By James Hernandez 

The word rivalry /ˈrīvəlrē / is defined as "competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field." When the College of Southern Nevada and Salt Lake Community College meet this upcoming weekend, familiar foes will renew acquaintances with much more than bragging rights on the line. All eyes will be on Taylorsville, Utah as the nation's two longest winning streaks go head to head in a battle for early control in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

It would be understandable if both the Coyotes (25 straight wins) and Bruins (22 straight wins) forgot what losing felt like, as the last losses for both sides came before the New England Patriots were crowned world champions for the fifth time.

The numbers are similar across the board with Southern Nevada holding a slight edge in team earned run average at 2.44 opposed to 2.86 from Salt Lake, with the Bruins hitting .349 as a team and the Coyotes swinging it at a .293.

Breck Eichelberger (2.72 E.R.A. 6-1 W/L 48 K's .234 BAA) and Jake Wilson (2.32 E.R.A. 6-1 W/L 32 K's .180 BAA) are the horses atop the Bruin rotation while arms like Cal Beardsley (2.22 E.R.A. 3-1 W/L 26 K's .202 BAA) and Jake Dygert (1.09 E.R.A. 2-0 W/L 14 K's) add to the depth and versatility of the rotation.

On the flip side of the coin, Southern Nevada features a rotation that is anchored by a pair of sophomores, that have established themselves as two of the premier arms in Region 18.

Future Pitt Panther Matt Gilbertson (1.59 E.R.A. 6-1 W/L 40 K's .218 BAA) has shut down some of the top lineups in the game, including a 2-1 pitching duel to open the season against future MLB draft prospect Dane Acker and the San Jac Gators. Not to be outdone, University of Houston Cougar commit Nick Rupp (2.36 E.R.A. 5-0 W/L 46 K's .147 BAA) is currently riding a 13 inning scoreless streak and sitting in second place atop the strikeout leaders in the Scenic West. Two-way freshman star Johnny Cuevas (2.01 E.R.A. 5-0 W/L 30 K's .178 BAA) is not only getting it done on the bump, but has been a mainstay in the batting order with a .299 average that features three long balls and 30 runs batted in on the year. Sophomore Buddy Pindel (1.84 E.R.A. 3-0 W/L 37 K's .208 BAA) rounds a veteran starting rotation that has the luxury of featuring three battle-tested sophomores that are a combined 19-1 through 31 games this season. The two-headed monster existing at the back of the Coyotes bullpen Chase Bauerle (0.90 E.R.A. 11 K's 4 SV 1 ER) and JD Brooks (1.00 E.R.A. 14 K's 2 SV 1 ER) give Southern Nevada a decisive edge when it comes to securing and preserving close victories down the stretch.

Offensively the Bruins are paced by a balanced attack that features future University of San Francisco commit Jaxson Otis (.333 AVG 30 R 30 H 23 RBI 11 SB) as a top of the lineup catalyst followed by middle of the order run producers Brody Colledge (.411 AVG 20 R 30 H 14 RBI) Tyler Dean (.380 AVG 27 R 27 H 29 RBI) and Josh Cowden (.426 AVG 14 R 20 H 25 RBI 2 HR).

The Coyotes counter with a deep, versatile hitting lineup that features the most decorated 3-4-5 hitters in the entire Scenic West Athletic Conference. Nick "Chewy" Hernandez (UTPB commit, .312 AVG 24 R 29 H 8 HR 40 RBI) Steven Rivas (University of Houston commit, .248 AVG 22 R 25 H 2 HR 29 RBI) and Matt Wong (University of Hawaii commit .246 AVG 10 R 17 H 8 RBI) give Coach Garritano a heart of the order that can do some serious damage into the postseason.

Reigning defensive player of the year in the SWAC A.J. Amelburu (.940 FLD% 25 R 25 H 15 RBI 2 HR) teams with diaper dandy Jack Pineda (.991 FLD% .345 AVG 30 R 40 H 19 RBI) to form arguably the most lethal double play combo in Region XVIII. When two teams appear this evenly matched heading into a series, it's usually the team that can consistently execute the minor details of the game plan that finds a way will itself to victory.

This upcoming battle for conference, region and national supremacy is just another reminder of why junior college baseball, when played at its highest level continues to provide its fans with some of the most memorable moment's sports has to offer.

Fans for live updates of this weekend's SWAC showdown between CSN and SLCC stay logged onto www.csncoyotes.comor follow us on Facebook CSNCoyotes and Twitter @CSN_Baseball.