Nevada Bighorns begin play today

The Nevada Bighorns summer college baseball team will kick off its season today at Western Nevada College.

The Bighorns, who return 17 players from last year's team, will dive into action in its new league " West Coast Tri-State League " when they host the Folsom (Calif.) Pioneers. The teams will play a doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m. The teams also play a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday at Folsom High School.

Other teams in the new league are the Yuba (Calif.) Gold Sox, the Lodi (Calif.)

Grapesox, San Francisco Seagulls, Medford (Ore.) Riverdogs, Redding

(Calif.) Colt 45s, NorCal Pirates and the Humboldt (Calif.) Crabs,

who are considered the West Coast's most prestigious semi-pro team.

The Bighorns will play a nonleague game at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Reno Astros semi-pro team at Moana Stadium.

Featured on this year's Bighorns roster are several WNC players, " Marshall Kennebrew, Eric Maupin, Cory Raymond, Jay Skilton, Andrew Garcia, Jeremy Gendlek, Travis Feiner and Michael Stiles " but it's not known if those players will play today or Sunday after being eliminated Thursday night at the JUCO World Series in Colorado.

The roster will also feature several University of Nevada players, including pitchers Jesse Rasner and Chris Garcia.

In addition, Carson High graduates Kevin Schlange, who just completed his season for

Division II Coker (S.C.) College, and Royal Good, who played college ball in New Mexico this year, also is listed on the roster.

Also on the roster is New Mexico State pitcher D.J. Simon, who is coming off a season in which he went 9-1 and was named to the all-Western Athletic Conference second team. Simon also pitched for the Bighorns last summer.

Opening ceremonies will be today at 12:30 p.m. with Mayor Bob Crowell throwing out the first pitch.

The Bighorns will also honor the American Cancer Society as part of six promotions they will do this year as part of six promotions that will benefit various non-profit groups. The first 100 fans through the gate will receive a T-shirt with the Bighorns and American Cancer Society logos on it and all procedes from the snack bar will go to the foundation.