Region IX Champions
2007 Champions

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WNCC Baseball Coaches
Head Coach Mike Jones
Mike
Jones will be beginning his 10th season at the helm of the Cougar
baseball team in the fall and the team has had a lot of success in the
last four years.
In 2007, the Cougar team recorded its first Region IX championship by
defeating Trinidad State twice for the title, and Jones also earned
Region IX Coach of the Year honors.
In 2009, The Cougars finished second in the Empire Conference before
falling in the first-round Region IX Playoffs. This past season, the
Cougars finished second in the Empire Conference, won their first round
regional playoff series games, and finished runner-up for the regional
title. Still, the team played in the District Playoffs where they fell
to No. ranked Southern Nevada and No. 1 Major League draft pick Bryce
Harper 9-8 (they almost upset the team).
Jones has made the Cougars a Region IX power after taking command of the
baseball team in 2001-02. Jones is the only baseball coach WNCC has had.
In his nine years at WNCC, he has a 243-264 record and needs just seven
wins to capture his 250th win at WNCC. Before coming to WNCC, he spent
the previous three years at Dodge City Community College. At Dodge City,
he had a 94-71 record. His overall junior college record stands at
337-335. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at Dodge City
from 1995-96.
As a native of Overland Park, Kan., Jones began his playing career at
Avila College in Kansas City. Following two seasons at Avila, he
transferred to Emporia State University where he helped lead the team to
its first MIAA championship as a starting pitcher in 1993. His coaching
career started in 1994 at Emporia State as an assistant coach.
Jones has been active with the American Legion in both Dodge City and
Gering. He was also a coach of the 1998 American Legion tournament
champions in Kansas, a member of the 1993 MIAA championship team at
Emporia State and participated in the NCAA Division II national
tournament.
Jones is married to Jude, and they have three children, Jack, Alexander,
and Luke.
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Assistant Coach Ryan Burgner
Ryan
Burgner has brought a lot of excitement to the Cougar baseball team in
the past seasons. But besides being an assistant coach, he took over the
title of athletic director.
Burgner brings a lot of pitching experience to the Cougars and has built
at good working relationship, serving as the pitching coach. Burgner had
a productive prep and college career, earning a number of honors. While
at Manzano High in Albuquerque, N.M., he was a three-year starter in
baseball. He graduated from high school in 1994.
After high school, he attended Dodge City Community College for two
years, while Mike Jones was an assistant coach. While at Dodge City, he
was named an All-Jayhawk West Conference pitcher and was voted to the
Jayhawk all-star game.
After graduating from Dodge City, he went on to pitch at Iowa State,
while getting his degree in sports management. He was also with the
Albuquerque Dukes, a Triple A affiliate to the LA Dodgers as the
director of ticket operations, and later as the pitching coach at
Northeastern Junior College while serving as the assistant.
Ryan is married to Triniti and they have two daughters, Jensen and
Kyndal, and a son, Kolten.
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