Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV Sports:

CSN’s new pitching ace could be first MLB Draft pick, lead Coyotes to World Series

Phil Bickford

Special to the Sun

College of Southern Nevada pitcher Phil Bickford, a transfer from Cal-State Fullerton, is projected as a top-10 pick in June’s First-Year Player Entry Draft.

It’s been five years since Bryce Harper led the College of Southern Nevada to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

All eyes were on the teenager Harper that spring, and he didn’t disappoint in clubbing a record 31 home runs to bring national attention to the local junior college.

Those eyes will return this spring. And the Coyotes might wind up back in Grand Junction.

When CSN opens the season at 3 p.m. today against Glendale Community College in the Coyote Border Battle, the Coyotes will have their best team since Harper’s squad in 2010 because of another elite prospect. Right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford is projected as a top 10 overall selection in June’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, anchoring a CSN pitching staff with three starters who could potentially each be early-round draft picks.

The unit, including Arbor View graduate Gabe Gonzalez (a 13th-round selection in 2013 by Texas Rangers) and Anthony Martine (a UNR signee), is credited for CSN being ranked No. 2 in the preseason by Collegiate Baseball.

“We will be leaning on the pitching staff all year,” said Nick Garritano, CSN’s fifth-year coach. “We (have an) older (staff) and got a big-time guy at the break. We are looking for a ton of big things from our staff.”

The 6-foot-5 right-hander Bickford was the 10th overall pick of the 2013 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but couldn’t agree to terms. He pitched last season at Cal-State Fullerton, but left the Division-I school in September for CSN. Players at four-year schools can’t be drafted until after they’ve been out of high school for three years. At CSN, he can be picked this June.

Bickford dominated the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer, striking out 44 batters in 27 and 2/3 innings and touching 93-98 mph on his fastball. He surrendered runs in just two of his 17 appearances.

Scouts voted him as the league’s top prospect, making the move to a junior college an easy decision.

“No matter who is in the crowd (scouts) I am going out there to do my job and help my team win,” Bickford said. “I try to have fun with it and love the game.”

MLB.com says Bickford “flashes an above-average slider and throws strikes. Though his slider and changeup still need development, he profiles as a starting pitcher.” They also say the 2015 draft class lacks quality pitchers near the top of the draft and claim Bickford could be the No. 1 overall selection. Harper also went No. 1 overall out of CSN.

Being under the microscope is nothing new for Bickford, who was also highly scouted during his high school career at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif. As a senior, he posted a 12-1 record and 0.83 earned run average with 144 strikeouts.

He’ll likely put up similar numbers as CSN’s ace. Gonzalez and Martine could potentially produce similar results.

Having someone such as Bickford to compete with and learn from makes the Coyotes staff that much stronger. And having Bickford in the rotation will bring plenty of scouts to also evaluate CSN’s other players.

“We have a lot of guys that are able to go out there and compete for the team,” said Gonzalez, who struck out 59 batters last season in 39 and 1/3 innings for Arbor View. “We have some guys who are real gamers. They’ll go out there and win games for us and get us to where we want to be in May.”

Bickford’s arrival isn’t the only reason CSN should contend for a spot in the World Series. Garritano inherited a program limited to 14 scholarships, not the full allotment of 24, for his initial two seasons because of rules violations by a previous coach. Losing 20 scholarships made building a championship contender impossible.

“We feel everything is behind us now. We are finally moving forward,” Garritano said. “I am hoping we can reap the benefits this year.”

Tickets for the two-day tournament are $12 a day, or $20 for both days.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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