the four team tournament field. The Coyotes matched up with both CAC and AWC in the Coyote Border Battle earlier this season, but dropped both games by a combined score of 20-5. Since that time the Coyotes have posted a 40-13 mark that included two win streaks of twelve games or more, giving CSN at least 40 wins for the third consecutive season. This 2017 Coyotes team morphed itself into a contender by showing the heart and resolve of a champion, proving that College of Southern Nevada Baseball has established itself as a junior college powerhouse.    
    
 CSN Coyotes 41-15 overall, 24-7 SWAC

Players to watch:
Justin Lutes (.379* AVG, 58* Hits, 50* Runs, 6* HR, 45* RBI, 48* BB)

Dillon Johnson ( .261 AVG, 47 Hits, 38 Runs, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 16 SB)

Christian Maggi (.312 AVG, 54 Hits, 43 Runs, 26 RBI, 27* SB)

Blake Wiggins (.241 AVG, 20 Hits, 15 Runs, 5 HR, 21 RBI)

Jordan Macias (.349 AVG, 53 Hits, 35 Runs, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 15 SB)

Jarrett Perns (.274 AVG, 52 Hits, 37 Runs, 2 HR, 25 RBI) Jay Martz (.254 AVG, 43 Hits, 37 Runs, 1 HR, 25 RBI)

Top Arms:

Todd Danzeisen (8-1* W/L, 63.2 IP, 3.82 ERA, 58 K's)

Ben Cutting (6-0 W/L, 75.2* IP, 2.14* ERA, 69* K's)

Isaiah Blaylock (8-3 W/L, 63.1 IP, 3.98 ERA, 54 K's)

Herbie Good (3-1 W/L, 54.1 IP, 4.38 ERA, 53 K's)

Alex Tisminezky (3-1 W/L, 24.2 IP, 2.55 ERA, 30 K's, 3* SV)

Blake Inouye (6-2 W/L, 34.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 50 K's, 2 SV)

CSN can win Western Districts if… The Coyotes continue to score runs in bunches. CSN scored 34 runs (8.5 RPG) in its four Region 18 tournament victories, and will have the luxury of swinging composite bats in the Western District Championships after using wood bats throughout the season. It is said that revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Coyotes can change the narrative on its earlier setbacks versus CAC and AWC by vanquishing the Vaqueros and Matadors, with a trip to the junior college world series on the line. The stakes couldn't be higher for the College of Southern Nevada; a win would exorcise the demons of the last two seasons, and give the Coyotes its first trip to Grand Junction during the Nick Garritano era.

AWC Matadors 42-20 overall, 20-16 ACCAC

Players to watch:

Landon Riker (.344* AVG, 76* Hits, 49* Runs, 3 HR, 41 RBI)

Daniel Lafarga (.286 AVG, 61 Hits, 35 Runs, 10*HR, 46*RBI)

Sean Roby (.261 AVG, 52 Hits, 31 Runs, 6 HR, 36 RBI)

Spencer Packard (.358 AVG, 52 Hits, 40 Runs, 1 HR, 38 RBI)

Snaider Torrealba (.263 AVG, 52 Hits, 40 Runs, 34 RBI)

Top Arms:

Eric Ligda (11-4* W/L, 100.1*IP, 1.97* ERA, 83 K's)

Irving Martin (8-3 W/L, 99 IP, 2.73 ERA, 102* K's, 3 SV)

Jayden Murray (10-3 W/L, 89 IP, 3.34 ERA, 98 K's, 2 SV)

AWC can win Western Districts if… The magic carpet ride continues. AWC entered the ACCAC tournament as the fourth and final seed, but found a way to defy the odds and eliminate top seeded Cochise College. The Matadors also found a way to beat the Vaqueros on their home field to secure a Region I title and home field advantage for this upcoming tournament. This upstart team from Yuma is playing with the confidence of a champion as they continue its quest for its first trip to Grand Junction since 2011.

CAC Vaqueros 40-21overall, 21-15 ACCAC  
 
Players to watch:

Pikai Duque-Winchester (.365* AVG, 80* Hits, 42* Runs, 3* HR, 41* RBI)

Alix Garcia (.327 AVG, 69 Hits, 39 Runs, 2 HR, 39 RBI)

Roger Varela (.327 AVG, 56 Hits, 34 Runs, 27 RBI)

Jake Vander Wal (.296 AVG, 45 Hits, 36 Runs, 2 HR, 40 RBI, 15 SB)

Top Arms:

Grant Townsend (10-2* W/L, 93.2* IP, 1.44* ERA, 112* K's, 3* SV, 5* CG)

Ryley Widell (7-2 W/L, 88 IP, 2.15 ERA, 107 K's)

Peyton Remy (4-5 W/L, 79.1 IP, 2.84 ERA, 88 K's, 2 SV)

CAC can win Western Districts if… The deepest starting pitching rotation in this tournament continues its dominance. Central Arizona's top three arms are as good as any team still playing in the NJCAA postseason and the Vaqueros have ridden its stellar defense and great pitching to another 40 win season. If pitching and defense truly win championships, the Vaqueros may have all the ingredients for the team's second junior college World Series title since 2002.

TSJC Trojans 35-22 overall, 22-14 conference

Players to watch:

Michel Dagenais (.343 AVG, 61* Hits, 49 Runs, 7 HR, 5* RBI)

Alex Bedard (.298 AVG, 50 Hits, 51* Runs, 20 RBI, 28* SB)

Conrado Diaz (.361* AVG, 60 Hits, 40 Runs, 9* HR, 55* RBI)

Herman Alvarado (.329 AVG, 49 Hits, 37 Runs, 28 RBI)

Top Arms:

Jose Torres (6-2 W/L, 84.1* IP, 2.24 ERA, 79* K's)

Brennen Geraghty (8-4* W/L, 64.2 IP, 3.34 ERA, 76 K's)

David Gauthier (5-1 W/L, 60 IP, 1.80 ERA, 45 K's)

Eli Sivert (5-0 W/L, 38.1 IP, 3.29 ERA, 43 K's)

TSJC can win Western Districts if… Practice make permanent. Trinidad State has now won a Region IX crown four consecutive years and it's only a matter of time before fortune shines on them. The Trojans are a solid club that matches up favorably with the other three teams in the tournament and after three straight Western District tournament defeats is determined to breakthrough and represent Region IX in the 2017 junior college World Series.

Fans we will have a live audio feed of every CSN game in the 2017 Western District Tournament live on the Coyote Sports Network.

We will also have tournament updates all weekend long on www.csncoyotes.com as well as Facebook CSNCoyotes and Twitter @CSNCoyotes.

*Denotes 2017 Team Leader

Playoff Bracket