2010 Rattlers Baseball Team

Front: l-r
Jeremy Trujillo, Pueblo; Kyle Eck, Las Animas; Clay Apadaco, Raton, NM; Jordan Carlini, Raton, NM; Ryan Urban, Albuquerque, NM; Trevor Juth, Longmont; Jason Baylor, Las Animas; Kellen Quintana, Bernalillo, NM; and Luis Martinez, Albuquerque, NM.

Middle Row: l-r
Evan Cunningham, Gillette, Wyo.; Kyle Clemens, Colo. Springs; Kyle Muth, Aurora; Jeremy Ortiz, Pueblo; Allan Wilson, Denver; Brandyn Russell, Fort Collins; Greg Mendoza, Miami, FL; Mike Loseke, Arvada; Tyler Keith, Longmont; Jon Jon Lemos, Las Vegas, NV; Christian Lujan, Thornton; and Aaron Sandoval, Albuquerque, NM.

Back Row: l-r
Rocco Padron, Thornton; Chris Shine, Arvada; Cory Long, Pueblo; Daniel Murray, Farmington, NM; Troy De Los Santos, Las Vegas, NV; Kenan Gooden, Eads; Donald Bauer, Wheat Ridge; Brad Zemmer, Fowler; Drew Wold, Aurora; Eric Payan, Thornton; Evan Medina, Denver; and Zack Mang, Los Alamos, NM.

Not pictured: Danny Morales, Granada.

Before Renovations

Improvements to 22nd Street Ball Park
Otero Junior College baseball field getting a "Face Lift"
By Tyler Keith
Student Sports Information Team

La Junta - Every baseball coach has their own idea about how to improve their home playing surface. This year Otero Junior College, The City of La Junta and La Junta High School have teamed up and to make the 22nd Street Ball Park a top-of-the-line facility for use by both the college and high school baseball teams.

The field construction consists of the installation of a new infield that is field turf, not natural grass. The field turf will also help with field maintenance, cutting down on water use and making snow removal from heavy spring snow storms much easier. With the enhancements to the field's surface, Otero Junior College hopes to earn the title of having the best playing surface in Region IX. Coach Chris Carrillo believes that the new field will also be a valuable recruiting tool. "Not only is the field going to be a great place to play, it will also be a powerful recruiting tool; hopefully making a strong impression on new recruits," said Coach Carrillo.

During Renovations

Sophomore infielder Luis Martinez is looking forward to the spring season on the new field for several reasons. "The new infield will be a great addition to the Rattler program. Being an infielder, I am excited to finally get true hops from ground balls. I am also very relieved that we no longer have to do field maintenance," he said with a grin.

Sophomore pitcher Jeremy Ortiz described how much confidence in the defense he will have playing behind him. "Not only am I pretty excited about the new addition to the ball park, but more excited about the chances infielders will have. Bad hops on ground balls can make or break a game. To have a great home yard where we know everything defensively will go our way is pretty exciting. Plays in the infield will now become closer to the routine play that we make every day; I can't wait till we're playing back at our own field every day," said Ortiz.

After Renovations

Coach Carrillo said that both OJC and La Junta High School look forward to getting on the improved field beginning in January. "Currently, practices are being held at the Rocky Ford's High School field. We want to thank Rocky Ford High School for the use of their facility while our ball field has been undergoing these changes. It has been a great arrangement and we hope to host a few of our regular season games in Rocky Ford," said Carrillo.