By James Hernandez 

For the fifth time in seven years Henderson, Nevada will play host to the Region XVIII tournament. This three-day tournament has hosted some of the premier talent in all of junior college baseball the last few seasons, and 2019 will be no different. The stars will be out May 9^th-11^thas the Scenic West Conference competes versus one another for the right to advance to next week's NJCAA Western District tournament. Nationally ranked Southern Nevada (#7) and Salt Lake (#20) highlight a talented field of teams that includes the defending Region and District champion Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, along with the Colorado Northwestern Spartans and the Utah State Eastern Eagles.

USU Eastern Eagles 5-32 overall, 4-25 SWAC   

Players to watch: Ryan Curtis (.302 AVG, 35* Hits, 13* Runs, 3* HR, 17 RBI) Dylan Rodriguez (.310 AVG, 27 Hits, 10 Runs, 10 RBI) Hunter Lasko (.325* AVG, 26 Hits, 11 Runs, 11 RBI) Tanner Evans (.278 AVG, 30 Hits, 9 Runs, 7 RBI).
Top Arms: Karter Pope (1-5 W/L, 43.1 IP, 5.01 ERA, 20 K's) Hayden Brock (0-2 W/L, 34.1 IP, 4.49* ERA, 13 K's) Jake Smith (0-8 W/L, 46.2* IP, 6.23 ERA, 32* K's)

USUE can win the 2019 Region 18 tournament if…The Eagles step up their offensive production and its starting pitching goes deeper into games. USUE hit .239 (4^thSWAC) as a team during conference play and featured the highest team ERA in conference at 7.26. USUE posted a 1-3 record versus opening round opponent CNCC, with the Spartans outscoring the Eagles 25-24 over the four games. That play-in game winner will meet a well-rested CSN team that has posted a 6-1 mark in its Region XVIII tourney openers since 2012. The odds are firmly stacked against the visitors from Price, Utah, but it's Las Vegas and just like the old saying goes "As long as you have a chip and a seat at the table you have a chance to win."

CNCC Spartans 9-34 overall, 6-21 SWAC

Players to watch: Ty Lewis (.298 AVG, 36* Hits, 9 Runs, 1* HR, 16 RBI) Eric Jordan (.222 AVG, 24 Hits, 19* Runs, 13 RBI, 7* SB) Austin Labarber (.301* AVG, 31 Hits, 8 Runs, 1* HR, 8 RBI) Austin Labarber (.301* AVG, 31 Hits, 8 Runs, 8 RBI)
Top Arms: Logan Hooley (1-4 W/L, 53* IP, 5.60 ERA, 27 K's) Clifford Brown (2-7* W/L, 40 IP, 10.35 ERA, 28* K's) Staley Hansgen (1-8 W/L, 48 IP, 8.63 ERA, 22 K's) 

CNCC can win the 2019 Region 18 tournament if… The Spartans can find a way to survive its opening matchup with the Eagles. Despite a 3-1 mark versus Utah State Eastern in 2019, the both teams were separated by just a single run over the four contests. CNCC head coach Lou McCollum has a light hitting group that was last overall in the SWAC with a .227 overall team batting average. That combined with a 7.26 combined team earned run average (Tied for last with USUE) make the mountain a tall one to climb if you are the Spartans, but momentum is a funny thing and a victory in the tournament opener may go a long way to building some positive momentum for Colorado Northwestern in this year's Region XVIII tournament.
 
 
CSI Golden Eagles 33-21 overall, 16-15 SWAC

Players to watch: David Huddleson (.302 AVG, 54 Hits, 36 Runs, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 13* SB) Hayden Leatham (.374* AVG, 67* Hits, 39 Runs, 4 HR, 41 RBI) Nolan Walker (.323 AVG, 51 Hits, 43* Runs, 10* HR, 42* RBI) Jackson Kohler (.366 AVG, 59 Hits, 40 Runs, 6 HR, 33 RBI) Colton Kent (.281 AVG, 43 Hits, 16 Runs, 4 HR, 43 RBI)
Top Arms: Boden Mills (8-2* W/L, 81.1* IP, 2.66* ERA, 65* K's, 6* CG's) Connor Breding (4-4 W/L, 60.2 IP, 2.84 ERA, 46 K's) Jayson Hibbard (4-2 W/L, 45 IP, 3.60 ERA, 31 K's) 

CSI can win the 2019 Region 18 tournament if… The defending SWAC, Region XVIII and Western District champions can continue to play the way they ended the year. CSI owns four wins over the top two teams in the SWAC (CSN and SLCC) and has a pitching staff led by ace Bodin Mills that is capable of defeating any team in the tournament. Add reigning SWAC player of the year Hayden Leatham and 2019 SWAC long ball leader Nolan Walker and the Golden Eagles can flat-out rake with anyone. That final game on Thursday between the Golden Eagles and Bruins has all the makings of an instant classic, and if history has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected in this highly competitive tournament. 

SLCC Bruins 35-11 overall, 24-7 SWAC

Players to watch: Jaxson Otis (.316 AVG, 50* Hits, 47 Runs, 1 HR, 31 RBI, 14 SB) Tyler Dean (.326* AVG, 43 Hits, 41 Runs, 2 HR, 40 RBI) Cole Gambill (.314 AVG, 43 Hits, 50* Runs, 41* RBI, 4* HR, 15* SB) Tanner Argyle ( .269 AVG, 35 Hits, 25 Runs, 3 HR, 27 RBI) Colton Moore (.250 AVG, 30 Hits, 26 Runs, 20 RBI)
Top Arms: Breck Eichelberger (8-2* W/L, 66.1* IP, 2.86 ERA, 66* K's) Jake Wilson (8-2* W/L, 62 IP, 2.32* ERA, 52 K's) Cal Beardsley (6-1 W/L, 50.1 IP, 3.05 ERA, 51 K's) Rj Hazen (2-1 W/L, 23.2 IP, 1.94 ERA, 20 K's, 1 SV) Bradley Morgan (3-0 W/L, 26.2 IP, 3.78 ERA, 30 K's) 

SLCC can win the 2019 Region 18 tournament if… Coach D.G. Nelson and the Bruins continue its success versus host Southern Nevada. Salt Lake is the only team to defeat CSN more than once in conference play as both sides continue to be each other's biggest obstacles towards a Region XVIII crown in 2019. The Bruins posted the second-best team ERA in the SWAC at 3.06 and led the conference in overall team batting average at .311, reaffirming the teams place a perennial top twenty team in the nation. Over the past four seasons the Region 18 tournament matchups between the Bruins and Coyotes have turned into instant classics, and this year should be no exception as both clubs have their sights set on Region 18 supremacy and a trip to next week's Western District Championships. 

CSN Coyotes 41-10 overall, 24-6 SWAC

Players to watch: Jack Pineda (.361* AVG, 66* Hits, 49* Runs, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 33 BB, 14* SB) Nick "Chewy" Hernandez ( .292 AVG, 42 Hits, 34 Runs, 9* HR, 48* RBI) Steven Rivas (.272 AVG, 46 Hits, 34 Runs, 41 RBI, 6 HR) Matt Wong (.305 AVG, 40 Hits, 26 Runs, 3 HR, 26 RBI) Johnny Cuevas (.306 AVG, 44 Hits, 37 Runs, 3 HR, 38 RBI) AJ Amelburu (.237 AVG, 38 Hits, 39 Runs, 2 HR, 26 RBI) Cole Schaefer (.350 AVG, 35 Hits, 19 Runs, 2 HR, 19 RBI)
Top Arms: Nick Rupp (8-1* W/L, 72.2* IP, 2.12 ERA, 68* K's) Matt Gilbertson (8-1* W/L, 57.2 IP, 2.83 ERA, 60 K's) Johnny Cuevas (7-1 W/L, 54.1 IP, 2.98 ERA, 50 K's) Buddy Pindel (5-1 W/L, 49 IP, 1.84 ERA, 56 K's) Chase Bauerle (2-0 W/L, 18.1 IP, 1.47 ERA, 24 K's 7* SV) Josh Brown (2-0 W/L, 11.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 12 K's, 2 SV) JD Brooks (1-2 W/L, 14.2 IP, 1.23 ERA, 19 K's 2 SV)

CSN can win the 2019 Region 18 tournament if… The Coyotes continue their winning ways at home. "Morse Magic has been alive and well as CSN has posted a 134-28 (82.7% win pct.) record overall at "The Den" since the start of the 2015 season. CSN was second in the conference in batting average, hitting at a .303 clip as a team and posting a conference best 2.85 team ERA. With the deepest collection of talent in the Scenic West on both sides of the game, Southern Nevada is motivated to avenge last season's Region 18 tournament loss in Twin Falls, Idaho and take the next step on its road to the 2019 Junior College World Series.      

Fans www.csncoyotes.comis your headquarters for the Region XVIII tournament all weekend long. We will have a live broadcast of every tourney game on the Coyote Sports Network and don't forget to interact with us on Facebook CSNCoyotes and Twitter @CSNCoyotes. 

*Denotes 2019 team leader in specified statistical category