CSN baseball coach toils in wake of last year’s success

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Nick Garritano has been in this situation before.

When he became the Green Valley High School baseball coach in 1999, he replaced Rodger Fairless, a man considered the greatest high school coach in Nevada history with 12 career state titles, including six in a row before he left Green Valley.

Garritano, who was just 25 when he was hired, would win two championships in his 12-year tenure at Green Valley, but came up short early in his career while coaching in place of Fairless.

Now, as the first-year coach at the College of Southern Nevada, Garritano is again following greatness.

When the Coyotes open the season at 6 p.m. today by hosting Arizona Western in the four-team Border Battle tournament at Morse Stadium, Garritano and his players will be in the shadow of a team — and player — he considers the best in junior college history.

Last year, the Coyotes advanced to the Junior College World Series, grabbing national headlines every step of the way with sensation Bryce Harper as its best player.

Harper, who left high school after his sophomore year to play at CSN last spring, batted .443 with 31 home runs and 98 RBIs in 66 games. He was the first pick in June’s First-Year Player Draft, being selected by the Washington Nationals and signing a five-year contract worth $9.9 million.

He was also the recipient of the Golden Spikes Award, the highest honor for an amateur baseball player that had only once been given to a non-Division I player.

Also gone is coach Tim Chambers, who left after the season to become the coach at UNLV. Chambers built the CSN program from scratch, leading it to the 2003 national title and always having his teams ranked high in the national polls. Harper, Chambers and former outfielder Mike Dunn will have their jerseys retired in a ceremony before the opener.

So, yes, Garritano and his crew have some big shoes to fill.

“What a difference a year makes,” Garritano said. “What a difference, I think everyone will agree, one player makes. There was a lot of hoopla out here regarding Bryce Harper, a phenom. It was great for the city and great for this program.”

It’s only natural for the players to compare themselves with Harper and last year’s squad. Last season, with everyone trying to get a glimpse of the Sports Illustrated cover boy, several national media outlets — such as ESPN and MLB Network — followed the team closely.

It’s significantly different this year. No ESPN. No large crowds. No fanfare.

“All eyes were on Bryce, and because of him, everyone wanted to beat us,” said third baseman Ray Daniels, who was primarily a reserve last season and is one of five returning players. “It was an awesome experience seeing all of those people follow us. Obviously, a lot has changed, but for the players and coaches, our expectations are just as high.”

Putting a competitive team on the field has only been half of Garritano’s battle. Former Bishop Gorman High coach Chris Sheff replaced Chambers as CSN’s coach in the summer, but was removed four months later for allegations of irregularities in training and conditioning practices.

Garritano took over in mid-November, giving him only three months to prepare for the season. To make matters worse, the NJCAA has put the program on probation, cutting 10 of the program’s 24 scholarships in 2012 and 2013 for training violations under Sheff.

Unlike Division I sports, where colleges can split scholarships among multiple players, the junior college level requires the full benefit be given to a player. With only 14 scholarship players on a roster of nearly 30, it could be years until the program returns to its glory of last year.

Just don’t tell Garritano he’s expected to lose.

He won a state championship as a player at Chaparral High in the early 1990s, was the place-kicker on the UNLV football team’s 1994 Las Vegas Bowl championship team and was the coach of Green Valley High’s girls’ golf team for the final two years of its national record streak of 144 consecutive wins from 1992 to 2004. He’s widely considered the best kicker in UNLV history and is part of the university’s athletic hall of fame.

Still, bringing the winning attitude to a decimated CSN roster could be easier said than done.

“Our big thing this year that we are really trying to preach to the children is that we have to take it inning by inning,” Garritano said. “As long as we get better every day, I’m happy driving home. We have to look in the present to create a better future.

“I know the community is used to having a winner out here,” he continued. “It has been a national power, and by no means are we coming here and saying we are happy with a .500 season. Our expectations, just like everyone who has come before us, is to get to Grand Junction, Colo. (the World Series).”

Garritano is known for getting the most out of his talent. At Green Valley, for instance, he won with a roster not nearly as celebrated as the teams Fairless won with.

Garritano is a master motivator who often reverts to his old football playing days during pregame talks to inspire his players. He’s also a firm believer in hard work and treated the team’s twice-daily preseason training like a military boot camp.

“These children have been through a lot,” Garritano said. “When the group of guys who brought some of these children in were removed, they were sort of lost. I told them, ‘Just give me an opportunity. Just give me a chance. It will take time, but I will earn your respect through hard work.’ ”

Sam Wolff, one of the team’s top starting pitchers, said the players realize the program’s expectations of winning.

“We definitely want to keep the tradition going with CSN being a powerhouse,” Wolff said. “At the same time, we are a new team this year with a bunch of new guys, and we want to make a statement on our own.”