West excels in Missouri

Doug West’s definition of “cold” may have a different meaning now than it did two years ago.

After attending Culver-Stockton College last year in Canton, Mo., the Monache High and Porterville College graduate discovered first-hand how brutal a winter in the heartland can be.

In a town where snow flurries are expected and heaters frequently used in dugouts during baseball games, West received a steady diet of brisk temperatures.

But with a bat in his hand and an opposing pitcher on the mound, the Porterville-native could heat up any stadium in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“It was cold for the first half of the season,” West said. “We had to practice indoors for three months and three of our games were snowed out.”

Despite the frigid climate, it didn’t take long for West to break the ice and top the community headlines.

In his fourth week playing with the Wildcats, West was named the HAAC baseball player of the week.

In those six games, the former Pirate batted .476 (10-for-21) with two home runs, one triple, three doubles and safely hit in every contest.

West collected seven RBIs, three walks, a slugging percentage of 1.000 and garnered four multi-hit games.

“Culver-Stockton wasn’t much different than PC because it still had the small-school atmosphere feeling,” he said. “We played some good teams and we played some not so good teams.”

West was also named to the First Team All-HAAC list.

“That was a big accomplishment for me,” he said.

Although his Wildcats failed to reach the playoffs — the first time they missed the postseason in head coach Dough Bletcher’s tenure — West was among the top 100 players in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in several categories.

He was tied for 33rd with Cumberland University’s Eric Mull by slugging .735.

West and Mt. Vernon Nazarene College’s Josh Estep finished their seasons with a .414 batting average — deadlocked for 51st in the nation.

And the former Marauder matched Texas Wesleyan University’s Jason Diaz with a 1.37 hits per game average, securing the NAIA’s 92nd slot.

“I did well but I’m not the team. I can’t do everything,” West said. “It was a down year for the program. We had some holes in the team that hurt us towards the end of the year.”

At the end of a 27-22 season, West finished with 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 67 hits and 35 runs scored.

He amassed 21 games with a 1.000 slugging percentage or better and rode a 22-game hit streak before it snapped against William Jewell College nearly halfway through the season.

“I had a good year,” West said. “I just hope my success can continue.”

But one thing is for certain — the accolades West hopes to attain during his senior season will not come through C-SC.

Instead, the 21-year-old will remain in the state where sunshine is plentiful and beaches only a short drive away.

In August, West will pack his bags and head north for Bethany University in Santa Cruz County where he will suit up as a Bruin.

“I’ll be playing in good California weather,” he said. “I believe California has better competition and you can get better exposure.”

And with good exposure in college comes the chance of earning a spot on a Major League Baseball farm team.

“To play professional baseball would be a dream come true,” West said. “I’ve been working hard for that since I was young. I love the sport.”